LESSON FROM UP NORTH – AT 11:55 A.M. ET:  As we reported here last week, Canadian conservatives just won a clear-cut majority in Canada's parliament, something of a revolution in Canadian politics.  Michael Barone sees lessons for American conservatives.  One of them is that Canadian conservatives made a conscious effort to appeal to minorities and immigrant groups: 

The Conservatives’ triumph offers a couple of lessons that may be relevant to U.S. Republicans. One is that smaller-government policies, far from being political poison, are actually vote winners.

The second is that a center-right party can win immigrant votes. Conservatives won 35 of 54 seats in metro Toronto, many heavy with immigrants. One tactic that seems to have worked was to circulate videos of Indian- and Chinese-Canadian Conservative candidates appealing for votes in their native tongues.

The simple message is that this is a party that likes and respects you. Republicans could do something similar, with Sen. Marco Rubio, Govs. Susana Martinez and Brian Sandoval, and Reps. Allen West, Tim Scott and Quico Canseco, all elected in 2010.

COMMENT:  In the immortal eloquence of Gary Cooper:  "Yup."  Barone is right.  If the GOP gets off the dime and starts running a modern campaign, it has a very good shot at the White House next year, and at dominating both houses of Congress.

But tired old candidates won't do the trick.  We have advocating here for the party to skip a generation, throw the long ball, and bring forward new, young, dynamic candidates from a variety of backgrounds.  Let the Dems try to handle that.

May 8, 2011