A decade ago, when the state still seemed the embodiment of white suburbia, it was reliably Republican in presidential elections, having voted for the GOP candidate six times in a row from 1968 through 1988. Yet in the year 2000, it was deemed so safe for the Democrats that both major candidates ignored it, correctly anticipating Gore's 489,000-vote victory margin. But the magnitude of the transformation can't be explained without looking at the change in the makeup of the state's population. According to the new census numbers, the state's non-Hispanic white population actually declined over the last 10 years. All of this was good for the Democrats.
Similar trends are evident in other states.
This is why an American president has no choice but to create an administration that reflects the nation's ethnic and racial diversity. For years, Republicans have talked of need to expand their minority support. With a President in the White House who sounds serious about outreach, and with the opposition in disarray, they have the chance to do so. If they fail to seize the moment, they'll regret it. The numbers don't lie.