But before the governors could set about translating those values and principles, they had to get their heads around the extent of their party’s loss. “You cannot be a majority governing party,” Pawlenty continued, “if you lose all of the Northeast, all of the Great Lakes states, all of the West Coast, increasing numbers of Western states, increasing numbers of mid-Atlantic states, have a big deficit with women, have a big deficit with modest income voters, have a big deficit with Hispanic voters, have a big deficit with African-Americans, and expect that’s going to be a success formula for the future.”
This is probably true. But the way to make the GOP attractive to many of these folks is to emphasize the core value of the Republican Party: liberty. This is the party, after all, that was founded on a single plank: the ending of slavery. How far has it strayed from that original reason for its existence?
A Republican party dedicated to smaller, less expensive (and that means cutting programs), less intrusive (and that means cutting those departments that infringe on civil liberties), less powerful, less meddlesom, less nanny-oriented would, I think, strike a chord with the American people who, despite assertions to the contrary, remain a strong and self-reliant breed. Stand up for a strong national defense. Stand up for legal immigration, but an end to the open borders/amnesty practices of previous GOP leadership. And make a break from lockstep support of social litmus issues. The truth is, the constitution doesn’t really give the US state the power to meddle in them in the first place, one way or the other, no matter what penumbras and emanations a passing Supreme Court may find. The GOP can offer moral support if it wishes, and even encouragement, but it must finally, at long last, eschew using the power of the state to enforce the social concerns of an ever-shrinking demographic.
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I agree, the republican really need to get backs to the basics. They have gotten so wrapped up in side issues and have give the illuminati all the ammunition they need to smear them the media. Because of that the republicans have A LOT of ground to gain!