The Republican Party's New Ideas Are Old
Republican "Rebranding" Has Nice Title But No Fresh Message
May 2, 2009
The GOP knows it is in trouble. Poll after poll shows that President Obama is popular while they are not. Their party is fractured and no true leader has emerged, just different people who hog the spotlight for a short period of time.
Now, Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter, one of the party's most well-known names and only prominent moderates, has left the party.
So, in a desperate attempt to prove that they are still relevant, the GOP has launched a new campaign to freshen up the party's image. They are calling it the National Council for a New America.
Republican Definition of a New America
What exactly do they mean when they say "New America?" It is hard to say. However, the purpose of the NCNA is to open a dialogue with the American people all across the country. Does that mean this is something the GOP has not been doing?
The first meeting will take place today in Arlington, Virgina.
Republican Council Name is New But the Ideas Are Not
Reading the press release, it sure sounds like the same old song and dance, highlighting the fact that right now the GOP and reality are not on good terms.
"In the coming months, the NCNA will focus our attention outside of Washington where American families are living and raising their children, working toward the promise of a better tomorrow, and where common-sense ideals are valued over pundits and the political winds. We know America's best days are ahead, but we need to work hard to ensure that promise," Republican leaders said in a news release.
The issues they plan on focusing on include education, health care and the economy.
Does any of this really sound like anything new?
Council Members Include John McCain and Mitt Romney
Some conservatives may not like to hear it, but the GOP is in trouble for a few key reasons. Younger voters, even Evangelicals, are much more moderate on social issues than their parents and grandparents. For many of them, it does not seem to be that the left appeals to them as much as the right turns them off.
Another major reason is the diversity of the country. As MSNBC commentator Pat Buchanan pointed out recently, the GOP is facing a "real demographic problem" and is a "heavily white party."
So, that being said, who makes up the membership of the new NCNA? John McCain, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush, Hailey Barbor and Bobby Jindal, among others.
In other words, with the exception of the extremely conservative Jindal, the council is comprised of a whole lot of familiar faces. These guys hardly represent a different GOP. These are party stalwarts, older gentlemen who have been around for quite a while.
While they are all well-known politicians, these guys do not appeal to many people outside of the GOP base. The base does not need any convincing. They are all solid Republicans. The NCNA does not need to worry about appealing to these voters. As long as they continue to do so, the GOP will continue to go nowhere fast.
