Adapting to the Marketplace

Those of you who are regular readers of this blog already know (as do those of you who also follow my alter ego on Facebook or Twitter), that I have gotten involved in local Republican Party politics this election cycle.  My efforts were directed toward advancing the cause of the most Libertarian-leaning candidates and viewpoints, in the hopes of changing the party in that direction.

In the process, I have observed a couple of things that I think contributed to the GOP taking it in the shorts in the swing states on Tuesday.  There are at least five trends I can identify occurring in the USA Voter Marketplace.  We are growing:

    > less white

    > less "traditional"

    > more urban

    > more secular

    > more comfortable with government having some role in promoting the common good

The GOP competes in the marketplace of votes.  Shifts in popularity within the marketplace of ideas tend to correlate with shifts in the voter marketplace.  If the Republican Party does not adapt to the changing marketplace of voters, it will become less and less relevant over time, eventually becoming the Whig Party of the 21st century.  Republicans nees to become less strident in their defense of classic conservatism and Red State traditions (family, religion, patriotism, English) and more interested in what interests the middle 2/3 of the electorate.  The GOP must become less ideological and more practical, figuring out how to get things done with those who hold different views.  

In the short run, the first step to this is bipartisanship; as Governor Romney said in the last week of his campaign, the first thing we should do upon being elected is "walk across the aisle", and find someone reasonable over there with whom we can work.  The former Massachusetts governor urged Washington's politicians to set aside the "bickering" and "political posturing" going forward, and "put the people before the politics."  The time for ideological purity is over.  Save that for the pundits and talk show hosts.

So as a credentialed delegate, tonight I go to a special nominating convention to select a GOP candidate for State Senate, to replace the person who actually won the primary, legitimately earning a place on the ballot, but... who died before the election Tuesday.  There will be a special election for that district held two weeks from now, with the Republicans putting forth the person we select tonight.  I wonder who my peers will settle on?  A partisan ideologue, or a bipartisan statesman?  What happens tonight may well decide whether I stay in and try to help the party adapt to a changing electorate ... or abandon this party as hopeless.  I hope it's the former.

*****

Update: 

I'm not quite sure what we got last night in a candidate, other than a sincere guy with a politician's smooth exterior.  At least he's not a career politician.  He happens to be a lawyer, which is hardly surprising in the legislature, and seems to have a track record of saying no to expanding local government.  I guess we could do worse, but I am also sure we could've done better.  I think I'll hang in there for a while and keep working on this.

My guy didn't get the nod, he came in second.  And the media was there watching the sausage get made.  But at least the rooms weren't smoke-filled.  ;)