What can Republicans do to be competitive in the Pacific Northwest again?

[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

What can they do to make WA & OR competitive again? I assume it will have to be after the gay rights issue has died down, which it should have by 2020. Will a moderation on climate change be necessary, due to the region's high number of environmentalists? How would the emerging Libertarian segment of the party play there in a national election?

[illegaloperation]

What can they do to make WA & OR competitive again? I assume it will have to be after the gay rights issue has died down, which it should have by 2020. Will a moderation on climate change be necessary, due to the region's high number of environmentalists? How would the emerging Libertarian segment of the party play there in a national election?

What can Democrats do to make Alabama and Mississippi competitive again?

Same answer: they can't.

[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

AL & MS have racially polarized electorates and they have always been one party states. The same can't be said for WA & OR.

[TDAS04]

Establish the separate states of East Washington and East Oregon, states which the Republicans would dominate.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Same thing they can do to be competitive everywhere else: focus more on economic issues and less on social issues.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Same thing they can do to be competitive everywhere else: focus more on economic issues and less on social issues.

Because everyone agrees with the Republicans on economics, after all.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Same thing they can do to be competitive everywhere else: focus more on economic issues and less on social issues.

Because everyone agrees with the Republicans on economics, after all.

No; because people agree with Republicans on economics more than they do on social issues.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Same thing they can do to be competitive everywhere else: focus more on economic issues and less on social issues.

Because everyone agrees with the Republicans on economics, after all.

No; because people agree with Republicans on economics more than they do on social issues.

Is this based on polling or hunches?

[Non Swing Voter]

Drop their bigoted anti-gay platform for starters.

Stop talking about religion all the time and catering to the Fox News crowd.

Drop their anti-environmentalist platform, or at least shut up the extreme people in their party that are totally in denial about things like global warming.

Stop looking like extremists on things like suppressing voting rights...

[Goldwater]

Become Democrats.

[smoltchanov]

At least - become liberal on environment, abortion rights and SSM. But even that may not suffice, though it will improve their chances in strategical (suburban) areas..

[Rockefeller GOP]

Same thing they can do to be competitive everywhere else: focus more on economic issues and less on social issues.

Because everyone agrees with the Republicans on economics, after all.

What is your solution for "our" party (which you rarely seem to genuinely identify with)?  Continue to appeal to evangelicals in Southern and Mountain West states, completely writing off moderates and independents in large coastal and Midwestern states that we need to be competitive in the EC?

[Rockefeller GOP]

What can they do to make WA & OR competitive again? I assume it will have to be after the gay rights issue has died down, which it should have by 2020. Will a moderation on climate change be necessary, due to the region's high number of environmentalists? How would the emerging Libertarian segment of the party play there in a national election?

What can Democrats do to make Alabama and Mississippi competitive again?

Same answer: they can't.

Both arrogant and ignorant of history to simply suggest "they can't."  Tons of states that looked like they'd never switch partisan allegiances (states much more loyal than OR or WA) have done 180s in the last 30 years alone.  But NOW we've reached a point where nothing will ever change from here on out??  LOL, okay.

[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

I feel this is a legitimate question. WA & OR don't strike me as populist states. They are clearly very socially liberal, WA legalized marijuana and OR has physician-assisted suicide. If the GOP were to become more Libertarian, I see no reason for them to not trend R.

[Potus]

I've said this before, but let me clarify it a bit more and answer Cathcon on the question of whether people agree with us on the economy.

We lead slightly on who gets more trust on the economy. However, the biggest number either party has polled in the Obama era is the low 40's. We can't claim victory on a 41-35 economic trust advantage when everyone else(the swing voters) claim they can't trust anyone. We've done an excellent, EXCELLENT job communicating the weakness of the Democratic economic message. We've muddied their brand enough and damaged the President to where we have built an advantage based on their failing, not our successes.

So, Cathcon, when you disagree that everyone agrees with us on economic issues, I half agree. I think people hate Democrats on these issues when they're informed. The President has a 45% job approval in Massachusetts. People don't like the Democrats on the economy. However, I agree with you because they don't like us. They don't know our economic agenda besides spending reduction and tax relief. Great things, but not a broad governing vision.

We are going to shift the paradigm in Anerican politics when we spend two cycles promoting our own conservative vision. If Mitt Romney comes a handful of states from the White House and wins 47% of the popular vote without communicating a strong governing philosophy, we can start winning BIG. Reagan built a 49-state victory by projecting an optimistic governing vision that for the era he was running in. When conservatives wise up and engage on the issues, we'll win. Oregon and Washington will be put in okay for sure.

[⛄]

Establish the separate states of East Washington and East Oregon, states which the Republicans would dominate.

However, technically those two states would belong to the Mountain West...

[sg0508]

In WA State, the GOP has run some very solid candidates for Senate and Governor over the past decade.  The problem is, the GOP in the state is just way far right.  So, in the primary, these guys move to the right and then try to move back to the middle for the general.  Too late!!!  You notice how most of these races go? The GOP seems to be leading or tied in polls through September and then of course, the "coming home" effect happens as most undecided voters vote for the majority party and then the Democratic nominee wins each time.

In OR, the GOP bench is empty.  They have nothing going there and haven't won a state race (even down ballot I believe for years).  WA State is not the answer.

I agree that focusing strictly on economic issues is the GOP's ticket to possibly winning a bigger race in one of these states. Once social issues creeps into the campaign, it's over.

[jamesyons]

Libertarians will be able to compete there, except for the old core working class Democratic base in Seattle, Tacoma, and Longview which is losing influence, most of the Democrats are sociallly very liberal and fairly fiscally moderate which could be won by a libertarian, Rand Paul is trying to appeal to these people and say that he can expand the party into the Northwest and New England (especially New Hampshire).  The main reason Washington has become strongly Democratic is the growing Democratic margins out of King County which has been the result of growing Democratic trends in the Seattle suburbs.  Oregon has even less of a locked in Democratic base since there are few minorities and most of the Democratic base votes liberally based on social issues.

[Suburbia]

Do what Bush did in 2000 and 2004. Compete there. Bush should have won both WA and OR in 2004. He played well in the suburbs.

[KingSweden]

In WA State, the GOP has run some very solid candidates for Senate and Governor over the past decade.  The problem is, the GOP in the state is just way far right.  So, in the primary, these guys move to the right and then try to move back to the middle for the general.  Too late!!!  You notice how most of these races go? The GOP seems to be leading or tied in polls through September and then of course, the "coming home" effect happens as most undecided voters vote for the majority party and then the Democratic nominee wins each time.

In OR, the GOP bench is empty.  They have nothing going there and haven't won a state race (even down ballot I believe for years).  WA State is not the answer.

I agree that focusing strictly on economic issues is the GOP's ticket to possibly winning a bigger race in one of these states. Once social issues creeps into the campaign, it's over.

This, to an extent. We have a top-two primary, so that isn't quite it, but you're close.

The GOP candidates here are usually from the Seattle suburbs, but the "base" of the party is in the small towns east of the mountains and hellholes likes the Tri-Cities and Spokane Valley (next door to me), or in exurban Clark County (Portland area). Those voters are similar demographically and politically to Northern Idaho and have a deep-seated anger towards the Seattle area and demand their representatives display the same. That works when your state senator can run against King County and the Dem machine, not so much when a statewide candidate who needs those Westside votes and is usually from that area does.

[5280]

What can the Republicans do to be competitive in the Pacific Northwest?  

Break off east Washington/Oregon and merge with west Idaho to create the state of Lincoln.  The new state capitol could be Kennewick or Walla Walla.

[Mr. Illini]

WA and OR were formerly areas that the GOP could compete by moderating, but I am afraid that they have become too liberal. They have become a very popular destination for young hipster-y types from across the country.

[hopper]

Drop their bigoted anti-gay platform for starters.

Stop talking about religion all the time and catering to the Fox News crowd.

Drop their anti-environmentalist platform, or at least shut up the extreme people in their party that are totally in denial about things like global warming.

Stop looking like extremists on things like suppressing voting rights...

Well the religion and FOX News pandering I agree with.

The GOP on gay rights just doesn't believe in Same-Sex Marriage. That a big wedge issue difference between the party and voters about ages 18-34 maybe. Some younger voters its foreign to them as to why the GOP doesn't favor Same-Sex Marriage because to younger voters its ok. However in the GOP Base States in the "Deep South" the parties base doesn't want SSM. Just look at the reaction to SSM being legal in Alabama cuurently.

The GOP is not anti-environment. There is nothing you can do about temperature change. When Carter was President people thought we were gonna have an "ice age" but it never happened. There is no global warming just ask people  that live in the Northeast this winter if there is global warming.

Voting Rights-Blacks outvoted Whites in 2012 as a % of each racial groups eligible voting pool.

[Sumner 1868]

Same thing they can do to be competitive everywhere else: focus more on economic issues and less on social issues.

Because everyone agrees with the Republicans on economics, after all.

No; because people agree with Republicans on economics more than they do on social issues.

I don't know where this idea of "fiscal conservative social liberal Northwest" came from. There is no mass fiscally conservative element in the state and there never has been. Even the Eastside has voted for ballot measures to increase the minimum wage, build more hospitals, etc, etc.

[sg0508]

In OR, the GOP is beyond dead.  They have NOBODY and they have nobody elected at any statewide level.  In WA, the GOP has put through some decent candidates.  The problem is, WA Gov races are in presidential years. Otherwise, Rossi wins in 2004 and possibly 2008. 

The other problem is that the WA GOP is very conservative.  So, each candidate seems to make the same mistake as moving too far right in the primary and then trying to moderate for the general election....too late!