Reach Out, Republicans, Or Lose!
Last May I posted an article in
F&H Daily titled, "California’s Republican Legislators – a White Males’
Club".
One of many points raised in the
article is the failure of the state GOP to elect a significant number Latinos,
Asians and other people of color to congress and the state legislature.
Among the 19 member of the House GOP
delegation, all but one is a white male. Among the 15 Republicans in the
state senate, all but two are white males. Among the 20 Republicans in the
state assembly, all but four are white males.
A Field Poll was released
recently showing the dramatic changes the past thirty years in the ethnic
makeup of California’s registered voters.
To quote from their cover memo:
"The ethnic and racial profiles of members of the state’s two major
parties and its non-partisan voters have … undergone significant changes in
the past three decades. These changes have been much more dramatic among
Democrats and non-partisans than among GOPers." (emphases mine)
According to Field, among those
registered Democratic, 45 percent are comprised of people of color (27% Latino,
9% Black, 9% Asian). Among those registered Decline to State, 41 percent
are people of color (21% Latino, 4% Black, 16% Asian). Among those
registered Republican, 21 percent are people of color.
Not only are Republican elected
officials in this state overwhelmingly white, so are those in this state
that register Republican.
California Republicans can yell and
scream all they want on the issues of taxes, socialize medicine, and corporate
bailouts. But unless the California Republican Party is able to persuade
significant numbers of Latinos, Asian and other people of color to register in
their party and/or vote for their candidates, it will not elect a governor or
any statewide official in 2010 and could very well lose additional seats in
congress and the state legislature.
And the best place to start a
comeback is to start talking to those Latinos, Asians and other people of color
who are NOT registered Democratic, but those registered Decline to State.
