Rebuild the Party, a net-roots group focused on impacting the upcoming RNC elections recently put forth the top ten questions submitted by members. The answers to these questions, presumably, will help fix the GOP so that it can win elections.
The questions generally revolved around the following topics: whether the GOP will return to libertarian values; work to attract younger voters; stand behind elected officials who stay true to conservative principles; initiate efforts to improve performance in recounts; come out strong on key issues (potentially in opposition to Congressional leaders); alter the role of the RNC; combat media bias; work to win back voters in Northeast and blue states; and renew outreach to minority groups. You can read the full post here.
Most of the questions are no brainers. The two questions that leave room are the return to libertarian values question and the question referring to standing behind those true to conservative values.
While I would love to see the GOP move in the libertarian direction, I am not so much concerned with the specific ideological drive because well, there is no answer. The GOP is going to have social moderates and social conservatives…fiscal moderates and Ted Stevens. I hope the GOP can accept big tent principles. And, I hope that whatever the powers that be decide, they stand by what they say instead of the hypocrisy that has run rampant in the party. Further, I have no idea what “conservative” means anymore – probably something entirely different to everyone.
I could ramble on and on about ideas to fix the party. I could say that the GOP message of jobs & the economy is the right message…because it is…most voters thought that Obama is the best person to get the economy going again.
But the real way to fix the GOP in one step? It’s already been done. Lose big during the 2008 elections. Politics is cyclical. The party of the President will lose favor over time and the opposite party will advance (sadly, third parties won’t). With time, GOP candidates will win again and the cycle will continue. But, if John McCain were to have won, GOP officials would have continued to be picked off at the federal, state, and local levels. As someone who thinks that the fiscal conservative, small government, libertarian approach is the right way, I’d rather get the cycle going again instead of remaining in the spin cycle.
Let’s take a look at the Fair Tax law. I think it would be a perfect way to revitalize the Republican Party platform. If anyone is interested go to Fairtax.org or read Neil Boortz’s 2 books written about the fair tax. It’s a brillant idea and the best way to save our economy.