( CNN ) -- If you listen to the groupthink echo-chamber know-it-alls in Washington , the Republican Party has been decimated , destroyed , discombobulated and utterly distressed to the point of putting a `` going out of business '' sign out front and closing up shop for good . Reality says that 's ridiculous . On the national level , the GOP controls the U.S. House of Representatives while Democrats control the U.S. Senate and the Oval Office . But the real power for the Republicans is on the state level , and there they are dominating Democrats . Republicans control the governor 's mansion in Alabama , Alaska , Arizona , Florida , Georgia , Idaho , Indiana , Iowa , Kansas , Louisiana , Maine , Michigan , Mississippi , Nebraska , Nevada , New Jersey , New Mexico , North Carolina , North Dakota , Ohio , Oklahoma , Pennsylvania , South Carolina , South Dakota , Tennessee , Texas , Utah , Virginia , Wisconsin and Wyoming . Folks , that 's 30 out of the 50 states in the nation . The Democrats have governors in 19 states . ( Rhode Island 's governor is an independent . ) What about both chambers on the state level ? The GOP controls the legislature in Alabama , Alaska , Arizona , Arkansas , Florida , Georgia , Idaho , Indiana , Kansas , Louisiana , Michigan Mississippi , Missouri , Montana , North Carolina , North Dakota , Ohio , Oklahoma , Pennsylvania , South Carolina , South Dakota , Tennessee , Texas , Utah , Wisconsin and Wyoming . Count 'em up and that 's 26 . The Democrats control 18 legislatures . Five of the remaining six are split between the two chambers and one has a nonpartisan , one-chamber legislature . So much of the national media attention is always focused on what 's happening in Washington , but that is a common mistake that the political bosses keep making . Every Sunday show on broadcast and cable parades the usual suspects from the U.S. Senate and sometimes a few influential U.S. House members , but it would make far more sense to be talking to governors , key state officials and mayors for a real understanding of what 's happening in America . The GOP has been doing a lot of soul-searching and head-scratching since Mitt Romney was pummeled by President Barack Obama in November . Republican Party leaders are being told that they must soften their stance on gay and lesbian issues , flip the script on immigration reform , stop dissing women at every turn , and become more `` compassionate '' -- like George W. Bush when he was selling his candidacy in 2000 . On Monday , the Republican National Committee announced its 2012 election postmortem , which called for , among other things , an aggressive new push to reach minorities in the states . Meanwhile , Democrats are giddy , believing they have found a winning formula for the next generation by turning out young folks , gay and lesbian folks , black voters , Latino voters and lots of women . Sure , that coalition worked well for Obama , but there is no guarantee it will be the key to success for the next Democratic presidential candidate . So while Democrats salivate at the prospect of winning the White House in 2016 , Republicans continue to lay the groundwork for taking over the state houses and gubernatorial mansions , and building a formidable team of next-generation politicians to dominate there and in the White House . In fact , many Republicans have told me they could n't care less about Washington , because legislation with real impact is being proposed and passed in the states . That 's why you 've seen groups quietly backing initiatives on the state level and bypassing the hot lights and screaming media in Washington . The real battles on same-sex marriage , abortion , education , spending , labor unions , and , yes , the Affordable Care Act are happening state by state . And Democrats are being caught flat-footed because they ignored the admonition of former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean to create a 50-state party , and instead , created a party that cared more about Congress and the White House . Think about it : Obama won Ohio , Florida , Michigan , Pennsylvania , New Mexico and Nevada , all states with GOP governors . So clearly voters in those states chose the Republican alternative in statewide elections , but when it came to the presidency , said `` No thanks . '' I 'm not buying for a second this silly notion that the GOP will have a Damascus Road experience and drastically change . It 's not going to happen . There will be some movement on the national level , but Republican grass-roots organizers are very well aware that the message the GOP is selling statewide is a winning formula . Trust me , Republicans are concocting other pieces of legislation to bring change on the state level , regardless of what 's happening in Washington . The political adage `` All politics is local '' has not changed . Maybe more of my brothers and sisters in Washington need to get outside the Beltway , hit the road and discover the far more expansive America that is happening outside Washington , Maryland , Virginia , New York and New Jersey . If they do , they 'll find out that the conventional wisdom is pretty much worthless .
Martin : Political echo chamber says GOP doomed by its losses in November election . Do n't believe it , he says -- GOP has power where it counts : governors , state legislatures . He says Dems claim minorities , women , but GOP plans big push for those voters . Roland Martin : U.S. House pushing inroads at state level , not seriously changing policy ; Republicans , wise up .