According to new US Census data, Whitey is now a minority in Hawaii, New Mexico, California, Texas and DC. Whites now comprise less than 60 percent in three other states (Maryland, Georgia and Nevada). “Nationally, non-Hispanic whites make up about 67 percent of the population, down from 70 percent at the start of the decade.” (Story.) In some older data, Latinos are projected, if I remember correctly, to make up something like 25 percent of the population by mid-century (or sooner).

This poses some fascinating questions for our political parties (assuming any of them are looking much past 2008 right now). The current ideological and messaging landscape is going to have to evolve, and massively, in the coming years. For example, as Latinos play an increasingly significant role in electing our governments, the Dems are going to have to evaluate their social policy stances in light of this demographic’s strong Roman Catholic base, while the GOP is going to have to make room in their rather lavish tent for people looking to climb into the middle class. Just to identify a couple of issues.

There’s nothing new in this observation, but the report sort of underscores the pace of the megatrend.

Right now, the template for FuturePol looks something like Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO), but hey, we’re still a ways off. Or are we? These Census numbers suggest that in some places, the future is now.

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