Conservative Political Action Conference - Stale, Moss Covered, Exclusive and Loosing Ground

....minority populations grew 30 percent while white population grew at 1 (one) percent....

Conservatives gathered in National Harbor, Maryland for their annual flock of look alikes called the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC.  In so doing, they publicly pulled the scabs off of the painful wounds of their two past Presidential election losses. A speakers line up of mostly white males, Sarah Palin notwithstanding, mourned in a chorus of self analysis. But, rather than inspire, they spoke like astrologers who predict the future by telling us about the past. They seemed to explain how their stars weren't aligned with the changing demographics of the American voters. They retro-predicted how they should've been more aware of outreach efforts, they should've been more inclusive and open to diversity. But, they didn't inspire confidence that anything will change.  Their political "future" was, instead, a retro-analysis. Perhaps, they would've instilled more confidence about change if they had invited a conservative conclave of astrologers to speak. Unfortunately, they didn't even dare invite one of their own, Governor Chris Christie, a Republican with populist appeal.

Instead, the CPAC keynote speaker was Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who believes communists have infiltrated Harvard Law School.  

Linda Feldman writes in the Christian Science Monitor that the CPAC audience was largely youthful. There again, the CPAC audience wasn't representative of the electorate, who are, actually, "older" and ethnically diverse.

In fact, data from the 2010 census show the minority population in the United States increased over the last decade by 30 percent (Hispanics by 43 percent), while the white population grew 1 (one) percent. The dramatic difference in growth rates means communities of color accounted for 92 percent of the U.S. population growth between 2000 and 2010. The 2010 minority share of the population was 36 percent, up more than 5 percentage points from 2000.

Those figures suggest the share of minority voters were about 28 percent in 2012, up from 26 percent in 2008. 

Exit poll data, collected in the 2008 and 2010 elections, suggest minority voting is increasing more quickly than minority population growth. A Pew Research poll predicts the Hispanic voters will double by 2030.

Ronald Brownstein writes in the National Journal how the American electorate  is changing and won't go back to being white and middle class.

So, the CPAC convention left Americans with the following take-away messages:

1.  Republicans can't seem to change their conversation about being old, stale, white and exclusive.
2.  Republicans continue to lick the wounds of past losses rather than shine a light on how to attract young, diverse, vibrant, intelligent and inclusive voters.
3.  Republicans need an intelligent leader, someone who will convincingly embrace the changing face America's voters.

CPAC cannot survive as a conclave of political astrologers.