The results of the 2012 presidential election are in, and
they are not good for the GOP. Despite presiding over a disastrous
administration that wrecked the economy, showed no regard for civil liberties,
made health care safe for corporatism, and waged unconstitutional wars in Libya,
Pakistan, and Yemen,
President Barack Obama soundly defeated Governor Mitt Romney. Republican
stalwarts will no doubt lick their wounds and pursue the midterm elections in
2014 and the next presidential election exactly the way they approached the
2012 elections, but this would be a grave mistake.
According to exit poll data, Romney did exceptionally well
among white voters (59%), voters earning $100,000 or more a year (54%), and
voters aged 65 or older (56%). However,
Romney polled very badly among women (44%), blacks (6%), Latinos (27%), and
Asians (26%). While those such as Patrick J. Buchanan and Bill O’Reilly may
lament the changing demographics of the United
States, it is a reality than cannot be
denied. The United States
is not based upon ethnicity, religion, socio-economic status, etc. It is based
upon a shared love of freedom, tolerance, and economic mobility. The American
Dream is “the pursuit of happiness” regardless of one’s ethnicity.
According to the US Census Bureau, in 2011, Black Americans
totaled nearly 44 million (14.1% of the US
population). According to the US Census Bureau, the Hispanic population has
increased 43%, rising from 35.3 million in 2000 to 50.5 million in 2010.
Hispanics now make up over 16% of the US
population. It is estimated that by 2050, the non-Hispanic white population of
the US will
drop to 46.3%. If the GOP wishes to remain a viable national party that retains
the power to elect presidents and majorities in the US Senate, it cannot write
off the 14.1% of the population made up by Black Americans. The GOP also cannot
settle for just over a quarter of the votes of the burgeoning Hispanic
population. An 11% gap among women (who make up 53% of the US
population) is another troubling sign for the future of the GOP. Even worse is
the fact that Romney only won 36% of voters aged 18-24, 38% of voters aged
25-29, and 42% of voters aged 30-39. Sadly, elderly voters will die off, and
younger voters may not “grow up” (as the cliché goes) and become Republicans in
middle-age.
If the Republican Party is to remain nationally viable, it
must court the Black vote, the Hispanic vote, the female vote, and the youth
vote. Even if the GOP does live up to its claim of being a “big tent,” changing
demographics are going to present it with a monumental challenge. However, if
the party cannot shake its perception as the party of old, white, rich,
fundamentalist Christian men, the GOP may one day soon find itself as a footnote
like the Whigs. When was the last time you met a Whig? How much do you really
know about Millard Fillmore?
What follows are ten ways that the Republican Party can
increase the size of its “tent” and begin to actively court and win over voters
that it now either ignores or antagonizes.
1. Pursue humane immigration reform
Immigration reform is an important issue among Hispanics in
the United States.
It is no surprise that Republican views of the issue have left Hispanics cold.
Herman Cain’s electrified barbed wire border fence, Mitt Romney’s “self deportation,” and Arizona’s
“papers please” immigration law are (rightly) perceived by many Hispanics as
racist schemes. It is estimated that the number of illegal immigrants in the US
is over 11 million. Attempting to starve out these people so that they “self
deport” or attempting to round them up and deport them in Gestapo fashion are
impractical and inhumane ideas. The GOP cannot wait until the day that there is
some ugly grey Berlin Wall-like
monstrosity across the US/Mexico border – or worse yet a Terminator style army of killer drones – to pursue real immigration
reform. Making it easier for immigrants from Mexico
and elsewhere to legally enter the United States
to work and live is the best way to cut down on illegal immigration. This will
also help ensure that those who enter the country are honest and hardworking
people and not criminals. Republicans may need to hold their noses and
contemplate the “A-word” – amnesty – if they wish to make serious in roads
among Hispanic voters. Given that President Reagan – whom most Republicans
fetishize – signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, a law that
granted amnesty to about three million illegal aliens who had entered the
country before January 1, 1982
and resided there continuously, this would not be without precedent.
2. Stop the anti-gay rhetoric
According to a recent survey by Gallup,
3.4% of the American population is gay. While this may seem like a small
number, the GOP could use all the votes that it can get. More importantly,
younger Americans are becoming increasingly tolerant of gays. The
cringe-inducing rhetoric of “Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve” or (the less
well known) “Adam and Eve, not Madam and Eve” is nothing if not a turn off for
young voters. Consensual gay activity does not violate the life, liberty, or
property of any Americans. Gay marriage does not undermine “traditional”
heterosexual marriages. While many Christian Republicans may view homosexuality
as a sin, the republic is based upon the Constitution and not upon the Old
Testament. The well known group Log Cabin Republicans presents strong evidence
that many gay Americans favor limited government, individual liberty, and
personal responsibility even if they happen to be sexually attracted to members
of their own gender.
3. End the “War on Drugs”
A sure fire way to win over both young voters and minority
voters is for the GOP to end (or at least greatly scale back) the “War onDrugs.” Despite having admitted to using illegal drugs in his youth, President
Obama has done nothing to scale back the “War on Drugs.” How hypocritical is
that? Imagine the GOP being able to take the high ground on this issue. Imagine
how “cool” and relevant that would make the party look among younger voters.
More importantly, imagine how Blacks and Latinos – who have been
disproportionately affected by it – would view the GOP. For example, Blacks
make up 14% of regular drug users but are 37% of those arrested for drug offenses. According to the Sentencing Project, Blacks serve almost as much timein prison for drug offenses, as Whites do for violent crimes. Imprisoning
nonviolent drug offenders destroys families. The failed experiment with alcohol
prohibition has taught us that it is making narcotics illegal which fuels the
growth of organized crime. It is also clear that many property crimes are
committed in order to obtain drugs – the price of which are artificially
inflated by prohibition. Ending the “War on Drugs” also makes fiscal sense. The
US federal
government has spent over $1 trillion dollars on this foolish crusade. Wouldn’t
that be a good place for the GOP to cut federal spending? Wouldn’t legalizing
and taxing narcotics make for a nice alternative to increasing income taxes?
Depending upon one’s perspective, drug addiction is either a disease or a moral
weakness. And how Christian is it to imprison those who are ill or who commit
minor “sins” that generally only hurt themselves?
4. Reach out to Black role models
Contrary to what many “traditionalists” in the GOP may
believe, Black role models are not thugs or “welfare queens.” The most popular
Black role models among American youth are entrepreneurial entertainers and
athletes. Whether we are talking about Jay-Z or LeBron James, we are talking
about skilled and hard working individuals who excel at what they do. These are
individuals who succeeded through their own efforts and did not rise because of
government entitlements. In many ways, rappers and professional athletes are
among the last good examples of success through the free market (rather than
through crony capitalism). Rather than whining about “gangsta rap” lyrics –
there is the First Amendment, remember – Republicans should be embracing Black
entertainers and athletes and pointing out that their entrepreneurial natures
are more representative of Republican ideology than Democratic ideology.
5. Stop antagonizing women
Whether it exists or not, the “war on women” meme took hold
during the 2012 presidential election. The cruel taunts aimed at activist and Georgetown
law student Sandra Fluke by Rush Limbaugh and other well known conservatives
did not help endear the GOP to women. Neither did the misogynistic statements
about rape made by Akin and Mourdock. Just because a “traditional” Republican is
pro-life and against public subsidies for birth control, it does not mean that
he or she must resort to antagonizing women. The GOP must cease and desist with
any rhetoric that even has the appearance of being misogynistic. American women
are rational and just as open to strong arguments about the virtues of limited
government, fiscal conservatism, and personal responsibility as American men
are. The GOP must appeal to reason and not outdated gender stereotypes if it
wants to win over the hearts and minds of female voters.
6. Return to a more non-interventionist foreign policy
President George W. Bush’s Iraq War was not popular among
the American people – particularly among younger Americans. Denying the lies
perpetrated in support the war will no longer do. The United
States cannot afford to be “the policeman of
the world.” The very idea of that is a Democratic idea anyway – hello, Woodrow
Wilson. The United States
defeated Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan during World War II and defeated
Global Communism in the Cold War. A few small and weak regimes in North
Korea and the Middle East
pose no real threat to the nation. The United
States foreign policy should be based on
Teddy Roosevelt’s old adage of “walking quietly and carrying a big stick.” If
attacked, the US
military has the capability of defeating any foe in the world. Why go abroad in
search of monsters just to create new enemies through “blowback”? Creating a
new modern military paradigm that is streamlined and prepared to fight twenty-first
century conflicts – instead of wasting money to fight the wars of yesterday –
would save money and make the country safer. Imagine the GOP being the “peace
party.” And not some Hippie pacifist party but a strong but quiet “cowboy”
nation. George W. Bush won the 2000 election in no small part to the disdain
that he showed toward the Clinton-Gore policies of military interventionism.
Back when Bush was a non-interventionist “compassionate conservative” rather
than a Neocon “chickenhawk,” he was far more popular with the American people.
7. Downplay the Economic Royalism
Many voters perceive the GOP as a Plutocratic Party. Having
“vulture capitalist” Mitt Romney as its standard bearer did little to alter
this perception. The GOP often appears to only care about cutting taxes for the
wealthiest Americans. The obsessions with the Bush tax cuts is an example of
this. Another example is the incessant whining on the right about the 47% of
Americans who pay no income tax. Shouldn’t the GOP strive for a nation in which
NO Americans pay income tax rather than one in which ALL Americans do? Crusading for small businesses instead of
favoring large corporations would go a long way toward helping the GOP shed its
Plutocratic image. Many of the stifling federal regulations on business are
those that large corporations lobby to put in place in order to gain an unfair
advantage over their smaller business rivals. Free market capitalism is
different from corporatism. The GOP must recognize this and get this message out
to voters. If presented clearly, it would be a very popular message. Balancing
the budget on the backs of the poor is also a poor strategy. The poor are
victims of the welfare state and they should be empowered rather than crushed
in some Social Darwinistic crusade. The GOP must first free the private sector
to create jobs. Only when there are ample jobs should the Socialistic welfare
state of the New Deal be dismantled.
8. Downplay the anti-intellectualism
Michelle Bachmann denigrated Barack Obama and Newt Gingrich
for being “professorial.” Decades before, Democratic Party presidential nominee
Adlai Stevenson was denigrated by Republicans as being an “egghead.” Herman
Cain seemed to be proud not to know who the leader of Uzbekistan
was. Islom Abdug‘aniyevich Karimov
is the President of Uzbekistan, by the way. George W. Bush, Rick Perry, and
Sarah Palin all seemed to celebrate ignorance. Rick Santorum appeared to equate
getting a college education with catching a social disease – despite the fact
that he himself has a B.A, an MBA, and a JD. While it is natural for one’s
religious beliefs to be important, the way that many Republican politicians
view the pseudo-science of creationism as real science and turn their noses up
at the Big Bang Theory or the Theory of Evolution is just comical. Even the Vatican
accepts scientific truths. In short, Republicans need to stop pretending to be
stupid. They need to battle rhetoric about things such as “Global Warming” with
actual scientific data instead of Biblical quotations. There is nothing wrong
with being “the smartest guy in the room,” and Republicans ought to strive for
that. Being constant punchlines for Jon Stewart jokes does the GOP no good. Was
there anything more cringeworthy than the late Senator Ted Stevens’ explanation
of the internet as “a series of tubes”?
9. Stop alienating libertarians
The libertarian wing of the Republican Party has long been
an important element of the GOP coalition. The way that Mitt Romney and the RNC
treated Congressman Ron Paul and his supporters was unacceptable and
counterproductive. Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson wound up garnering
over a million votes in the 2012 presidential election – nearly double of what
the 2008 candidate Bob Barr won in 2008. A million more votes would have come
in handy for Mitt Romney. The Ron Paul Revolution created the kind of buzz
among young Americans that the GOP should be trying to embrace rather than
reject. If the GOP does not stand for the Ron Paul message of limited
government and sound currency, then what does it stand for? If the GOP has
degenerated into nothing but a warmongering slightly more conservative statist
party, then why is it even needed?
10. Start supporting civil liberties
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