Republicans currently hold a hammerlock on American politics. They control most of the statehouses, the House, the Senate, the White House and much of the courts. Their ability to actually make popular policy is very much up in the air, but there is no denying that they enjoy complete command of the political landscape.
However, there is also ample evidence that things are about to turn. First, look at the Pew polling on where people stand on political issues based on their age. The "Silent Generation" - those currently between 73 and 90 - are very conservative across the board. The "Boomers" are somewhat evenly split. But Generation X and the Millenials are very liberal in their perspective of immigration, religion, race and partisan identification. Only the Silent Generation leans Republican. Millenials are also pissed off and ready to vote (though we shall see if they follow through).
The Republican response to this, and to the Democrats very strong performance in various special elections, is simple: stop having elections. Scott Walker in particular is known for his efforts to make partisan gerrymandering and voter suppression a priority, but he is hardly alone. Keep an eye on Texas, as it appears to be trending purple on a wave of young, multiethnic voters. If that happens, expect Texas Republicans to make it as hard as possible for that cohort to vote.
Basically, we have reached a point where the only way for Republicans to win elections is not to have them. Why play a losing game?
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