Discussion is rampant about a dramatic re-writing of the political landscape and renewed enthusiasm within the American electorate. The final results of this election; however, do not seem to support anything transformational but do provide a very revealing glimpse into the future of American politics. In 1988 40% of white America voted for the Democratic candidate.  In 2008 this figure is 43%. In 1988 the candidate (Michael Dukakis received only 45.6% of the overall vote.  In 2008 Barack Obama received 52% of the overall vote.  As a percentage of total votes Michael Dukakis actually relied more heavily upon white voters than Obama even though Obama got 3 percent more white voters.  How Obama could rely less upon white voters and still win by 6% tells a great deal about the changes in the American political landscape.

White America is on the decline.  In 1980 white voters represented 88% of the electorate and only 36% voted for Democrat Walter Mondale. Twelve years later whites accounted for 87% of the electorate and 39% voted from Democrat Bill Clinton. Following the 1992 election the percentage of white voters began to decline at a steady and rapid rate.  In 1996 it was 83%.  In 2000 it was 81%. By 2004 the number was down to 77% and in 2008 it dropped to 74%.  What these numbers demonstrate is that the increasingly diverse Democratic party has a growing electorate to rely upon.  The increasingly whiter Republican party is seeing its share of the electorate declining rapidly.

There are a few conclusions that can be drawn from the changes in the racial makeup of the nation as they relate to politics. The first is that the "so called" Republican base of white evangelical Christians is becoming a smaller share of the overall electorate. Non-white voters now make up more than a quarter of the electorate and will make up nearly a third of the electorate by 2016. This year 70% of this group voted for the Democratic candidate.  In simple terms, if the Republicans continue to focus on their political base without expanding their reach to the broader electorate, by 2016 their piece of the electoral pie will by 5-7% lower than today. If they could not win with their solid base and the current electoral makeup it seems very unlikely they will be able to win with a much smaller base.

The Republican party is rapidly reverting to become the party of William Jennings Bryan of 1900.  With the exception of a few states in geographic center the final results of the 1900 election are nearly identical to 2008.  The party affiliation has reversed but Bryan represented the exact same core that make up the current Republican party. These were Southern, conservative, white Christians.  In four straight elections from 1892 to 1904 this group was a solid and reliable base that never reached more than 46.7% and a 95 electoral count deficit.

The Republicans of 2008 demonstrated an extremely solid party allegiance.  In spite of a huge wave of problems confronting the party, the Republican core remained loyal.  There was no ideological shift this year.  There was no wave of liberalism.  There really wasn't much allegiance switching and most of the individual state ballot measures fell in more conservative directions.  For those who see an ideological shift in America, the numbers do not bear this out.  Conservative America, it appear, is blaming the nations problems on individuals rather than their ideology. This is not what occurred in 1980.  With quite similar economic and international problems, the nation made a significant ideological shift, blaming liberal policies for the problems of the 1970s.

As 2008 draws to a close conventional American political thinking seems unwilling to grasp the dramatic changes that are occurring in the world, both economically and politically.  The global economy has revolved around the U.S. economy for decades but America's ability to lead is vanishing rapidly.  America's military machine has been exposed as a risk-adverse drain on resources without the ability to deal with non-superpowers. The dramatic end to oil price speculation has removed many of the economic incentives for alternative energy sources, leaving the nation as vulnerable as ever to machinations of the international oil market.

Based on his post election speeches it appears Barack Obama "gets it."  Whether he can do anything about "it" is another issue and still very much in question.  Based on the election post-mortum conducted by the Republican Party it is evident they don't yet understand the changing demographics and changing world. When looking at who Republicans are talking about as potential leaders of their party, all are strong with the base with little appeal elsewhere and even fewer new ideas.  If the Party takes on a bunker attitude and continues to contract it outreach activities they may very well find that they are in permanent minority status.

The recent interview with Vice President Dick Cheney highlights the bunker mentality.  Appearing on the Network that appeals only to the Republican base, Cheney seemed incapable of grasping the changing world. The conservative, white, Southern America that Cheney was speaking to also does not appear to have ideas geared to addressing the problems of 2008 and beyond.