Post-Election: A Palpable Fear Of Change For Conservatives

I’m a big fan of routine, of knowing how things work, and not needing to constantly re-adjust my expectations. And I think this is true of most people. But post-election, it seems fear of change for many (white) conservatives is palpable. Conservatives see a rapidly changing America, and it scares them. Their fear is not based on a tangible threat, but rather a sense that America is heading to a different and unknown destination. I get it; change is scary. The unknown is scary. I get that people prefer the devil they know. — But should this fear of the unknown hold us back from embracing what makes America unique?

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Fact of the Day: President Obama Wins 71 Percent Of The Latino Vote

Republicans will likely respond to their presidential election loss by calling for an even more conservative candidate in the 2016 election. They likely will claim that Mitt Romney in 2012 and John McCain in 2008 were not true conservatives, and if only a true conservative could be nominated, Republicans would win back the White House. The problem is, even though Mitt Romney and John McCain were once considered moderate, they did not run as moderates during their presidential campaigns. On the surface it may seem Republicans could win over the Latino vote with a conservative message, but they fail to do so because they instead cater their message to a shrinking white majority.

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Voter Suppression Also Comes In The Form Of Long Lines

Since the 2010 midterm election, Republicans have deployed any and all tactics to suppress the vote for the 2012 election. Voter ID laws have gotten the front page coverage, but voter suppression also comes in the form of voter intimidation, voter registration purges and as we’ve seen this past week, long lines at the polls. Both Ohio and Florida, two critical swing states, have seen incredibly long lines during early voting with reports of some people in Florida waiting up to 7 hours to vote. This is not how democracy is supposed to work. It’s an outrage.

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