GOP Youth Outreach
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One question coming up in the navel-gazing aftermath of Election Day is what can the Republican Party do to appeal to young voters? As one person put it, Republicans are at the point that they risk losing an entire generation of voters.
The problem with Republicans is that the perception of young people toward the party is not a good one.
18-24 year olds have no memory of Reagan or the Cold War. To them Republicans are the party of impeachment for a sexual act with an intern, George W. Bush and the War In Iraq. None of them have been in the workforce long enough to experience a tax cut. None of them have been paying attention long enough to remember a balanced budget (or give the credit to a Republican controlled Congress).
Republicans have done nothing positive in the last 16 or so years that is memorable enough that young voters can associate it with them.
What 18-24 year olds do know, though, and agree with, are Conservative values. As has been pointed out time and time again, when Conservative values are on the ballot they win. When Conservative candidates are on the ballot they win.
And, not a slight to the Social Conservatives, but I’m talking FISCAL Conservative values here.
Look at the popularity of South Park. South Park is a Libertarian minded show, they mock both parties and a lot of social norms, but at its root the morals are Libertarian in value: the Government doesn’t get it, leave us alone. That’s something kids can get behind and they do.
But we have not had a Conservative candidate come forward to excite them in a very long time other than, yes, RON PAUL. Ron Paul was able to tap into that young excitement and fish for a lot of money and movement, but he wasn’t electable because he also failed to appeal higher up the food chain within the party. Also he was crazy.
Republicans need to start rediscovering their Conservative roots. Their FISCAL Conservative roots. Joe The Plumber was a popular ploy not because he hated “The Gays” or because he was pro-life but because he represented a fear of government intrusion into our pocketbooks. But he was a middle aged, middle class appeal that was too little too late. Start talking Conservative values and putting them in terms young folks understand: education tax credits, tax cuts that put more money in their pockets to do with as they please, a government that is smaller and less intrusive in their lives - push the issues that not only matter to them but transcend age.
And show them that they have a voice and am impact. Sure they make good foot soldiers, but also let their voices be heard. Mobilize them not only to get the word out but to get the word in. Right now the party is viewed as being run by crazy old men who don’t get it. Young blood needs to be sought out, cultivated, and promoted. But that only comes by finding the issues that matter and bring even these activists into the fold.
Too often young activists have been dismissed or used as ready volunteers and then abandoned post election. The Party needs to be more open to them, needs to allow them a seat at the table, and needs to take them under wing to help cultivate a youth movement of its own.
Otherwise, yes, we do risk losing an entire generation of voters.
on 
BRAVO!!!
As anyone who knows me, a proud “South Park Conservative” I agree. I fear that the powers that be will try to slam the GOP back to a far religious right party in response to this loss. Those same people will fail to admit that the loss is tied more to George Bush than to anything else, period.
Fiscal conservatism is the key, NOT going after music, books, gays and bowing to demands from the religious right.
I will fight any movement to the extreme social right. I will fight anyone who uses this election as some sort of ‘proof’ we need to move socailly to the right. I actually saw a few conservative blogs posting a cartoon that shows a tent and it reads “Time to shrink it”
These people look at this loss and say “it is because we have moved from religious right values” but fail to admit that as a brand, George Bush was to the GOP what explosions were to the Pinto. A hard pill to swallow but until we do, we will keep chasing our big government, paranoid cronyism, judgmental tails.
Trust me, the ultra right wing of the party is poised to take over. Those who would rather scream and yell at a gay man than save our economy. We know who they are and before you hand them the keys, remember, they are the ones who were in charge and created this slow fused decay of the party.
I realize that “South Park Conservatives” was laughed at when the concept was introduced a few years ago, but to be honest, I haven’t come across a political descriptor that fits me more to a “T” than that. I’m a soon to be 40 yr old guy. I remember the Reagan years well. I remember what true fiscal conservatism used to be. I also remember the slow hijacking of the party by the religious right and how that has poisoned our ability to bring a “l”ibertarian message to the country (Note the small “l”. “L”ibertarians are, for the most part, just plain nuts.)
But seeing posts like these on the Corner (<a href=”http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NWFhYmE2NjZiZmU3MWI2MTNhNTJiNTY5NWQwNWQ0MDY= “here and <a href=”http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZWFjNjA4YjRmODNiY2VhNDY2NDYwNzRmN2MwZmZmYzk=”here) scare me, because it means that the powers that be just don’t get it. And it makes me wonder if we’re doomed as a party / movement for the next 8-12 years.
Thank the Gods!!!
I would love to see the GOP emerge from this as the party of Lincoln and move away from those wacko’s on the extreme Right.
As happy as I am of seeing Obama elected and the Dems in control of Congress, it’s only because I wanted to see the GOP punished for their abuse of power and their subserviance to large corporations and lobbiest.
The last thing I want to see is one party with all the power for an extended period (power corrupts, absolute power …….)
So please, take back the GOP and elect people who understand that the job is to work for the people, not to rip them off.
Jason, the thing is, the Democrats have already figured this out, and they’re already fishing the waters. But what they’ve done is identify the parts of fiscal conservatism that have the broadest appeal, and tailor their message and approach to those. Fiscal responsibility. Lower taxes (for most people). Most 18-24 year olds have trouble even imagining making >$250K. And if our nations credit card and personal debt is any indication, they have no problem risking greater taxes if they are wealthy in the future for the benefit of lower taxes today. Obama’s tax plans were aimed at the young - lower income credits, college credits, retirement savings credits.
Of the three pillars of fiscal conservatism (fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, and reduced benefits/entitlements), the reduced benefits is IMHO the least popular, and as such its the one Democrats only adopt when forced to by the realities of the first two, and then only as much as is needed.
The biggest aspect that gets overlooked in the concentration of Democrats on local School Boards and the educational system that does not reflect the same kind of appreciation for things like patriotic heritage in educating our youth. Gone is the profound pledge of allegiance, gone are the legacies and traditions and replaced with a new morphed history and social conscience brought about by liberal strengths over our educational system.
You folks mention Lincoln. Schools spend less time on the Civil War and the role of Lincoln than they do on learning about earth science and global warming. Not to say that science is not important but the things that ground us in understanding our history are not being taught as concentrated anymore unless it centers around a holiday like Washinton’s birthday. I was shocked to learn of an invite I got to my daughters school as a veteran for Veterans Day and given the opportunity to speak about serving in the military with about fifty other veteran. We need more of that. Our schools have become so programed with testing and scores and AP classes in orer to get to college that things are being lost. In my view all those things being lost contribute to college age folks leaning Democrat. Why? Because they are not taught anything controversial about the Democrat Party, things like the 60’s and the riots but learn how Republicans are anti-Party. Anti-immigration, anti-minority, anti-equality(gay rights) and you name it. I speak to young adults who have not a clue about the real traditions of the GOP and all they liekn it to is Bush and what they know of reagan is simply he was the “jelly bean ” guy. I now it sounds extreme, but I am gradually coming to the conclusion that the rise of the Democrat majority under thirty years old has been a mix of bad-Republicanism coupled with a form of indoctrination in our schools.
Nobody likes a young Republican.
Yes, I guess it’s just as hard to get dates being a young conservative today as it was back in the late 60’s. Free love and dope have always had their attractions. Things haven’t changed much I see.
Alter, you are living in a world warped by talk radio propaganda. I note that your one real experience with a school led you to being surprised - well, when you’ve been lied to for years of course you would be schocked when you actually got out and learned that things were not the way your “teachers” were telling you they were.
To all, I join the others in thinking a revival of the real GOP would be a good thing for the country. I think the GOP right now is at a crossroads driven there by a non-conservative Administration which was more interested in corporations than they ever were in ideals or people, at this crossroads will they follow Palin to the wilderness as a party of a small minority - essentially an ethnic party of “real Americans” - or, will the party embrace the ideals of conservativism and libertarianism and again be a party that all Americans would be proud to join?
Who didn’t love Sex Drugs and Rock and Roll when they were teenages? As a matter of, why would you want to be a teenager without them? (I may have missed the 60’s, but the 70’s were freaking awesome!)
In fairness Mark, I do not listen to talk radio so not sure where that blast is coming from frankly. What I do have is three in the public school system as we speak and am readily enaged in the PTA as well as volunteering/mentoring at the elementary school so I am pretty well informed, at least on my school district, as to whats going on at the schools I am associated with and the curriculmn. You are right I guess, I was educated in my youth in a rural County, well then, now its Fairfax and Loudoun if that was your point and have teachers in the family teaching at the high school level so may be Mark ought not tread so hard on me.
“Ron Paul was able to tap into that young excitement and fish for a lot of money and movement, but he wasn’t electable because he also failed to appeal higher up the food chain within the party. Also he was crazy.”
What!??!? Craziness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. You insult principled republican candidates and endorse dems running with an r in front their name. Who’s crazy? You still don’t understand why we keep losing!
I heard Leo Wardrup stand up in front of the party and ask the question, “Why is there a group of people calling themselves republicans for Warner?” It’s really very simple. You can’t tell the difference between a republican or a democrat running for office. Until you come to this realization, and stop trying to insult people who hold to the values this great party once endorsed, we will continue to keep losing.
I talked to Glenn Nye and he tried to tell me that he was a fiscal conservative because I told him I supported Thelma! A democrat trying to appeal to the conservative vote because our republican representatives don’t! The only thing I could counter him with was, “Well, she voted against the bailout twice.” I had no other ammo.
I supported Jim Gilmore but the party didn’t. Instead, we have a new mayor who claims that he’s republican and sits in front of the republican party at our very own breakfast and declares that he’s voting for Warner and our party leadership doesn’t do a thing! And you think Ron Paul is crazy?
(Some highlights from a decent artlcle on this subject……….)
Lincoln Chafee, a former Republican senator from Rhode Island who endorsed Obama, predicted a bloody struggle for the soul of the party.
The election results demonstrated that the party had hit rock bottom, Chafee said, but he feared that socially conservative party activists — “the Rush Limbaughs, the Bill O’Reillys, the Sean Hannitys” — were incapable of changing course.
Chafee said adherents of “the Karl Rove strategy, if you will,” had been “great at winning elections by dividing the country and energizing the base, but then they have been an utter failure at governing, because once you divide the country, it’s so difficult to govern.”
Bush ready to weigh in
However the struggle plays out, Bush will play a role, White House press secretary Dana Perino said Thursday.
“For the past two years, we studiously followed the president’s direction, which was to not insert ourselves in the campaign, not to rise to the debate,” Perino said.
But with the election over, “now we’ll have a chance to talk more. … I think you’ll start seeing that sometime in December,” she said.
Bush ready to weigh in
However the struggle plays out, Bush will play a role, White House press secretary Dana Perino said Thursday.
“For the past two years, we studiously followed the president’s direction, which was to not insert ourselves in the campaign, not to rise to the debate,” Perino said.
But with the election over, “now we’ll have a chance to talk more. … I think you’ll start seeing that sometime in December,” she said.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27578157/
(someone needs to tell Bush to stop “helping”)
Wow, the big tent zombies will continue to mislead the GOP and the GOP will never understand why they have lost it all. RINOs run free and true conservatives continue to flee the GOP.
1. Stop backing RINOs - start running real Republicans that aren’t “moderates” but that govern as conservatives and in keeping with the principles of the Republican Party.
2. Get involved on more local matters such as standing up against abuses of eminent domain and out of control growth in government spending and bloated government.
3. Ron Paul did energize young people. It is a fact. Instead of welcoming this energy - as was shown here, in these comments, the BIG TENT crowd rudely attacked these young Republicans because y’all think you are smarter than everyone else that disagrees with the BIG TENT “moderate” (i.e. act like Democrats to pander to targeted “swing voters”) political “leaders” that have lead the GOP into total rejection at the ballot boz.
4. Guys like Ken Stolle and Marty Williams - or Will Sessoms being backed by the Republican Party are the problem with getting the real Republicans to support the GOP around here. Why would a real Republican ever support arrogant big government, “let’s make a deal” sell outs like these RINOs - guys that don’t give a rats behind about standing up for core Republican principles and instead pander to backrood “deals” trying to curry favor with business interests seeking to abuse government to benefit their industries with tax cuts and taxpayer subsidies.
5. Deliver what you promise. Gilmore did not deliver an end to the car tax. Many people feel that way. Do we have lower taxes and smaller government because we elected Republicans into power of everything? Nope. The GOP leadership can not be TRUSTED because they failed to govern when they controlled everything and instead actied like Democrates by running up massive debt and bloated budgets - failing to deliver lower taxes at all levels - federal, state, and local.
6. STOP pushing non-elected Regional Government - force te STATE to fix the roads.
7. Opppose the Wall Street Bailout and the misuse of taxpayer funds.
Reid,
Your points are well taken. However, it has been my experience here in Virginia that the “moderate” Republicans who suppose much of what you say in terms of Washington and not the conservatives whom see too busy concentrating on the social conscience aspect. For example, the bailout say more moderate leaning members reject it I believe and people here like Eric Cantor (R-7) run with the bailout while propping himself up as a true conservative. There was nothing “conservative” about the bailout and now these same mebers are planning on supporting the Big Three automakers as well. I feel that there is going to be backlash in the coming years, State government has a 3 billion shortfall, County government are beginning to report estimated shortfall, and lets face it sales tax, gas tax, property tax and local fees will ALL be going up as well as the federal income tax whether President-elect Obama wants to admit it or not. Once folks start feeling some real pain on their lives and not just their investments there will be a greater willingness to return to true conservatism or at least a desire to hear it out again once new blood redefines the future of the GOP and its core ideals.
Mark Warner won because the Virginia electorate viewed him as the most fiscally responsible candidate. Fiscal responsibility trumped wedge issues in this election. Keep your eye on the ball–don’t get distracted by issues that won’t win elections.
Jason,
Just found this post now and totally agree.
Its easy to miss stuff with the weird navigation yall have.