The big question for the future is: Will younger voters remain Democrats as they grow older or, when they become fogies, will they also become Republicans?
Since 2008, commentary about presidential campaigns has been saturated in the rhetoric of narrative. However, Obama's 2012 presidential victory wasn't, strictly speaking, based on narrative. So what happened?
Demographics are the characteristics of a population. That's what a presidential candidate needs to fundamentally understand to win votes. When only white people voted, then only white people mattered. But just like fall foliage, Americans demographics are changing colors.
Chait's emphasis on demographic shifts is powerful and mainly on target, but there is a broader historical context to his analysis that complements, extends and better explains the hysteria dominating the current rhetoric of the Republican party.