Yesterday, we discussed the death of the Republican Party. Today, we will discuss the long and tedious path Republicans would need to take in order to revive their party.
Make no mistake, the Republican Party is dead! Their ability to win on the national level has disintegrated and could conceivably be lost for a generation. Sure, they will still be able to string together local wins for national congressional candidates, but they may never see the White House again for years to come.
Can the GOP be saved? Absolutely. Will it be saved? Unlikely to happen, so long as the old guard is in control. However, if the party can wake up, accept that Ronald Reagan is dead and not coming back, step into the 21st Century and recognize that today’s America is much more different and diverse than ever before, it may have a fighting chance.
So what must the GOP do to get back to relevancy? Here are 4 emergency recommendations:
BECOME INCLUSIVE – Old, white, heterosexual, Christian, conservative men won’t cut it anymore. Nor will hard line conservative platforms. America is much more socially liberal today than it was 10 years ago, so trying to force conservatism down the throats of an uninterested electorate is futile. Democrats successfully put together a diverse coalition of Americans based on inclusion: African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Women, Gays and Lesbians and others. However, the Republican coalition was based on EXclusion and they ignored groups that didn’t match their narrow and outdated point of view. Preaching morality and disengaging anyone who doesn’t fall in line will lose every time.
GAIN SUBSTANCE – Mitt Romney spent his entire campaign telling voters why they shouldn’t vote for President Obama, but spent little, if any time telling voters why they should vote for him. Sadly, Romney was perhaps the best available candidate out of the motley crue of misfits the Republicans ran in the primary. Propping up candidates without substance is a recipe for disaster. Republicans must provide voters with something to root for, not someone to root against.
PURGE THE PARTY – The GOP needs to purge itself of all the religious zealots, clowns and old, rich white men who think it’s 1912 instead of 2012. No more Trump, Limbaugh, Beck or Bachmann. No more witches, “pray away the gay” curers or “legitimate rape” sympathizers. Let them go start a 3rd party with all the lunatics who’ve been blowing hot air about seceding from the U.S. simply because President Obama won fair and square. The GOP also needs to disengage itself from Fox News, which seems to be a magnet for all the hate mongers, racists and crazies of the country. Unless the GOP remakes itself from the ground up, it will never be a competitive national party again.
MIND YOUR BUSINESS – Republicans claim to want less government infringing on our lives, yet they consistently do exactly the opposite. Getting involved in a woman’s very personal choice regarding her own pregnancy, or telling people who they can or can not love and marry are just 2 examples of GOP hypocrisy. If Republicans wish to be relevant again, they can’t keep pushing their own personal beliefs on the rest of the country. Take care of the economy, make sure Americans have jobs, control the deficit, keep the military strong and America safe, then stay out of our bedrooms and our business!
Good suggestions DJ but I don't think it matters. They're stuck in a time warp and won't change. They also in denial and don't realize they're the problem. They have to lose a few more times before it all sinks in.