Data from the 2010 Census is being rolled out state-by-state. Ohio information has been sent to the state, and should be released to the public in the next couple of days. There is a lot of neat information there. For instance, the population of Loving County, Texas is now 82.
I realize that Republicans generally don't like the Census, and nosy Census-takers wanting to know whether they have indoor plumbing or are married to their sisters, but they probably ought to dig into the numbers a little bit. It might tip them off that xenophobic race-baiting laws and policies aren't a good long-term strategy. Currently, Texas is a stronghold of Republican politics, and the state is growing significantly. They will pick up 4 congressional seats in 2012. But the Hispanic population is now 37.6% of the state's population, and with blacks making up 11.8% of the population, that comes to a minority population of 49.4%. The Hispanic population hasn't voted as consistently Democratically as blacks have, but Republican politicians pushing Arizona-style immigration enforcement laws may push them to.
Two other trends worth considering by Republicans are the continued decreases in population in rural areas, and the aging of the white populace. When your base is dying off, it isn't good for your electoral chances. Not only do Republicans alienate minority voters, but they tend to drive away the young. Bashing on the gays isn't a successful recruiting strategy for young people. If they intend to continue to exist as a viable party, they may want to ease up on the crazy, and broaden the tent a little bit. Just a suggestion, but I realize Republicans tend to ignore uncomfortable facts in the pursuit of cult-like levels of ideological rigidity. If they won't change, good riddance.
No comments:
Post a Comment