Producing more votes by reproducing more voters

David Brooks writes about a new movement that's sweeping the nation. He calls it "natalism." The rest of us would simply call it "makin' babies."

All across the industrialized world, birthrates are falling - in Western Europe, in Canada and in many regions of the United States. People are marrying later and having fewer kids. But spread around this country, and concentrated in certain areas, the natalists defy these trends.

They are having three, four or more kids. Their personal identity is defined by parenthood. They are more spiritually, emotionally and physically invested in their homes than in any other sphere of life, having concluded that parenthood is the most enriching and elevating thing they can do. Very often they have sacrificed pleasures like sophisticated movies, restaurant dining and foreign travel, let alone competitive careers and disposable income, for the sake of their parental calling.

Interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, more baby-makin' is goin' on in the Red States. The political ramifications are pretty clear.

[T]here are significant fertility inequalities across regions. People on the Great Plains and in the Southwest are much more fertile than people in New England or on the Pacific coast.

You can see surprising political correlations. As Steve Sailer pointed out in The American Conservative, George Bush carried the 19 states with the highest white fertility rates, and 25 of the top 26. John Kerry won the 16 states with the lowest rates.

In The New Republic Online, Joel Kotkin and William Frey observe, "Democrats swept the largely childless cities - true blue locales like San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Boston and Manhattan have the lowest percentages of children in the nation - but generally had poor showings in those places where families are settling down, notably the Sun Belt cities, exurbs and outer suburbs of older metropolitan areas."

If we can assume that children will tend to follow the voting patterns of their parents, then it seems that Republicans will continue to win elections as long as they continue to produce more little voters. To my fellow Republicans I say "Go forth and multiply!"

Some Democrats are urging the same thing. "Leaving the country is absolutley the wrong thing to do" wrote Matt Hardigree in the Daily Texan. Instead, he suggests the multiplication method.

I implore you, my fellow Democrats, not to flee the wonderful land we call home, but instead populate it with open-minded and caring registered voters.

Though we may not out-campaign, outspend or outfox the competition, I'm sure we can always out-hump them.

And it's not only patriotic, its fun, too.

Sounds like they're throwing down the gauntlet, folks. Are we up for the challenge?

UPDATE: Heh. According to this survey, we've got this one wrapped up.