What Next for the GOP?

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Please discuss.

Note, by "minority" I meant political minority, not ethnic or cultural.

[CountArach]

If they can work with the new power blocs (like making inroads with latinos) they can reconstruct themselves as a southern/western party.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Move to the left.

[seireikhaan]

The GOP MUST turn back to its roots. It must root out the neo-cons and social conservatives who turned off so many after the last 8 years. They must stop wrapping themselves in the flag and bragging about how patriotic and how much they love it and act as though that is the sole determiner for political qualification.

Instead, they must preach the message of fiscal responsibility, on both a governmental and personal level. They must nominate a person for the next election who can attempt to push back for the young vote. They need someone who is youthful, energetic, and can clearly and forcefully argue for a smaller, more efficient government without turning a discussion into how to "combat the democrats".

However, I do not see anyone amongst the current power members of the party who fits this mold. Until they can find such a person, I believe they will take a backseat to the new Democratic majority.

[CountArach]

However, I do not see anyone amongst the current power members of the party who fits this mold. Until they can find such a person, I believe they will take a backseat to the new Democratic majority.

Romney would probably fall udner that category, but that depends on if Obama is past the culture wars or not.

[seireikhaan]

Romney would probably fall udner that category, but that depends on if Obama is past the culture wars or not.

Romney forsook his ability to do so with this season's campaign. If he had run as the man his background stated he was, in combination with his monetary muscle, I think he would have trounced the rest of the candidates in the primary easily. Instead, he allowed himself to succumb to the neo-con Republican brand. His chance passed.

[PanzerJaeger]

I would hope for the third option as there is nothing wrong with the basic premises of conservatism, but I would bet on Reps becoming a permanent minority.

The Dem gains despite the 9% congressional approval rating demonstrates that all of America's problems will be the fault of Republicans long after Republican control is a distant memory.

And to be honest, there just aren't that many people who put their principles over their own self gain. Most Americans would rather have free health care and all sorts of benefits handed out to them at the expense of the people who pay 90% of taxes. The ideals of personal responsibility, individualism, and making your own way have been losing steam since people have started realizing what they stand get free... they just don't realize that all that Barack has promised isn't really free at all.

[JAG]

If they return to their ultra Conservative 'roots', they will keep getting battered in elections. They need to move forward and create new blocks of support and challenge their thinking.

[Koga No Goshi]

I would hope for the third option as there is nothing wrong with the basic premises of conservatism, but I would bet on Reps becoming a permanent minority.

The Dem gains despite the 9% congressional approval rating demonstrates that all of America's problems will be the fault of Republicans long after Republican control is a distant memory.

And to be honest, there just aren't that many people who put their principles over their own self gain. Most Americans would rather have free health care and all sorts of benefits handed out to them at the expense of the people who pay 90% of taxes. The ideals of personal responsibility, individualism, and making your own way have been losing steam since people have started realizing what they stand get free... they just don't realize that all that Barack has promised isn't really free at all.

There is nothing wrong with the basic premises of conservativism. The problem is that the entire Republican establishment is not conservative, they're Big Church Gov't on social issues and Big Wal Mart/ Wall Street Nanny Gov't on economic issues.

I wouldn't have a tenth of the revulsion I have for Republican leadership in our government if it weren't constantly intervene in the bedroom, constantly intervene in the economy FOR big business and AGAINST lower income and middle class working Americans guising itself as "conservativism."

The Republican Party has not stood for less government, it's just stood for less government for the people who most need government protection to remain free and able to access opportunity.

[Strike For The South]

Ditch the Palins embrace the Pauls

[Divinus Arma]

Ditch the Palins embrace the Pauls

Yup.

[Yoyoma1910]

Ditch the Palins embrace the Pauls

I like voting libertarian, but most other people do not seem to. So I don't see this happening. I suppose most people don't see the point of having a government that weighs less than ones wife?

[Strike For The South]

I like voting libertarian, but most other people do not seem to. So I don't see this happening. I suppose most people don't see the point of having a government that weighs less than ones wife?

You can hope over to Orange and secede

[Yoyoma1910]

You can hope over to Orange and secede

Last time that happened our two states got separated from the rest of the group, and everything fell apart. It's like the two kids in the buddy system who got left behind by the tiger cage at the zoo.

[Strike For The South]

Last time that happened our two states got separated from the rest of the group, and everything fell apart. It's like the two kids in the buddy system who got left behind by the tiger cage at the zoo.

Good sir you forget Arkansas....who am I kidding

[ICantSpellDawg]

I would love the GOP to be more like Ron Paul.

We need the government as an organizer - not a nanny.

The political parties exist on the bell curve - in order to understand where they need to be they should look to the right side of the bell curve that is un-represented and find out an altered narrative view that will win elections going forward.

Look to youth, intellect and ideas rather than solely old-bag hip shooting. Battles are being waged in the courtroom and yet we aren't cultivating constitutional lawyers to the extent that the democrats are.

Recruit the best and brightest into GOP politics. Focus on the good aspects of tradition through a better set of eyes and come up with a few traditionally inspired radical ideas. Paul Ryan's roadmap is a good pool as an example of something to dip into for a revitalization of the party. Bobby Jindal can help the party reach out to minority votes and get their opinions on tradition inspired initiatives that may harmonize well those functioning initiatives already in the loop.

Sarah Palin can hone her national level political acumen into something formidable and inspiring the next time around. She is a gifted and charismatic woman and should work to prove that those Gibson and Couric interviews were blips in her early days on the national scene. Show the American people that the G.O.P. seeks and rewards innovation while respecting tradition.

And finally encourage bright professionals like Romney to overcome has-beens like McCain and Dole in the freaking primaries. It is a no-brainer that guys who look like they are going to die and are incapable of making a coherent argument due to age are probably not going to take the cake in the long run. Use better judgment in selecting candidates.

Never defer to democratic narratives. It is disgraceful to hear Republicans buy into the genius narrative created by Obama. Reagan had a narrative and it would have never have accepted Obama's. We need a new covenant that rejects what democrats take as a given and posits a totally different world view and linear progression.

[Divinus Arma]

They need to embrace social freedom and ditch the evangelical kooks.