You're too nice to be a Republican. Let it go.

1. i'm supposed to regard this as a sign of progress, that republicans treated a supreme court nominee who has sat on the bench for over ten years and written over 450 opinions with respect even though she is a hispanic woman? seriously? i'm supposed to give them kudos for not mistaking her for the cleaning lady, or for failing to offer her a sombrero? or what? geeee thannnk you, old white guys, for treating the nice hispanic lady who graduated at the top of her class at princeton with respect! yay! you get a prize!

2. i am interested in what the word "respect" means. Lindsay Graham told the adult sitting before him that she could benefit from "reflection" about her "temperament", and assured her that he "liked her". other senators explained to her that the supreme court was important and powerful: the supreme court is where law can be made. it is an important institution. you will be wearing a black robe. do you know what a "robe" is?

3. what are these basic principles? denying health care to poor women who can't use medicaid to obtain abortions, even in the case of rape or domestic abuse? teaching teenagers that having sex will land them in hell? measuring patriotism by the appearance of a flag pin on a lapel? making caricatures of sotomayor that offend asians and puerto ricans at the same time? i'd love to know.

What is missing from this letter is any apparent feeling that Republicans as a group SHOULD change what is in their heart. It's all about SEEMING friendly to non-whites, but nowhere is there any acknowledgment why that is so difficult for so many Republicans.

The sad fact is that since 1964 the racially intolerant have been the hard base of support for the Republican party. Until that changes, all the talk of "branding" amounts to no more than putting lipstick on a pig.

The GOP cannot remain true to its principles AND attract minorities, younger voters, women, etc. These two things are mutually exclusive.

I think you are off the mark here. California is predominantly a Democratic state, but the Southern District is predominantly Republican. Brian Bilbray won Duke Cunninghams seat, after running on a single issue, immigration reform. His constituents are largely Hispanic. I say Southern District, as in Attorney General, where Carol Lam was fired for not pursuing illegal immigration violations. Daryll Issa led that group, he now sits on committee, and was reelected handily. His home town is 40% Hispanic. So we're tired of Republicans blaming the illegals (B1 Bob Dornan) for losing an election. You lost because George Bush ran the economy into a ditch. If anyone wants to close the door on Hispanics, its the Hispanics who are competing with illegals and green card workers for jobs. So the California Republican party knows how to exploit that weakness. For years the local Repubs have been crying about the Latin Leftists, who come here from Mexico with a picture of Fidel pinned inside their jacket.

You're not too old and too white, you're too corrupt, and if its one thing Hispanics know, it's the mordida. That's why you won a few elections here, because of the Hispanic vote, not in spite of it.

I think that, at some level, there needs to be a larger question answered: does the party serve the elected officials, or do the officials serve the party?

We ask that one, because the obvious one ("who actually serves your constituents?") seems to be too easy and always dismissed.

If the G.O.P. leaders were not holding election-money in front of candidates ("say what we tell you to, and you'll get the republican dollars for your TV ads"), I think it would be a much easier situation. A current senator or representative could tell his/her party, "get screwed, I have the bucks for the next campaign, through public campaign financing, so unless you let me really represent my constituents, I'm an independent." (Right now, that's just not a possibility.)

It sure makes campaign finance reform, much more attractive. Yank the money out, and you cut the @Q)#( power games.

Dornan was a real right-wing nutcase who represented a Goldwater Republican district. (Guess they must have overlooked the amount of defense dollars that poured in during the Cold War.)

It's now home to the largest Vietnamese community outside Vietnam and a lot of Latinos. The former are military hawks but less enthusiastic about the social conservative agenda.

The math might be in the Democrats future, but if they don't start acting like democrats instead of wimps and DINOs, those margins are going to vanish. They will not go to the other side, they will just feel used and let down (AGAIN) and will just not participate.

I had said after the election, if the Republicans were smart, they would just sit back and lob a few darts now and then in opposition, but not an all out fight. Just sit back and watch the Democrats self destruct. These ass-holes can't get out of their own way.

You have a totally useless leader, Reid, then add in those goober 'Blue dog' Democrats and you have a perfect recipe for failure.

I am hoping Obama will toss aside his Goldman-Sachs advisers and do what the voters sent him there to do.

you are only ten years out of date.

San Bernardino and San Diego County are now majority Democratic Party Registrants. Obama won in 33 California Counties including the above and Riverside County.

And Cunningham's district will eventually go blue.

The difference? Prop 187 Backlash.

And Republican Party which is institutionally controlled by the Christian Coalition...

If we're talking about the reinvention of the Repugnant Party, then branding is indeed the least of their problems. No amount of messaging is going to put a layer of frosting on the stinking turd that is the party's tradition of racism, homophobia, free market asskissery, religious bigotry and environmental destruction. The more hip, tuned-in and wired they try to seem, the more the savvy public (read: the vast majority of the country that's not dumbass white cracker fundy Christians) is going to loathe them as vile, manipulative hypocrites.

The only prayer this party has (other than a massive stupidity epidemic) is to ask a question that it's clear its leaders don't care about at all right now: how can we best serve the country? Given Jim DeMint's disgusting comments about taking down healthcare reform in order to take down Obama, I don't have high hopes for this. But if the 2010 and 2012 smackdowns to come are bloody enough, maybe new leadership will realize that the path to relevance leads through a revision of its core principles. Two wit:

- Drop anything about gays.

- Get rid of the delusion stance on sexual values and abortion.

- Get a clue about personal attacks: they backfire.

- Foster small government and fiscal responsibility but balance it with regulation and government activism where appropriate.

- Purge the party of lobbyists, hate-speakers (Rush, Coulter, etc.).

- Actually get into minority communities and start helping and reaching out.

Finally, dedicate themselves to the reality that it will take 20 years to rebuild. The GOP starting becoming the Jesus Hates Freedom Party in 1980 with Ronald Raygun; they're not going to be able to turn the Titanic overnight.