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Is Demography Destiny? (Sowell on GOP)
Creators Syndicate ^ | November 13, 2012 | Thomas Sowell

Posted on 11/12/2012 11:11:59 AM PST by jazusamo

Some media pundits see in the growing proportion of non-white groups in the population a growing opposition to the Republican Party that will sooner or later make it virtually impossible for Republicans to win presidential elections or even to control either house of Congress. But is demography destiny?

Conventional wisdom in the Republican establishment is that what the GOP needs to do, in order to win black votes or Hispanic votes, is to craft policies specifically targeting these groups. In other words, Republicans need to become more like Democrats.

Whether in a racial context or in other contexts, the supposed need for Republicans to become more like Democrats has long been a recurring theme of the moderate Republican establishment, going back more than half a century.

Yet the most successful Republican presidential candidate during that long period was a man who went completely counter to that conventional wisdom— namely, Ronald Reagan, who won back to back landslide election victories.

Meanwhile, moderate Republican presidential candidate after moderate Republican presidential candidate has gone down to defeat, even against Democratic presidential candidates who were unpopular (Harry Truman), previously unknown (Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton) or who had a terrible economic track record (Barack Obama).

None of this seems to have caused any second thoughts in the Republican establishment. So long as that remains the case, demography may indeed be destiny— and that destiny could be Democratic administrations as far out as the eye can see.

If non-white voters can only be gotten by pandering to them with goodies earmarked for them, then Republicans are doomed, even if they choose to go that route. Why should anyone who wants racially earmarked goodies vote for Republicans, when the Democrats already have a track record of delivering such goodies?

(Excerpt) Read more at creators.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: conservatives; gop; sowell; thomassowell
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1 posted on 11/12/2012 11:12:02 AM PST by jazusamo
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To: abigail2; Amalie; American Quilter; arthurus; awelliott; Bahbah; bamahead; Battle Axe; ...
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2 posted on 11/12/2012 11:15:24 AM PST by jazusamo ("Intellect is not wisdom" -- Thomas Sowell)
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To: abigail2; Amalie; American Quilter; arthurus; awelliott; Bahbah; bamahead; Battle Axe; ...
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Thomas Sowell

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3 posted on 11/12/2012 11:16:33 AM PST by jazusamo ("Intellect is not wisdom" -- Thomas Sowell)
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To: jazusamo

What if it’s not about policy.

What if it really about likability.

Reagan had that in spades.


4 posted on 11/12/2012 11:20:27 AM PST by PetroniusMaximus
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To: PetroniusMaximus
Sowell is a brilliant man but no one will be able to convince people looking for freebies to follow basic Republican principles. Especially while the other party chases them around trying to give them things. It all goes back to education. If children are taught properly in school then this wouldn't be an issue.
5 posted on 11/12/2012 11:29:16 AM PST by Wiggins
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To: jazusamo

Some “moderates” who lost last week, here’s a few:
Linda McMahon
Scott Brown
Tommy Thompson
...there were more

if being “moderate” were the key to winning, why didn’t they win?


6 posted on 11/12/2012 11:30:08 AM PST by TurboZamboni (Looting the future to bribe the present)
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To: PetroniusMaximus

Pravda/Tass USSR kept the subjects ignorant via non-stop one party brain washing.

Pravda/Tass (aka MSM) keeps the subjects ignorant via non-stop one party brain washing.

Plus training the herds to expect ever greater ‘gimmies”.

Likeability factory? Only a racist or a Liberal (is there a difference?) could think Obama has more likeability than Romney. The debates showed Romney to be a decent guy and Obama (for those lacking a closed, washed brain) a jerk.


7 posted on 11/12/2012 11:33:02 AM PST by OldArmy52 (The question is not whether Obama ever lies, but whether he ever tells the truth.)
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To: jazusamo

The takers are not interested in logic or reason. They will always vote for the ones giving them the most goodies. Since there numbers can now control elections it s game,set match.


8 posted on 11/12/2012 11:40:06 AM PST by gleneagle
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To: jazusamo
What Republicans need are MORE PEOPLE who look like Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, Star Parker, Allen West, Lloyd Marcus, and Mia Love who are constantly in the forefront defending our values!
9 posted on 11/12/2012 11:41:26 AM PST by SoFloFreeper
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To: SoFloFreeper

Agreed!


10 posted on 11/12/2012 11:44:30 AM PST by jazusamo ("Intellect is not wisdom" -- Thomas Sowell)
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Please bump the Freepathon or click above and donate or become a monthly donor!

11 posted on 11/12/2012 11:45:42 AM PST by jazusamo ("Intellect is not wisdom" -- Thomas Sowell)
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To: Wiggins

We do have something to look forward to. Eventually, the Democrats won’t be able to give out any more ‘things’, and will have to institute biting austerity. Oh, imagine the riots we will have.

Then the red states can just secede and leave them to their own ways.


12 posted on 11/12/2012 12:02:41 PM PST by Viennacon
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To: PetroniusMaximus

“But if Republicans continue inarticulate, then it is they who are in big trouble. More important, so is the country.”

Reagan could articulate that which was best for all. Something in which the GOPe is NOT interested.


13 posted on 11/12/2012 12:22:50 PM PST by Scarlet Pimpernel (And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?)
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To: Viennacon

As Mark Stein said: the country voted for a lifestyle they are unwilling to earn. It can’t last long. Illinois will be the first to fall.


14 posted on 11/12/2012 12:23:37 PM PST by ALPAPilot
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To: ALPAPilot

You are quite right. As long as the doers consent to supporting the slackers; there will be peace of a sort.

But when the last dime has been wrung from the taxpayer that can be extracted from them and the job creators are brought to poverty themselves the riots will begin.

My preference would be to starve the deadbeats and slaggards now while we have something left. Put your assets somewhere beyond their reach until sanity returns to this country. At least use them for your own family before the Democrats take it away from you to feed their useless voting base.


15 posted on 11/12/2012 12:43:23 PM PST by Aleya2Fairlie
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To: jazusamo
In a government that values universal suffrage, yes, demography is destiny. While not necessarily in the usual sense of "race" "creed" or "religion," when a majority of people fall into the human nature trap of class envy and easy living, and that cohort can enforce its will via the political process, then that's exactly what it will do.

The outcome is not a "surprise" or "unexpected."

16 posted on 11/12/2012 12:50:25 PM PST by Cboldt
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To: jazusamo

As long as half of the people see government as a way to get a free phone, TV, housing and medical care they will elect democrats.
Since Republicans are the party of hard-working, productive intelligent individuals, they will get votes only from hard-working, productive intelligent individuals.
Slackers will vote democrat. democrats want more slackers. democrats don’t want hard-working, productive intelligent individuals in their party.
Looks like it will be democrats for a while with the hard-working, productive intelligent individuals supporting the slackers.


17 posted on 11/12/2012 12:52:05 PM PST by I want the USA back
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To: jazusamo
But the Republicans' greatest failure has been precisely their chronic failure to spell out their principles— and the track record of those principles— to either white or non-white voters.,

I think that Mr. Sowell is leaving out one thing in this discussion, and that is the main-stream media's ability to falsely paint those principles. I think Romney and the RNC tried their best to spell out those principles. It's just that it is near impossible to trump the MSM when they are doing the DNC's bidding by painting Republican principles as something that they are not. And it's the principles as described by the MSM and Hollywood that the minority classes hear and understand. That is what we have to overcome.
18 posted on 11/12/2012 1:35:52 PM PST by AaronInCarolina
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To: AaronInCarolina

Bingo. The majority of voters are either incapable or unwilling to sit and intelligently digest platforms and philosophies. They react to quick bits of information and are remarkably naive in their decision making. Democrats hold the edge in EMOTIONAL arguments, and that makes it very difficult for conservatives or libertarians to make sound counterarguments that will resonate. Like many others here, I think it will come to the ‘takers’ taking to the point of collapse, and then the reset button will be pushed. In the meanwhile, if you’re a person of sound conservative leanings, do what you can to protect your family and yourself from the disastrous consequences.


19 posted on 11/12/2012 1:53:51 PM PST by Arkansas Toothpick
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To: AaronInCarolina

Bingo. The majority of voters are either incapable or unwilling to sit and intelligently digest platforms and philosophies. They react to quick bits of information and are remarkably naive in their decision making. Democrats hold the edge in EMOTIONAL arguments, and that makes it very difficult for conservatives or libertarians to make sound counterarguments that will resonate. Like many others here, I think it will come to the ‘takers’ taking to the point of collapse, and then the reset button will be pushed. In the meanwhile, if you’re a person of sound conservative leanings, do what you can to protect your family and yourself from the disastrous consequences.


20 posted on 11/12/2012 1:54:06 PM PST by Arkansas Toothpick
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