GOP's problem: Can't rebuild, can't win now

With the NFL draft coming this month, football fans are going to be reading a lot about whether their teams are aiming to "rebuild" or "win now."

For those who don't follow organized sports, this refers to the choice teams face each year. Should they pursue a long-term strategy of stocking up on promising – but inexperienced – young talent in the hopes that they can build a winning team over time? Or should they fill a few key holes and trade some draft picks for veterans, in hopes of competing for a championship right away?

The Republican Party is like one of those perennially mediocre teams that experience the worst of both worlds. It cannot manage to rebuild, and it cannot win now. Nothing has crystallized this reality more dramatically than Donald Trump's success in the Republican primaries.

For decades, the demographic reality has been staring Republicans in the face: As the presidential year electorate is becoming more and more diverse, minority voters are becoming increasingly out of reach for Republican nominees. (This reality has been camouflaged by the fact that the midterm electorate that has allowed Republicans to take over the House and Senate tends to be older and whiter.)

Republicans haven't proven that they can boost white turnout enough in presidential election years to win now; and a critical mass of their primary electorate doesn't want to rebuild the party to make it more welcoming to minority groups.