It would seem they already are. 2014 showed how they can overcome their negatives. And the Democrats are without a coherent economic agenda anymore due to the nature of their coalition. They actually have to speak as nonspecifically as possible in order to avoid alienating any part of their delicate majority. They pound away on social issues because it’s now the main thing that unites them.
Or they could go with the growing economy, strong executive actions on immigration and Cuba, and continually positive news about the ACA that has helped Obama’s approval surge lately, Mr. Makes-Assertions-About-Other-Posters-Without-Backing-Them-Up.
Possible. A big effect on voting is always the performance of the parties in office. if Obama’s last two years are good, then the Democrats will do better. If things really go to pot, then it’ll be as epically awful as 2008 was for Republicans.
Reading adaher’s predictions on the impending huge swing of all demographics to Republicans really reminds me of the Simpsons episode where Disco Stu says that disco record sales tripled between 1975 and 1978. “And if this trend continues… aaaaaaaaay!”
Other than politicians of a certain party, are there really regular people out there that “want to get rid of Obamacare?” Is there a feeling that it is hurting them somehow that other people are getting health insurance?
We all pay for that, so um, yeah. Plus everyone’s premiums went up because our insurance got better. We weren’t asked if we wanted better insurance.
And browner than Republicans.
That’s kinda the point though. Just because certain demographics that prefer Democrats are supposed to be growing doesn’t guarantee a damn thing to Democrats. And some of the groups Democrats have been counting on have swung away from them: young voters, affluent Latinos, white working class voters, the middle class, and in 2014, women, despite Democrats trying to make the 2014 election all about abortion.
Yes, but rich white old men, gun owners, Tea Party enthusiasts, and cranky retirees are swinging toward Democrats. Just as long as we’re in fantasyland, of course.
Warren Buffett has strongly implied he wouldn’t mind too terribly much.
Raise my taxes. As long as you raise the taxes of everybody like me, and put the revenue to good use, I’m all for raising my taxes. We are not as rare as you think.
Ditto.
Yesterday, I heard Jeb Bush on the radio, claiming that the “loss of opportunity” was the biggest problem facing America. He elaborated on how hard it was for people to rise up from the bottom to even the middle class.
I thought I was having a senior moment, forgetting what party Jeb Bush belonged to.
Republicans weren’t talking like that a few years ago. A white Wal-Mart employee in Tennessee had to grit his teeth to vote for the guy who railed against the “47%”.
The GOP has honed its strategy, and enacted it effectively, but I’m not sure it indicates any shift in the electorate.
I agree with this second post, the Hispanic vote will not remain the block vote it’s sometimes described as. Second, third and fourth generation Hispanics do not necessarily have the same political outlook as first generation Hispanics. These later generation Hispanics may still lean Democrat, but the split is generally far less than in recent Hispanic immigrants.
If the Republicans stop being the anti-immigrant party, then perhaps. But I have high hopes that folks like Steve King will increase their rhetoric, rather than tone it down.
That don’t sound easy.
Sounds more like he was.
Adaher, I’m going to back up iiandyii on this one. You’ve made a specific, quotable assertion about his beliefs and character and persistently refused to back it up.
While the battlecry of ‘cite!’ is essentially custom for the SDMB and not law, it is, nevertheless customary to at least try to answer them with some form of response. Not doing so lowers the discussion from anything at least handwaving toward legitimate discussion toward schoolyard arguing. I’d prefer to avoid that.
I’m not going to issue a warning here. But future such occurances may earn such. So let’s all play nice.
Even the moderators get my screen name wrong. 
Everybody’s premiums were going up regardless of whether our insurance got better.
And if by “got better” you mean "was made available to those with pre-existing conditions were denied coverage even if they could afford the premiums", then yeah, we were asked, and we said, “Yes.”
Pay attention.