LOL Arnold was a real RINO. His positions on the issues were liberal. Comparing him to Reagan is laughable. This isn't about whether a RINO could be elected in CA, it is about whether a real conservative could be elected statewide.
The whole “demographic change” argument is silly.
It is only silly to delusional Reps who still believe that they can somehow convince minorities to accept the GOP message.
If you accept the exit polls, Obama won the age groups 18-29 (60% to 37%) and 30-44 (52%-45%). They totaled 46% of the electorate. Romney won the age groups 45-64 (51%-47%) and the 65+ (56%-44%). They totaled 54% of the electorate.
Drilling down further, according to the CNN exit polls, whites 18-29 voted for Romney 51%-44%. Latinos of the same age group voted 74% to 23% for Obama. And Blacks voted 91%-8% for Obama.
It is obvious that the Reps are losing the lower age groups. Why? First, these groups are increasing their minority percentages due to immigration and higher birth rates among minorities compared to non-Hipanic whites. By 2019 half of the children 18 and under will be minorities as defined by the USG. Hence, each year that goes by adds to the Dem electorate and subtracts from the Rep electorate as non-Hispanic whites die and are not replaced in their ranks at the lower age groups.
Immigrants and minorities grow old as well, but their percentage of the total population is constantly increasing. By 2042 half of the country will be minorities as defined by the USG. We are also an aging population. By 2030 one in five residents of this country will be 65 or older--twice what it is now. Whether immigrants and minorities will become more Rep as they grow older is problematic since one's political affiliation is more akin to religion than anything else. You are literally born into it.
The U.S. adds one international migrant (net) every 36 seconds. Immigrants account for one in 8 U.S. residents, the highest level in more than 90 years. In 1970 it was one in 21; in 1980 it was one in 16; and in 1990 it was one in 13. In a decade, it will be one in 7, the highest it has been in our history. And by 2050, one in 5 residents of the U.S. will be foreign-born. It is not a stretch to say that these immigrants, once they become citizens, will vote Dem 2 to 1.
Since the Immigration Act of 1965, the Democrats view U.S. immigration policies as a vehicle to accrete political power and promote their agenda. The ultimate objective is to make them the permanent majority, free to impose their worldview on the American people using our existing democratic institutions and the ballot box. They are willing to sacrifice the long term national interests of this nation to gain political advantage.
87 percent of the 1.2 million legal immigrants entering annually are minorities as defined by the U.S. Government and almost all of the illegal aliens are minorities. By 2019 half of the children 18 and under in the U.S. will be classified as minorities and by 2042, half of the residents of this country will be minorities. Generally, immigrants and minorities vote predominantly for the Democrat Party. Hence, Democrats view immigration as a never-ending source of voters that will make them the permanent majority party.
We do not have an Hispanic problem. We have an immigrant, minority, and younger voter problem. The changing demographics of this country have electoral consequences and have for decades except the Rep political elites and pundits have failed to recognize it. Some of it has to do with the huge influence the Chamber of Commerce has over the GOP. They have been pushing more guest workers, more immigrants, and amnesty to keep the flow of cheap exportable labor coming into this country to reduce wages and increase profits. In the process they have privatized the benefits and socialized the costs, which are killing our schools, healthcare, and law enforcement.
I believe we have reached a tipping point. We can see the impact demographics has on states like Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, Florida, and Virginia. They are turning purple and will be eventually blue as immigration and minority birthrates change the composition of the electorate.
We may be on our way to creating a white identity, not a good thing but understandable as this society becomes more polarized along racial, ethnic, and cultural lines. This romanticized idea of a melting pot may be crumbling as the demographic mix changes. The US is not immune to the same kinds of forces that affect many other societies. In many cases, it is just a function of numbers that can set off the dynamic of political tribalism.