What will the GOP do now...

[retrospooty]

I just read a good little article at Politico. There is a particular paragraph that stuck in my mind...

Most ominously for Republicans, the GOP is increasingly becoming less grand than old ? and outdated. As reflected in Tuesday?s results and exit polls, it?s a party that is overwhelmingly white, rural and aged in a country that is rapidly becoming racially mixed, suburban and dominated by a post-baby boomer generation with no memory of Vietnam or the familiar culture wars of the past.

I have to agree with that. Looking at the convention and rallies, I felt like it was the crowd at a rodeo... All white, and rural, not that there is anything wrong with that, but they are very out of step with modern society, and seem to be stuck living in a world that doesnt exist anymore. The phrase "Out of touch" really sticks.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15357.html

 

[Genx87]

The republicans have failed to bring in social conservative minorities. Hispanics and Blacks are much more socially conservative than most white democrats. Prop 8 was probably passed due to so many blacks coming out to vote for Obama.

How do they crack that nut? They somehow have to shed their old white man image and appeal to those demographic needs while trying to keep their platform of small govt in tact.

Yes I know bush and the republicans werent small govt minded. But it is an ideal they as a whole should still stick to.

It may be that we go through 20-30 years of democrat control while things get vetted. And the cycle brings up full circle where democrat appeal to old people and the republicans are the hip young progressive party.

 

[Pacemaker]

Republicans need to go back to being Republicans. The "neocon" and the "compassionate" conservative movement has been a failure. They need to get back to what the republican party used to stand for instead of being the cut tax and spend mortgage your children's future party. I consider this to be a good thing for the republican party as it will allow them to trim the fat. I hope they figure it out as I do like having 2 choices instead of 1.

 

[Stuxnet]

Originally posted by: Pacemaker
Republicans need to go back to being Republicans.

It's as simple as that. No need to create a thread every day about it, because it's a pretty simple issue.

 

[Lemon law]

We have had many threads on this subject, bottom line, we can talk about the various options and probable consequences, discussed to death already, but it still up to the remaining GOP leadership.

In short, we don't know yet, and probably will not until at least mid-2009, when some consensus starts to emerge. The factions have not even formed up yet. If anything, the religious right is the biggest loser.

 

[shafeen]

so gop is not playing with conspiracy theories this time round ?

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: Genx87
The republicans have failed to bring in social conservative minorities. Hispanics and Blacks are much more socially conservative than most white democrats. Prop 8 was probably passed due to so many blacks coming out to vote for Obama.

How do they crack that nut? They somehow have to shed their old white man image and appeal to those demographic needs while trying to keep their platform of small govt in tact.

Yes I know bush and the republicans werent small govt minded. But it is an ideal they as a whole should still stick to.

It may be that we go through 20-30 years of democrat control while things get vetted. And the cycle brings up full circle where democrat appeal to old people and the republicans are the hip young progressive party.

I don't think "socially conservative" and "small government" really go together...REAL fans of small government wouldn't be in favor of the government passing judgement on your sexual preference.

Personally I think that's part of the problem, Republicans have become the socially AND fiscally conservative party. While I believe that some people are fans of both kinds of conservative views, I think the group is relatively small...and shrinking. Very few people in my age bracket, the 20-somethings, who would call themselves conservative want to ban gay marriage. They might be fiscally conservative, but honestly the Republican stance on social issues makes voting Republican hard for some of them. The Democrats have naturally taken the opposite position on many social and fiscal issues, and while this also turns off some folks, I think the core group of people who are fiscally and socially liberal is much larger than the opposing group on the right.

Financial views shift back and forth depending on the times we live in, but a socially conservative party will always be playing catch-up. Being the party of anti-gay marriage now would barely help the Republicans, it sure wouldn't help them be the "hip, young, progressive" party...and in a few years it's going to be a liability rather than an asset. Now I generally disagree with the idea of "small government", but I think taking THAT approach (and actually following through) would work far better for the Republicans than moving even farther to the right on social issues. I think you can make a case for small government that might convince a lot of independents, and probably has a large base to begin with. I don't think socially conservative principles draw in that many more people, and probably push away some of the fiscal conservatives.

As you said, there was much higher black turnout, but the presence of prop 8 on the ballot didn't make any of them not vote for Obama. Republicans might be able to win a few socially conservative issues by drawing folks from the "other side", but they won't win control of the government that way.

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: jbourne77

Originally posted by: Pacemaker
Republicans need to go back to being Republicans.

It's as simple as that. No need to create a thread every day about it, because it's a pretty simple issue.

That really depends on what "being Republicans" means. I've heard ultra-conservative commentators complain bitterly about Republicans trying to be the big-tent party, suggesting what they really need to do is jettison the RINO (Republican in name only) types. This seems like a strange approach...when you don't have too big a tent to begin with, why in the world would you try to make it smaller? I don't think there is a secret group of far-right Republicans out there just waiting to hit the voting booth the second Reagan is back in charge.

 

[retrospooty]

Originally posted by: Rainsford

Originally posted by: jbourne77

Originally posted by: Pacemaker
Republicans need to go back to being Republicans.

It's as simple as that. No need to create a thread every day about it, because it's a pretty simple issue.

That really depends on what "being Republicans" means. I've heard ultra-conservative commentators complain bitterly about Republicans trying to be the big-tent party, suggesting what they really need to do is jettison the RINO (Republican in name only) types. This seems like a strange approach...when you don't have too big a tent to begin with, why in the world would you try to make it smaller? I don't think there is a secret group of far-right Republicans out there just waiting to hit the voting booth the second Reagan is back in charge.

Exactly... And thats the point. They are so splintered between the "religious right", and "small govt. fiscal conservative" that just cant be the same. Small govt CANNOT be interfering with your social values - there is a rock/hard place in there, and both sides cannot be satisfied at the same time.

They also cant remain the White rural party they are now - White rural America is a dying breed... (good riddance) This country is changing and the republican party will HAVE to do something to gain minority support to win elections.

 

[theeedude]

Republicans need to go back to being Democrats.
Civil rights movement has won, time for Southern Republicans to go back to their roots of being Southern Democrats.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Lemon law
If anything, the religious right is the biggest loser.

Thank God for that. (Pun intended.)

ZV

 

[Ryan]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: Lemon law
If anything, the religious right is the biggest loser.

Thank God for that. (Pun intended.)

ZV

QFT. Run on REAL issues, not the goals and ambitions your fairy in the sky.

 

[ProfJohn]

Originally posted by: Lemon law
If anything, the religious right is the biggest loser.

I don't think it is that simple.

Look at the gay marriage amendments that passed even in California.

The problem the Republicans have is that the religious right as a political movement only includes whites when it should include blacks and hispanics who have similar religious and cultural views.

What the party really needs to work on is breaking through the false 'Republicans are racist' view that exists and get more minorities into the party.

 

[First]

Well, they can't do much because their base is now overwhelmingly mid-west, small town, and outside every single big and economically powerful city in the country. It's hard to attract inner city minorities or a booming Hispanic population when they don't have any significant presence in cities and are staunchly anti-immigrant. What conservatives have always had going for them are people who are risk-averse and are slow to change. Gay marriage is a good example of that, an issue that will undoubtedly be legalized within our lifetimes just as slavery, the acceptance of mass immigration, integrating public schools, and legalizing abortion have all been by a good majority of Americans. The U.S. has been so successful that you can't blame a lot of them for being conservative Republicans, there's a natural tendency to hoard all the goodness of America that you can and so progressive, liberal ideas are slow to take hold.

 

[TheSlamma]

I think they need to split off from the evangelicals (Christian psychos) and radicals (KKK and NEO-Nazi's)

People interested in getting rid of unions and cutting welfare like myself have no home with those 2 crowds and their radical book burning wants.

 

[quest55720]

Not that hard go back to being the party of small government,low taxes and pro-business. It won't take to long for the democratic plan of big government, high taxes and anti-business to make things worse. Just put the social issues as secondary run on fiscal responsibility.

 

[TheSlamma]

Originally posted by: retrospooty

Originally posted by: Rainsford

Originally posted by: jbourne77

Originally posted by: Pacemaker
Republicans need to go back to being Republicans.

It's as simple as that. No need to create a thread every day about it, because it's a pretty simple issue.

That really depends on what "being Republicans" means. I've heard ultra-conservative commentators complain bitterly about Republicans trying to be the big-tent party, suggesting what they really need to do is jettison the RINO (Republican in name only) types. This seems like a strange approach...when you don't have too big a tent to begin with, why in the world would you try to make it smaller? I don't think there is a secret group of far-right Republicans out there just waiting to hit the voting booth the second Reagan is back in charge.

Exactly... And thats the point. They are so splintered between the "religious right", and "small govt. fiscal conservative" that just cant be the same. Small govt CANNOT be interfering with your social values - there is a rock/hard place in there, and both sides cannot be satisfied at the same time.

They also cant remain the White rural party they are now - White rural America is a dying breed... (good riddance) This country is changing and the republican party will HAVE to do something to gain minority support to win elections.

Lots of good posts here! :thumbsup:

 

[retrospooty]

Originally posted by: quest55720
Not that hard go back to being the party of small government,low taxes and pro-business. It won't take to long for the democratic plan of big government, high taxes and anti-business to make things worse. Just put the social issues as secondary run on fiscal responsibility.

You have to remember, that isnt the dems platform, that is the republican's fear based talking points.... Talking points that you need to be aware failed miserably in this election.

If the dems do well over the next 8 years, the reps will HAVE to readjust to the center. If the dems fail, it will be easy for the reps to come back in 8 years.

 

[Mani]

Originally posted by: ProfJohn

What the party really needs to work on is breaking through the false 'Republicans are racist' view that exists and get more minorities into the party.

That "view" people have of the party is entirely the republicans' own doing. There isn't so much as a hint of a racial outreach from the republican party, in platform or even superficially.

 

[Mani]

If the republicans do just what the "base" of the party is calling for right now - jettisoning the moderates, it will make them even more of an irrelevant minority than they are right now. Rush, Hannity, and their ilk just have serious trouble coming to terms with the fact that their views are way out of the mainstream and in fact on the lunatic fringe in many cases.

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: Mani
If the republicans do just what the "base" of the party is calling for right now - jettisoning the moderates, it will make them even more of an irrelevant minority than they are right now. Rush, Hannity, and their ilk just have serious trouble coming to terms with the fact that their views are way out of the mainstream and in fact on the lunatic fringe in many cases.

it's not just the base that's calling for it, though. republican moderates are consistently getting voted out of office.

if we held a convention of GOP moderates today, it may as well be called the unemployment line.

 

[MagicConch]

republicans built they're growth of the last 30 yrs on "borrow and spend" now both parties have adopted it and many will come to the conclusion that they'd rather spend their kids money on themselves rather then military contractors and Iraqis they don't know (who wouldn't?). they can hope democrats will try to balance the budget and then they might see a surge again, but I seriously doubt Democrats care so much about this country that they would be willing to be the bad parents and force the kids to eat their vegetables. perhaps they can wait it out a bit until right on the blink of implosion and roll out a fiscal conservative and see if people run to him/her.

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: Genx87
The republicans have failed to bring in social conservative minorities. Hispanics and Blacks are much more socially conservative than most white democrats. Prop 8 was probably passed due to so many blacks coming out to vote for Obama.

How do they crack that nut? They somehow have to shed their old white man image and appeal to those demographic needs while trying to keep their platform of small govt in tact.

Yes I know bush and the republicans werent small govt minded. But it is an ideal they as a whole should still stick to.

It may be that we go through 20-30 years of democrat control while things get vetted. And the cycle brings up full circle where democrat appeal to old people and the republicans are the hip young progressive party.

That would be interesting. I very much agree that they should transition back to the idea of smaller government and actually follow through if they wish to regain power.

 

[nixium]

Originally posted by: loki8481

Originally posted by: Mani
If the republicans do just what the "base" of the party is calling for right now - jettisoning the moderates, it will make them even more of an irrelevant minority than they are right now. Rush, Hannity, and their ilk just have serious trouble coming to terms with the fact that their views are way out of the mainstream and in fact on the lunatic fringe in many cases.

it's not just the base that's calling for it, though. republican moderates are consistently getting voted out of office.

if we held a convention of GOP moderates today, it may as well be called the unemployment line.

I don't think they got voted out because they were 'moderate'. I think they got caught up in the general wave of anti-republicanism that's gripping the electorate at the moment.

 

[Thump553]

It's extremely hard to say. The GOP has to resolve it's conflict between being a party of moral authoritarians versus being a party of fiscal conservatives. If they continue to press on the moral authoritarian bent (which I suspect they will) then the blue dog wing of the Democratic party is going to prosper, politically.

And despite all this talk of Obama being a liberal, I strongly suspect he's going to be very pragmatic in practice, much like Bill Clinton was.