Those numbers are why you must picture Obama’s strategy as creating a majority coalition of “hyphens” (African-American, Mexican-American, gay/lesbian-Americans, etc.), said Eldon Eisenach, a Tulsa University political science professor.

“Recalling Teddy Roosevelt’s rejection of ‘hyphenated Americans’ and his call for national citizenship, one might add that hyphens can’t govern … in the national interest,” Eisenach added.

Obama’s campaign talks about “winning the future” because that is what he is trying to do politically, according to Baylor University political scientist Curt Nichols: “Demonstrate for Democrats a new path to political power, one that disregards traditional Democrats in favor of a coalition focused on women, blacks, Hispanics and gays.”…

If Romney can reassure suburbanites that America is exceptional because it doesn’t vote for or against anyone based on skin color, ethnic heritage or religion – that it votes based on a candidate’s principles, priorities and performance – then he has a chance to undermine Obama with northern suburbanites and to rout him in a landslide.