[SierraWasp]

I really absorbed what you had to say! Your carefully considered reply, though not very optimistic, was truthful and thoughtful and quite articulate of your point of view. I found it to be quite close to my own in many spots. Thanks for taking the time to compose it while the thread cooled.

[LS]

In light of some of the ideas offered here, let me suggest that as impressive as the "red" map is, the GOP's work is cut out for it over the next four years. It was a major disappointment to me that we could not win MI, WI, MN, or PA. Yes, Bush did better in every state (well, not WI). But there is great political danger in having to rely so much on sweeping every "red" interior state. We cannot, as a party, continue to cede both the west coast, the NE, and the Great Lakes tier of states.

The GOP MUST come up with a viable strategy to pick off more of these states.

That said, I think some trends are with us---pop. shifts are clearly south and west; immigrants don't necessarily go Dem, esp. Hispanics; and the young are more conservative than they have been in a long time.

But whoever runs the GOP, whether it's Rove or someone else, cannot conclude that we can "squeeze" still another 5% out of our base in 2008. We may be maxed out.

[NormsRevenge]

Thanks for the ping and the thread.

fyi

President Bush (news - web sites)'s victory, the approval of every anti-gay marriage amendment on statewide ballots and an emphasis on 'moral values' among voters showed the power of churchgoing Americans in this election. (AP Graphic)

[calcowgirl]

Thanks for the ping - good read!