In an interesting move, the Republican Party has initiated a website that it hopes will provide it with some ideas on how to go forward. The idea behind this strategy is that respondents are asked whether the party should change the amount it spends on different topics.
The survey begins by asking some identifying information, probably to verify that you’re real. Then it asks some demographic questions (gender, age, political party identification). It then asks some questions about your political activity in 2012. It then divides issues into four broad areas (fiscal, economic, national security, and social) to find out which you think is most important. It then asks which of these you should spend more or less time discussing.
It then asks if you think the GOP cares about people like you or listens to people like you. Following this, it asks some strategic questions. In this group, there is an open-ended question.
It then asks some media-related questions.
I would guess that the entire survey could be done in less than 5 minutes. What should be interesting is that a typical GOP voter would not be the most likely to complete it, I’d guess. So, there should be some pretty interesting cross-tabs.
January 24th, 2013 at 7:26 am
The Heritage Foundation has hit the road, going out into the countryside to find out what people really want or are interested in.
January 24th, 2013 at 11:47 am
Hard to see how this can help the problem.
January 26th, 2013 at 6:05 pm
WTF ?
Whos brain storm idea was this ?
If you need to look its a good idea to not let everyone know you’re looking.
January 27th, 2013 at 1:01 am
Mickey, I agree. It’s a stupid PR move by clueless people. If the GOP wants to improve their performance, move to the center and figure out how to remove the power from the idiots. Regan did this easy. He was a moderate.
January 27th, 2013 at 12:45 pm
The site discusses the intention to attract certain demographics as a move to the center.
The problem I see is this.
The way its laid out its looks as if its just a pandering temporary measure to attract minority votes, Black, Hispanic, Asian, and God knows what else, maybe some greenies, at the risk of appearing to give up conservative principles for votes.
It seems as though the GOP is saying “we’ll do what we can to get your vote but dont cry later down the road if were not as liberal as we displayed ourselves to be.”
“The only way we can get your vote is to pretend to be meeting liberals halfway”.
These minorities they hope to attract need to be educated on the benefits and principles of conservatism instead of giving the appearance the right is catering to liberal interests.
Maintaining this charade could be very costly in more ways than one if its not a consistent commitment.
Its kinda like sticking a sock in your pants when you go out at night.
Its just a matter of time before the wench figures out you were just playin her, she’ll never trust you again.
The problem with a scenario like this is that its much easier for one person to understand everyone than it is for everyone to understand one person.
It wont be easy, Conservatism needs to be sold for what it is instead of the GOP catering to liberal interests.
Announcing this website for what it is, to me is sign of weakness and total lack of confidence in what is actually a stable and viable platform.
If more understood the platform there’d be no need for this site asking for suggestions.
I hope that made some sense
January 27th, 2013 at 3:27 pm
No, please, right wingers, remain exactly as you are.
I often see the rhetoric that people simply need to be “better educated” about the virtues of conservatism as if the message simply hasn’t been heard.
Did you ever consider that the message has not only been heard, but clearly understood, yet has been summarily rejected?
But please, continue to be the party that Bobby Jindal described so aptly.
January 27th, 2013 at 4:08 pm
Buzz, partly yes and partly no. One challenge is that Democrat voters are typically less educated so it hard to reach them with talk of the complexities of market economics (for example). The GOP communicates ideas at a higher level.
January 27th, 2013 at 5:31 pm
“Did you ever consider that the message has not only been heard, but clearly understood, yet has been summarily rejected?”
First of all, you cant assume the difference will be made up only by liberals who finally understand the message. Many true conservatives arent voting or didnt vote because the message today is “conservative light” or that coming from RINOs.
Romney was a sht candidate that didnt draw a worthy turnout.
Its only been rejected because of its quality to commitment of true and proven methods, like basic math.
The left cant handle committing to a concrete function such as 2+2=4, but instead euphorically insist the sum total is five.
The message will ring loud and clear by 2016 only after you morons have totally tainted every dollar in sight.
What was the result of all Barrys posturing over the fiscal cliff and debt ceiling ?
Simply more spending, more debt, and not a thing to address the deficit.
Whats the lefts message ?
Tax the rich ?
Punish success ?
Military cuts ?
Continue to fund losing venues and entitlements that solve nothing ?
Elections are cyclic and leave the country and people victims a sort of paradoxical conundrum of one extreme to the other.
By the time either party nears absolute grips of power the people get sick of the party in power and vote the opposition into power.
The only time any party has ruled more than two twrms, eight years in a row, was when Bush Senior won after Reagans 8 years.
The next election will no doubt render us with a Republican as that is the nature of the beast called the American people.
If anything, in 2014 the right will gain extra seats in either end of Congress and in 2016 will be put back into the Oval office by moderates and independents.
Sadly, this kinda back n forth momentum only leaves us with the trash each party leaves behind and very few of their initiatives completed.
I’ve got a few suggestions for the right, but to announce them now would open a host of debatable issues I’m not up to re-hashing all over again right now.
January 27th, 2013 at 6:50 pm
The GOP was weakened because they were conservative light?
The primaries, in fact, illustrated how extreme the GOP has become by even entertaining outlandish candidates such as Bachmann or Santorum and it appears the GOP has recognized that if they don’t change they will be irrelevant in national elections.
Even the current House Republicans are in a battle with a considerable group of Representatives that do not want less government, but appear to desire no government for anything beyond defense. Heck, I even feel sorry for John Boehner in his quest to negotiate with people that don’t know the meaning of the word. No wonder he is crying all the time.
They could have used a little conservative light. They chose to primary electable candidates, including Dick Lugar, to run people such as Richard Mourdock (for the crime of speaking to Obama or something).
In a clear attempt to circumvent a person’s right to an abortion a GOP State Representative in New Mexico, Cathrynn Brown, recently proposed a bill to force victims of rape to carry to full term to “maintain evidence.” She was rightfully called out by her own party and Governor. The GOP needs to do more of this and police their own party so this type of behavior doesn’t continue to paint a picture of a party that is painfully extreme and out of touch.
I don’t see how being too “middle of the road” cost the GOP any votes in this past election.
You may be alone in the opinion that maintaining what is a rather intractable platform will help the GOP to regain power. Is it because the electorate will apparently realize the error of their ways and see that “true” conservatism is the “right” way? Do you really see that growing sectors of the electorate are going to turn hard-right in the next elections? There will be fewer “old-white guys”, while the number of minorities and young people continues to grow. How many young people do you talk to that identify with the current GOP?
Almost every political analyst, even those recognized as being on the far-right fringes, at least agree that continuing to pursue the same path as before is political suicide.
Too light?
Hey, I only hope that more people believe as you do. I can see it now, Palin vs. Clinton in 2016.
Not really a fair fight is it?
January 28th, 2013 at 10:08 pm
I don’t know. With or without the MSM?
January 28th, 2013 at 10:17 pm
“I don’t know. With or without the MSM?”
I would have to assume with, as I don’t think that the media that the vast majority of people read, listen to and view is going to go out of business.