Thursday, May 30, 2013

How does the GOP attract new voters without irking it's Base?

The Republican Party, having lost the popular vote in five of the last six presidential elections, confronts a dilemma that's easier to describe than to solve: How can it broaden its appeal to up-for-grabs voters without alienating its conservative base? 
There's no consensus yet on how to do it. With the next election three years away, Republicans are tiptoeing around policy changes even as they size up potential candidates who range from tea party heroes to pragmatic governors in Republican- and Democratic-leaning states. 
There's a partial road map, but it's more than two decades old, and the other party drafted it. Democrats, sick of losing elections and being tagged as out-of-touch liberals, moved their party toward the center and rallied behind Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton in 1992.
One theory is:
The Republicans' challenge is spelled out in exit polls from President Barack Obama's win over Romney. Nearly two-thirds of Republican voters labeled themselves as conservatives. But fewer than half of all Democratic voters called themselves liberals. 
That indicates Democrats are working with a less ideological, more flexible base, giving a nominee leeway to embrace issues that might attract non-aligned voters in the general election. 
Republicans, on the other hand, depend on a more ideological base. That's one reason party leaders -- for now, anyway -- talk less of modifying party policies and more of changing mechanics, technology and messaging.
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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Instead, Mahe said, Republicans must pick a nominee who appeals "to the non-voters, disinterested voters, the uninformed -- whatever you want to call them -- who are attracted to a personality, someone they feel good about."

The Republican who comes closest to that description, he said, is Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, a tea party favorite. But Mahe said he doubts she could win a general election.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

-Martha


RomneyMan said...

"Republicans must pick a nominee who appeals "to the non-voters, disinterested voters, the uninformed -- whatever you want to call them -- who are attracted to a personality, someone they feel good about."

You are describing Marco Rubio.

Anonymous said...

It's a sad day when celebrity trumps competence as a leader. Of course, keeping the dems from using the irs and all other gov't agencies too cheat is not only good but absolutely necessary.

AZ

Anonymous said...

I am also not certain we can win over new voters as long as the press is given so much power and influence over the debate. Romney's team has found that many voters thought he was a Catholic opposed to contraception. It's pretty certain they are looking at religion as an identity that all wear the same face. We have George Stephanopoulisfor that one. I hope George gets to spend a little time accounting to his Maker for that particular lie....

AZ

Anonymous said...

Just keep telling the truth. It will sink in eventually.