… [Al] From recognizes that much has changed since. The backlash against the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq has erased the GOP’s advantage on security, he notes, and shifting social mores have allowed Democrats to move left and still win most debates on cultural issues. Above all, working-class whites have shrunk to only about one-third of voters, while the burgeoning minority population and socially liberal upscale whites have provided Democrats “a very strong demographic advantage” in presidential races.
But From fears that advantage is making Democrats complacent. Without criticizing President Obama directly, he worries that Democrats are relying too much on “identity politics and class warfare” to bind their coalition. That glue, he says, could quickly dissolve if Republicans “open their door to Hispanics and women a little bit.” A more inclusive GOP, he says, would force Democrats to convince voters they can deliver economic growth and operate government efficiently. And on those fronts, especially if Obama can’t stabilize his health care plan, From says, the party is now facing “challenges that could be as great as they were [in] the 1980s.” CONT.
Ron Brownstein, National Journal