After reading a recent paper by William Frey analyzing long-term population projections, Ron Brownstein argues that "anyone who believes Democrats can consistently win the White House without puncturing the Republican dominance across the South is just whistling Dixie."
After looking at the data, "one conclusion seems inescapable: Democrats need to expand their map. The states that favor them are shrinking in influence -- which means the party will too unless it can challenge the Republican hold on the states, especially in the South, adding population and votes with each passing day."