As the overseer of the Decision Desk, I have to separate the personal from the political with regards to operations, but from my own Twitter account, I’ve made it clear how I feel about the blatant racism expressed by the alt-right. But my greatest animosity isn’t targeted at them, because you will always have a small contingent of people with radical beliefs that won’t gain lasting traction outside of forums and anonymous trolling. My disappointment is saved for the websites and institutions that employed a lot of these writers, linked a lot of their material, even promoted some of it, and only became outraged when they themselves became the target.

Toni Some conservative right-wing radio talkers and Trump himself have stoked the fear of a brown nation — saying this is the last race the Republican Party can win because of the future population changes from immigration. Within that thought, of course, is the deeply pessimistic notion that blacks and Hispanics could never be persuaded to vote for Republicans. You live in California, which already has the diverse demographic that many on the alt-right view as a nightmare. What’s your view on the Republicans’ prospects for broadening their base?

Brandon Republicans effectively have no choice but to adapt: My son was born the year when annual white births were a plurality, no longer the majority. Even if you halted immigration completely, my generation is having kids, and it is the most diverse of any the nation has seen. Barring a massive population growth initiative within the alt-right yielding turn-of-the-last-century-size families, the era of a majority-white population is ending.

The changing makeup of the country isn’t the real problem the Republicans face. They must have a very clear set of unifying goals. What’s the goal for the party these days? One wing wants no amnesty, the other wants an open border. Social conservatism is seeing uneven success and was outright rejected in many ways in favor of a New Yorker’s populism. What does the party, as a whole, even believe in anymore?

Perhaps instead of either writing off minorities or blatantly pandering to them, the party needs to examine itself carefully and ask what it really wants to achieve. Look at state-level successes: Arguably the most popular governor in the nation is Larry Hogan. He ran against runaway taxation and government excesses coming at the expense of suburban Marylanders, won, and is the favorite next year in no small part because of the way he has governed since. People of all stripes will be more attracted to a party with a clear goal, making the party less vulnerable to the inevitable changes occurring in this country.

Toni Tell me a bit about Decision Desk HQ. It reads a bit like a Disney movie: A ragtag volunteer team takes on the mighty Associated Press. What is the goal?