Rebuilding the GOP

[MTLskyline]

Why did the Republicans lose the election? How should party members go about rebuilding America's Conservative Party?

 

My problems with party (in order):

1. Too dependent on white evangelical and redneck support (they need to be able to attract educated northern voters and minorities too). Since when did the party that abolished slavery become a party that many racists support?

 

2. Too many half-wits. When someone of Sarah Palin's intelligence is considered a rising star in the party you have a big problem.

 

3. Too corrupt. During the tenure of the Bush administration we constantly heard stories of corrupt officials.

 

4. Too far right. I am a conservative myself. But there are just some members of this party who are a little extreme for me.

 

5. No new ideas. Where's the daring new schemes of the Reagan era? What happened to the days when it was cool to be conservative?

 

The Party also seems to be suffering from unity problems. There are the McCain Republicans (Rudy Giuliani, Ron Paul, etc) and the Bush Republicans (Sarah Palin, Dick Cheney). It seems similar to the divisions in the Canadian Liberal Party between the Martin Liberals and Chrétien Liberals.

 

In short, the Republicans need their own version of Obama. A good speaker and debater, a uniter not a divider and an intelligent person.

 

If Harper was American he'd make a great leader despite the fact that he's not the best speaker. McCain would make a great leader but is hampered by his lack of knowledge on the economy.

[Cataclaw]

Agreed on all your points.

 

The GOP needs to rediscover itself and ultimately reinvent itself.

 

Though i'm a liberal and a democrat, i welcome the renewal of the GOP. A reinvigorated GOP can only mean a more intelligent and thought-out debate on the issues. Americans can only win from that.

[MTLskyline]

And that's exactly what they did during the Reagan-era. Reagan was a great speaker and quite beloved by most of the country (including the non-bible belt. He won every state except Minnesota, his opponent's home state, in 1984)

 

The Democrats also needed to reinvent themselves in the early 90s leading to Bill Clinton getting elected. Just think that the Democrats were out of power for 12-13 years before Clinton got elected. A lot of Republicans found Clinton to be an excellent president (which is part of the reason he was a 2-term President). Obama has further reinvented the Democrats following 8 years of being shut out from decision making. Obama is raising the bar and forcing the Republicans to think and be more competitive.

[francely57]

My problems with party (in order):

1. Too dependent on white evangelical and redneck support (they need to be able to attract educated northern voters and minorities too). Since when did the party that abolished slavery become a party that many racists support?

 

2. Too many half-wits. When someone of Sarah Palin's intelligence is considered a rising star in the party you have a big problem.

 

 

Very true..

 

How do you handle having these people on your side? (the people booing to show they don't have any basic respect for the opponent)

 

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7R-s-71csY&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7R-s-71csY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[Cataclaw]

I think the key difference between the two parties this cycle has been about basic sentiment:

 

Fear vs Hope.

 

Fear was rampant in the GOP this cycle. Fear of Obama, fear of an Obama presidency. Being a muslim (false) meddling with terrorists (false) etc. Fear period.

 

On the Obama side, it's been about hope. Hope for the future. Hope for change. Hope.

 

I genuinely and sincerely hope the GOP will clue in on this and change to a more positive message. Because honestly, despite being very liberal, and don't get me wrong i'm 100% Obama, i am conservative on some issues, and the GOP needs to exist to represent those issues and the conservative side of the coin.

 

That being said, hope defeated fear this election, no question about it.

[Robertpuant]

The Party also seems to be suffering from unity problems. There are the McCain Republicans (Rudy Giuliani, Ron Paul, etc) and the Bush Republicans (Sarah Palin, Dick Cheney).

 

Ron Paul n'est même plus républican. Il a changé de parti pour le parti Libertarian. Je doute vraiment qu'il soit contre le net-neutrality et la décriminalisation des drogues.

[MTLskyline]

Very true..

 

How do you handle having these people on your side? (the people booing to show they don't have any basic respect for the opponent)

Well the fact of the matter is that there are disrespectful and ill-informed people on both sides. It's embarrassing being on the same side with ignorant and intolerant people, but then again, there is ignorance and intolerance in all political movements. McCain is a classy guy, this video shows it, and he would have made a great leader. McCain has always been a voice of reason in the Republican Party.

 

I think the key difference between the two parties this cycle has been about basic sentiment:

 

Fear vs Hope.

 

Fear was rampant in the GOP this cycle. Fear of Obama, fear of an Obama presidency. Being a muslim (false) meddling with terrorists (false) etc. Fear period.

 

On the Obama side, it's been about hope. Hope for the future. Hope for change. Hope.

 

I genuinely and sincerely hope the GOP will clue in on this and change to a more positive message. Because honestly, despite being very liberal, and don't get me wrong i'm 100% Obama, i am conservative on some issues, and the GOP needs to exist to represent those issues and the conservative side of the coin.

 

That being said, hope defeated fear this election, no question about it.

 

Although there was a fair amount of fear mongering among Democrats. "McCain is the 3rd term of Bush" for instance.

 

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN10_6pyshQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN10_6pyshQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

 

Although I am completely in agreement with both of you that negative campaigning and fear mongering has to stop. It suits neither Obama nor McCain, but their respective parties are full of these negative types of people.

[ToxiK]

Why did the Republicans lose the election? How should party members go about rebuilding America's Conservative Party?

 

My problems with party (in order):

1. Too dependent on white evangelical and redneck support (they need to be able to attract educated northern voters and minorities too). Since when did the party that abolished slavery become a party that many racists support?

 

2. Too many half-wits. When someone of Sarah Palin's intelligence is considered a rising star in the party you have a big problem.

 

3. Too corrupt. During the tenure of the Bush administration we constantly heard stories of corrupt officials.

 

4. Too far right. I am a conservative myself. But there are just some members of this party who are a little extreme for me.

 

5. No new ideas. Where's the daring new schemes of the Reagan era? What happened to the days when it was cool to be conservative?

 

The Party also seems to be suffering from unity problems. There are the McCain Republicans (Rudy Giuliani, Ron Paul, etc) and the Bush Republicans (Sarah Palin, Dick Cheney). It seems similar to the divisions in the Canadian Liberal Party between the Martin Liberals and Chrétien Liberals.

 

In short, the Republicans need their own version of Obama. A good speaker and debater, a uniter not a divider and an intelligent person.

 

If Harper was American he'd make a great leader despite the fact that he's not the best speaker. McCain would make a great leader but is hampered by his lack of knowledge on the economy.

 

 

I agree with what you say. I see 2 roads that the Republican Party could choose now. The first is the one you describe where they clean up their act and put the more extreme members of their party in the closets, where they belong (imagin letting the "Purs et durs" run the Parti Québécois; this is basically what is happening to Republican Party now).

 

The other road that the Republicans might choose is to become more radical, more religious and more socially conservative. To win in those conditions would mean that the Democrats are VERY bad or that the Republicans will use every low blows and dirty tactics they can manage to defeat their opponents. That last road is not pretty.

[MTLskyline]

I agree with what you say. I see 2 roads that the Republican Party could choose now. The first is the one you describe where they clean up their act and put the more extreme members of their party in the closets, where they belong (imagin letting the "Purs et durs" run the Parti Québécois; this is basically what is happening to Republican Party now).

 

The other road that the Republicans might choose is to become more radical, more religious and more socially conservative. To win in those conditions would mean that the Democrats are VERY bad or that the Republicans will use every low blows and dirty tactics they can manage to defeat their opponents. That last road is not pretty.

Yeah you're right. The party ought to silence and downplay the more extreme members as the PQ does here.

 

However I fear that the radicals will continue to dictate things.

 

Looks like Sarah Palin is running in 2012: