Really good post muawiyah. Lots of interesting information here.
One thing that jumped out at me is your comments about the Southwest. Did you mean Democrats are going to continue declining throughout that region over the next decade? What about increasing legal Hispanic populations shifting the balance in places like Arizona to the left?
Need shut eye at the moment, but will return to this tomorrow.
Cheers.
Here's what's happened in the SW ~ the Anglos have begun pursuing their interests as Anglos, not just merchants, Catholics, Baptists, Mormons, rural ranching, suburban, etc. ~ and that has been forced on them by an increased voting population of Hispanics who see themselves as an interest group.
There's also a segment of the Hispanic population who view themselves as having the same interests as the newly defined Anglo group.
The Democrats will need to find some issue to attract all the hispanics, not just the illegal aliens' relatives who can vote.
Else, the Democrats will be reduced to representing school teachers.
At the moment the new Anglo coalition has taken over the Republican party machinery (if not control of the elections ~ hence McCain) and is able to push its agenda through the state legislatures.
CA doesn't count in this anymore. But you see the very serious phenomenon in New Mexico where the hispanic subgroup that views itself as sharing interests with the Anglos are winning elections with some regularity.