Discussion and speculation abound regarding the sorry state of the Grand Old Party, with its clone-like band of graying White dudes and their backstage entourage of eager Leave-It-To-Beaver millenials and Gen Xers. Truth be told that the entire party did more than lose itself over the past several years - it simply didn't get the memo. By some accounts, the memo was delivered, but they just didn't want to read it.
We all recall the memo, right? That one about a tripling Latino population by 2050; about non-stop growing cities and suburban sprawl; about a population as White as a several minute snow flurry on an unseasonably warm autumn day. Any rank and file Republican paying close attention to the past election, as early as before the primaries, should have seen the writing on the wall: demographics. Democrats appeared to trump in that category by clever electoral unification of diverse groups. Mere observation of audience levels at various GOP debate, rally and campaign trail functions told a story of very few identifiable "faces of color." Republican candidates appeared more marginal than mainstream, both in the composition of their campaigns and base. They only had one base.
By the time the general election came around, the notion of "minority outreach" became farcical. Outreach for what? And for whom? The St. Paul convention gave it all up: some quipped that the few people of color who did show up must have been paid. Nothing at all wrong with a stadium full of White people, but the RNC 2008 was an example of modern political don'ts when running a national campaign. There was complete and - let's keep it real - deliberate ignorance of current social realities staring us all in the face.
Much of the talk concerning the fall of the Republican party overlooks some basic points in favor of a highly convoluted focus on the irrelevant. The GOP, along with its rigid, litmus-testing and dominant right base, refused to accept or grasp rapidly changing cultural norms on the ground. Note the usage of "refuse" rather than "denial." Despite some claims, Republicans were tuned in to the problem for some time and had ample opportunity to reverse it. Which is certainly the case at the moment.
They're still not reading the memo.
Basically, there is a rather common sense dynamic to all this, and it should really be hitting Republican talking heads and hacks on the head like a V8 moment. In the post-mortem, quite a bit will be made of the need for a new conservative revolution. Many Republicans themselves, primarily to the edge of the center-right, are huffing quite a bit for a new round of attacks on Obama, blogs and talk radio alike claiming their path to redemption is through a vengeful offensive against the left. And, there is a broader, somewhat out-of-touch discussion about the re-emergence of "Republican principles" - as if political parties ever had that in the first place. And many, rightly so, will accuse the GOP of cheating itself, of doing one thing (e.g., high spending, ethical lapses and excessive government intrusion) while saying another (fiscal restraint, high morals and less government). But, again, what political party has principles? What political party do we know of that hasn't lacked scruples, that hasn't operated as a tool of influence and the almighty C.R.E.A.M. (for all you WuTang fans)? "Returning to principles" assumes they were present in the first place, a bite off the same a-intellectual 2008 election racial and class warfare code wording like "Hockey Moms" and "Joe the Plumber."
In the final analysis, however, it's all about recalibration and adaptability. The modern political landscape is now a "mutt"-like collage (to use an infamous line from the President-elect) of differing perspectives, diverse cultural backgrounds and competing interests sharing a common goal towards wealth, prosperity and social stability. Forget left versus right. Nix liberal versus conservative. And, let's even do away with the gutless abyss of the "center." Forget about all that.
The new politics is pragmatism.
It's all about who has the better plan, followed by even better execution, followed by results and the ability to communicate all three effectively. If Republicans continue to miss the point by screaming the need for a return to "conservative principles," then they really don't deserve being a party. Get rid of the pasty ideological litmus tests. Do away with "blacklisting" those within the party who dissent. While trying to commit itself to "minority outreach," particularly as it relates to African Americans, the first step is to stop relying on long-time "Black conservative" activists with little to no track record in the community. At that point, rely on your younger, energetic and passionate "free thinkers" - those who aren't so glued to RNC talking points.
Sure: the GOP is in a hot mess. But, there has never been a moment when a political party is this ripe for a spiritual bath, a pure political gutting - a takeover.