The Coming Demopublican Majority

Reason Contributing Editor and SF Chronicle Washington correspondent Carolyn Lochhead files this insightful report on the changes taking place within GOP congressional circles. A snippet:

Democrats made big inroads in previously red Western states but had almost no losses in the South, [Elephant in the Room author Ryan] Sager noted.

"The Democratic geography is expanding and the conservatives are contracting," he said. "The candidate who is able to keep these people under the tent while at the same time making this less a regional party, getting back to a Western conservatism, at least a non-Southern conservatism," is most likely to succeed. He put former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, a ubiquitous presence on the campaign trail, on that list.

Some conservatives suggested they weren't faring too well under the old Republican guard and should take advantage of the suddenly accommodating stance of Democrats who proclaimed at every stop Wednesday that they would reach for the center.

[Rep. Jeff] Flake [(R-Ariz.)] argued that compromises can be reached with Democrats on immigration and even tax cuts, citing the large number of moderate Democrats elected, who he said are "genuinely cut from the same cloth we are."

Whole thing, well worth reading, here.