Posted on 11/17/2008 4:53:29 AM PST by Kaslin
There is a cyclone of analysis happening in the aftermath of the 2008 elections as to the status of the Republican Party. The old strategy of low taxes and small government is being crucified as a message that no longer excites voters. That is flat wrong. The party’s problems are more with the messengers than with the message.
While it’s possible to commend President Bush for a job well done in certain aspects, it is very difficult to say he has been a good communicator. Senator McCain was certainly no match for Senator Obama. Republicans now need to install new leaders in Congress who can convey a clear message. Additionally, the new chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) has to be more than a technician. That person must be a skilled communicator. The clear choice is Michael Steele.
I first met Mr. Steele during his bid to the U.S. Senate (Maryland) in 2006. Seven minutes into our breakfast, I abruptly stopped him. I made the point that he was an outstanding candidate. This was because he was able to plainly and clearly enunciate policies that Republicans believe in and do it with a positive tone. Usually when meeting a politician, one can discover communication skills in short order. Mr. Steele has an innate, unpretentious appeal that the new party leader must display. Some might call it charisma – the point is he is just plain likeable. If you disagree with what he says, you will still come away with positive feelings about the message.
More importantly, he knows how to run a political organization. He has done so in the state of Maryland at the county level and as State Chairman. His successful organization of Maryland allowed Republicans to win the Governorship for the first time in forty years. He knows how to win in a blue state which is an asset necessary in the party’s national chairman.
Mr. Steele understands that a fifty-state operation must exist where candidates are recruited that can win in the districts in which they are running. Not every candidate will be ideologically pure, but they will support the core Republican principles and help to put Republicans in seats of power. You get those strong local candidates by building at the city council, school district and state assembly level. Those are the building blocks of a winning party. The Republicans may have taken a pummeling on the national level in 2008, but the losses at state levels were relatively low, and there were some strong victories in certain states. The national leadership needs to draw from that bench to enlist the best candidates to make significant inroads in the House and Senate in 2010 which should be a favorable year for Republicans.
Republicans need a tailored message created that takes into account the new methods of delivery. Republicans are expert on mail, phone banking and GOTV. What clearly needs to be enhanced relates to the internet and smart phones. Mr. Steele has a plan to not just imitate the success of the Obama campaign, but to improve upon its results. When people are becoming more reliant on those means of receiving messages, we need to approach them where they are looking.
More than anything Michael Steele delivers a message. Republicans have ceded issues important to middle America not because they have the wrong solutions, but because they have not clearly articulated their goals.
Health care, education and the environment/energy are winning issues for Republicans. The reasons Republicans have been losing on those issues are twofold. First, they have been too focused on other issues -- important ones -- but not the only ones. Second, the solutions they have for these other issues have been muddled by the messengers.
Putting a technician in charge of the RNC at this time could set the Republican’s cause back more than it appears on the surface. They need to be able to deliver a coherent message of solutions that can counter the Obama Administration when it goes astray from the desires of mainstream America. Other candidates may be able to organize effectively, but the press will be looking to the RNC Chair for answers when Republicans do not have a sitting president or majority leader. They need a telegenic communicator to counter any Obama policy mishaps.
The Republicans appear to be unwisely retaining the minority leader of the House though the remainder of the leadership team appears headed for a revamping. A strong messenger as the RNC Chair is all the more important as the one who can be effective as our focal point for the press.
That fresh face can be someone who blends into the wallpaper; or it can be Michael Steele. Mr. Steele, through his talents and communication skills, will begin us back on the road to elected leadership of this country.
My platform would be to repeal all laws made since 1960 and start over.
Unfortunately, this article wasn’t what I’d hoped it would be based on the title.
Essentially, conservative principles are the right message. The people we’ve had espousing it were just political carpetbaggers looking for a voting public to hoodwink. We gave them power, and they blew that chance to change America to smithereens.
Granted, it would be nice to have candidates who are also good communicators.....but....Trent Lott was a decent communicator. You just felt like someone had doused you with snake oil when he’d finished talking.
We need to ditch the Republican “elite.” I am this far...><...from ditching the Republican Party.
JMHO
Make that 1850.
All the GOP hacks know the talking points.
What’s the point of a new face, telling people what they want to hear, and then doing as the same bigger government GOP?
And I'm just a Pinch CLOSER!!
RE The old strategy of low taxes and small government is being crucified as a message that no longer excites voters
That’s because GWB government (+Pelosi last two years, but blamed on GWB) had low federal taxes and grossly huge government and deficits. How do you spin that? How do you sell that? The other side democrats sold the idea that if you are going to have huge government that takes care of the rich , then why not have it take care of ‘you’. And the said instead of huge deficits, make rich (anybody you envy) pay. I always thought the deficits and huge government would get us, end up with us paying higher taxes. But now I wonder, since the upper rich, say 500K per year or higher support democrats, why not raise their taxes but hold the line there? Maybe this corporate establishment republican stuff, seen in 900B bailout, is a bad idea for republicans.
Fine horse, bad jockey!
Just a few pixels away. :>)
Wrong. Their message and their delivery are both in poor shape. They were very articulate about their "winning" ideas like amnesty for illegals, bailing out the credit system and not blaming the people actually responsible, curtailing freedom of political speech with campaign finance reform, the dangers of global warming, etc. etc. and were quite outstanding at demonstrating their big spending abilities that rivaled the demonrats.
We don't have a two party system at the moment. We have a 1.5 party system with the choice of "evil" and "lesser evil" for the last couple of decades and no amount of articulation is going to sell that to principled conservatives.
The Republicans have the wrong message and they have all the wrong messengers. They don’t even believe what ever is left of their “message”.
We need a Conservative party that will be the home of conservative values and ideas.
The GOP is a dead horse. We need to stop beating it, trying to revive it, and just move forward into history.
That is, unless you enjoy being Charlie Brown and having Lucy keep snatching the football away from you at the last second, over and over again.
....I would like to keep the 20th amendment, if you please,for I rather enjoy my Jack Daniels!!!! :)
excuse me the 21st amendment-——my bad
They need a new contract with America. The current lot of Republican losers are helping the Democrats spend every $$$$$ they can wring out of me.
Like I have said so many times, anyone who believes the economy does better when the liberals are in charge needs to seriously see a psychologist. The left claims the economy was great under Clinton. What they forget, or ignore however is, that the republicans where in the majority. The economy began to fall as soon as the democRats took over in 2007 after they won the majority. Thanks to those who stayed home in the 2006 election
Making the assumption that the Republicrats are Conservatives, or that their message is Conservative, or that they act on Conservative principles, is ludicrous, stupid, and sure death! Sure, supplant McCain with Orin Hatch.........................duh!
RE :The left claims the economy was great under Clinton. What they forget, or ignore however is, that the republicans where in the majority. The economy began to fall as soon as the democRats took over in 2007 after they won the majority. Thanks to those who stayed home in the 2006 election”
I agree with you on your two points on economy. As far as the election, if Iraqs rocky road, then GWB/McCains’s amnesty push didnt do it, the financial bailout(and predicting a huge recession) just a few weeks before election completely demoralized republicans(not to mention picking McCain). Pelosi ran a 4 year skilled controlled effective Anti-Bush campaign keeping him the issue on everything, and he played his part. Our side was left with Ayers and Rev Wright, which most voters tuned out. The Joe the Plummer message was much more promising and will help us next year. Republicans went in with a losing hand and made bad moves on top of that, as well as the worst luck.
It's hard to communicate when you don't even try.
>>>>We need to ditch the Republican “elite.” I am this far...><...from ditching the Republican Party.<<<<<<
I was almost there (maybe this >_< far) during “comprehensive immigration reform”, which sought to provide 16 to 20 million peasant lawbreakers ***of unknowable name, origin, and background*** with U.S. identity credentials.
After January 20th, McCain and Pansy Graham can take cover under the new Rat Congress, but when they vbote with the Rats in the interest of bipartisanship, they’ll push me from >_< to this >< about quitting the GOP.
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