Thank you Obama
Minorities have rapidly growing electoral clout
Aside from short-term strategy and tactics, the powerful long-term tide of demographics made a huge difference for Obama. Romney won the white vote by a 58 to 40 percent margin, the biggest since 1988. But — and this is what the Republicans don't seem to get, though they might today — whites don't count as much as they used to. Yesterday, they comprised 72 percent of the electorate, the lowest since exit polls began recording such data. In 1976, white men were 46 percent of voters; yesterday, 34 percent.
As the clout of white voters continues to slip, that of minorities continues to rise. In 2010, they were 26 percent of the electorate. Yesterday: 28 percent. A 2 percent bigger slice of the pie doesn't sound like much, but in a tight election it's everything, and helps explain why Obama, with the exception of North Carolina, swept every single swing state (and leads in Florida).
We're obviously talking about Latinos — by far the fastest-growing segment of the population. Over the last decade, two-thirds of Texas' growth and 55 percent of Florida's came from Latinos. And since 65 percent of America's entire population growth over the next four decades will be Latino (according to Census Bureau projections), it won't be long before red states turn purple — then blue.
Consider this: 37,000 Latinos moved to New Hampshire from 2000 to 2010. Since Latinos went for the president by a 71 to 27 percent margin (even better than 2008), that's tens of thousands of extra votes for Obama in a state he won by 34,000. The rapid growth of Latinos, and their broad dislike of Republicans, reaped big dividends for Obama last night.
Even worse for Republicans: Not only are Latinos the fastest-growing segment of the population, they are the youngest. Their median age last year, 27.4, is significantly younger than America as a whole, 36.8, and significantly younger than the median age for whites, 41.2 (2011 data).
For the first time, whites make up less than half of all births in the U.S. — ominous for Republicans who cater to whites while largely dismissing everyone else. If the GOP has any hope of improving its electoral odds — they've already lost four of the last six presidential elections — they absolutely must be more accommodating to this demographic reality. I don't think you'll hear much self-defeating talk of "self-deportations" and such from the GOP in 2016.
What the election means for minorities, the Supreme Court, the GOP, and more - The Week