You have to say this for the Republicans: they know they have a big problem, but they can’t quite admit that they have to make big changes to fix the big problem. The latest example: a report from the College Republican National Committee (CNRC) titled “Grand Old Party for a Brand New Generation.” (Try setting that title to a club beat.)
The gist of this analysis is that the GOP has a brand problem among young voters that needs fixing, and a big part of the brand problem is around gay issues. The CRNC conducted a survey and held focus to understand just why young voters turned out in droves for Obama. And it turns out, the problem isn’t insurmountable.
“We believe that Republicans can win young voters but that it will require a significantly different approach than has been used in recent elections,” the report burbles.
If by “different approach,” you mean “entirely different policies,” we might agree. And the CRNC does call on the party to recognize that things have changed. For example, the report explains that there is this thing called social media that young people rely on for information? Crazy kids!
How about we take this to the next level?
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In general, the report feels a lot like a bunch of old young people trying to explain their generation to a bunch of old, old people. But the report does acknowledge that gay issues summarize everything that young people dislike about the GOP. And the report’s response summarizes everything that gay people dislike about the GOP.
Yes, the report says “We should also strongly oppose the use of anti-gay rhetoric.” But it also tries to finesse the subject of marriage equality by claiming Democrats aren’t unified on the issue (untrue, it was in the party platform) and that if only the GOP was better on other topics, young voters wouldn’t care about the anti-marriage stuff. In the meantime, the party should “promote the diversity of opinion within its ranks” and seek a middle ground, because, as we all know, expediency is more important than principle.
Ultimately, the CRNC report argues that the GOP is suffering from a bad brand. Now, you might argue that if the GOP is a box of cereal, people don’t hate it because the box is ugly but because the cereal tastes lousy. But until the party decides to throw the flakes out and start from scratch, reports calling for new box designs aren’t going to do much good.
Image credit: CRNC
Jim Hlavac
If you think a platform plank means “All Democrats” are for gay marriage you’re being silly — and I point to NY Democrat State Senator Ruben Diaz and his “death to gays” rallies in the Democrat bastion of the Bronx. Not to mention, the 95% D-voting Blacks and 80% D-voting Latinos are still very not gay friendly is a sure sign that “All Democrats” are not for us. That the Democrats waited until 2012 shows they are not “all” for us. That most of the elected officials waited until 2013 to utter a word shows they are not “all” for us. And that Democrats seem to think that smooching is a political position shows they are not “all” for us — except votes and money and who gives a damn about the rest. Meanwhile, Obama didn’t lift a finger to end DADT until the Log Cabin Republicans got courts to agree it’s bad Clinton (ooh, Democrat!) policy. That the Democrat controlled congress for two years in Obama’s first time didn’t lift a finger to rid us of DOMA — not even introduce legislation — shows they are not “All” for us. Yeesh.
Little-Kiwi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrv31BCGeqY
1EqualityUSA
The raisins have to go too, John Latent Boehner, Mitch Latent McConnel, “Ham-bisquits” Lindsey Latent Graham. A little fiber would do, to move out the old turds. Soon all of their problems will be behind them.There is not a stitch of fiber in ham biscuits! It just putrefies in the pipes and makes you turn into a bigot.
Caleb in SC
The GOP first jumped the shark when they allowed the Evangelicals to run the party. They next jumped the shark when they allowed the Tea Baggers to exert influence. Between these two events, it is hard to see how the GOP is going to pull out of its current death spiral. Young people in the GOP are increasingly rejecting the hate-mongering and bigotry of their parents, and good for them for seeing the light.
petensfo
In the meantime, the party should “promote the diversity of opinion within its ranks”
Yes, there’s the problem right there… there is no tolerance of diversity of opinion in the GOP. Maybe there is in reality, but that has nothing to do w/ the primary process which means they will continue to be held hostage by their most conservative element.
Fine by me… but don’t ignore that A LOT of Governors are now Republican. That doesn’t happen by accident and will definitely have bearing on the future face of elections.
1EqualityUSA
The GOP will just need to cheat in order to win, by suppressing votes, gerrymandering states too stupid to realize what’s happening, and riding Obama into the ground by nit picking and drama-filled scandal-o-the-week b.s., the same playbook, the same players. The last gasps of a dying monster.
ouragannyc
I don’t care for the RNC/GOP.
I’m ok with them not running the white house and congress for the next two centuries.
erasure25
@Jim Hlavac: No, it doesn’t mean all democrats are pro marriage equality. That’s an impossible goal. Not even 100% of humans believe the Earth is round and not flat. But that the democratic party platform includes marriage equality means the party is unified on the issue as a whole as of 2012.
Cam
@Jim Hlavac:
You obviously have an agenda. Why? Because you are lying.
Your numbers are wrong. A Majority of blacks in polls support gay marriage since Obama came out for it.
As for Diaz in NY and other Dems, you left out the part where the dems kicked many of them out in the primaries after they didn’t support gay marriage and got in people who did.
Additionally, every single state that has voted for and passed gay marriage did it with a Dem majority in the legislature.
So again, if you have an agenda fine, if you have to lie to support your agenda, then there is something very wrong with you.
Little-Kiwi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R6jqMysHaA
Little-Kiwi
That’s Matt Hissey (great name, eh?) GOProud member.
So, Gay Republicans and Young Republicans, if you want to … uh…. “stop the anti-gay rhetoric” you’d do well to stop it amongst yourselves first.
There’s a reason the GOP doesn’t respect gay people – Gay Republicans are such complete wimps that they make it clear that they’re not worth respecting.
We liberals don’t have that problem.