Blueburbs: Why Republicans are losing their hold on suburban America - Article Example

Reaction paper for "Blueburbs"In the article “Blueburbs”, the author Alan Greenblatt deals with an essential question in the current political development in the U.S. – why the Republicans are losing their hold on suburban America. According to the author, the Republicans have already lost their majority in St. Louis County, a collection of suburbs which was pride of the party once. The demographic changes, including the increasing presence of African Americans, also have influenced the changes in the popularity of the Republicans.

However, the experience of the Republican Party in this county is not isolated case. “What's happening in St. Louis County is taking place in most of metropolitan America. Suburban voters, who will cast the majority of the votes in this year's election, are starting to tilt away from the GOP.” (Greenblatt) The author maintains that the suburban newcomers, including minorities and immigrants, are leaning Democratic and the Republicans are greatly losing their hold on suburban territory. According to the author, the Democrats are implementing an important strategy to get hold of the suburban areas and they plan to increase their influence over the suburban Franklin County, suburban seats around New York City and Upstate, the suburbs around Philadelphia, and the like.

“The result is that in some of the larger states, including Pennsylvania, New York and Illinois, Democrats have put statewide offices nearly out of reach for most Republicans.” (Greenblatt) However, it is wrong to say that the urbanization and Democratic ‘bluing’ of the suburbs is happening everywhere and the suburbs in the South and Southwest of the U.S. are very much available to the Republicans. On the contrary, the Democratic core vote in Missouri is extending outward from the central city of St.

Louis and it becomes difficult for the Republicans to work there. Greenblatt also asserts that the Republicans must look for voters en masse in dozens of sparingly populated rural and exurban counties of the state in order to counterbalance the big cities as well as their losses in the suburbs. Therefore, “Blueburbs” by Alan Greenblatt is an important article about why the Republicans are losing their hold on suburban America and the author’s arguments made in the year 2008 were proved to be true in the last Presidential election in the U.S. In a reflective exploration of the article “Blueburbs” by Alan Greenblatt, it becomes lucid that the author has outlines the major issues why the Republicans are losing their hold on suburban America.

Unlike the earlier times when the Republicans have ruled the county of St. Charles for the past 30 years, the party is losing its hold in the suburbs. “Many of the newcomers to St. Charles County are union members, and most are Catholics. They bear a striking resemblance to the blue-collar ‘Reagan Democrats’ whom Democrats alienated in the 1970s, and whose loyalties Barack Obama is struggling to regain this year… Their votes this year, in both presidential and state balloting, will be crucial in many places besides suburban St. Louis.” (Greenblatt) Therefore, the author of the article is very much convincing in his attempt to explain why the Republicans are losing their hold on suburban America and his arguments were successful in the last Presidential election in the country.

Work Cited Greenblatt, Alan. “Blueburbs: Why Republicans are losing their hold on suburban America.” 2008. Feb 08. 2010. .