On MSNBC's PoliticsNation show, MSNBC.com Executive Editor Richard Wolffe -- formerly of Newsweek -- recounted that the Republican base is getting "more male and older and whiter," and asserted that they are "excluding more than half the population" as he asserted that Republicans are "not ready for power yet."
After host Al Sharpton recalled that Republicans are talking about trying to catch up with Democrats in winning women voters, Wolffe began:
They're fighting two different urges. One is to pander to their base, and their base is becoming more conservative and more male and older and whiter. And they're also trying out, at least at the political consultant level, that are more interested in, you know, having more candidates and therefore more cash to spend, they want to try and win.
He added:
And, you know, it's really hard to do this when not only are you excluding more than half the population, but you're also excluding the fastest growing demographic group which is immigrants and especially Latinos in this country. The smart people in the party have not figured out a way, in spite of being smart, have not figured out a way to reconcile these two ends. And that's why this party is not ready for power yet. It seems that they haven't learned enough from their defeat and it does make you wonder how many more defeats they have to go through.
A bit later, Wolffe tried to argue inconsistency between supporting more personal freedom while opposing abortion:
And this is how parties become increasingly marginalized. You know, I do think there is a bigger issue for Republicans in general which is if you're going to say you're the party of individual freedom, of American freedom, then, and small government, you've got to ask yourself: "why are you trying to intrude on women's lives so much?"
People aren't stupid. They understand that this is intrusive. Intrusive on their personal choice, their personal freedoms. And I don't think these things square up. You cannot appeal to libertarians and at the same time say we're going to tell you how to manage your own health and your own reproductive rights and your own families.
Below is a transcript of relevant portions of the November 12, PoliticsNation on MSNBC:
RICHARD WOLFFE: They're fighting two different urges. One is to pander to their base, and their base is becoming more conservative and more male and older and whiter. And they're also trying out, at least at the political consultant level, that are more interested in, you know, having more candidates and therefore more cash to spend, they want to try and win.
And, you know, it's really hard to do this when not only are you excluding more than half the population, but you're also excluding the fastest growing demographic group which is immigrants and especially Latinos in this country. The smart people in the party have not figured out a way, in spite of being smart, have not figured out a way to reconcile these two ends. And that's why this party is not ready for power yet. It seems that they haven't learned enough from their defeat and it does make you wonder how many more defeats they have to go through.
(...)
WOLFFE: And this is how parties become increasingly marginalized. You know, I do think there is a bigger issue for Republicans in general which is if you're going to say you're the party of individual freedom, of American freedom, then, and small government, you've got to ask yourself: "why are you trying to intrude on women's lives so much?"
People aren't stupid. They understand that this is intrusive. Intrusive on their personal choice, their personal freedoms. And I don't think these things square up. You cannot appeal to libertarians and at the same time say we're going to tell you how to manage your own health and your own reproductive rights and your own families.