Posted on 01/30/2009 10:44:11 AM PST by theruleshavechanged
How Republicans Lost Their Mojo and How They Can Get it Back" was the topic of his Thursday address at the executive summit of The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors -- the latest in a long line of GOP soul-searchers of late.
(Excerpt) Read more at dcexaminer.com ...
The internets are serious business.
The GOP has to find a way communicating beyond the old media to the people. Radio, internet and hopefully a CONSERVATIVE (not Fox News) TV channel are a must.
Oh, wait. Facebook is much better.
/s
You probably want to re-think that. As tempting as it is to do so, this cannot be laid at the feet of the media.
I will grant that Obama did, indeed, rely on the media to project a certain image, and they did, indeed, come through for him.
But that was quite obviously only a means to an end. The adulation heaped on Obama points to something else going on in the minds of the voting (and non-voting) public.
People were ready for somebody like Obama to show up. They were hungry for it. The question is, why? What is it that people were/are looking for?
And, politically, what is it that Obama offered that conservatives could not counter, and why?
Give that some thought.... it quickly becomes a rather uncomfortable subject.
“The GOP has to find a way communicating beyond the old media to the people. Radio, internet and hopefully a CONSERVATIVE (not Fox News) TV channel are a must. “
The problem with that statement is that it should be clear by now that the GOP (with exceptions) is centrist and not conservative.
What they communicate will be a centrist message.
“They could always try using good ol’ Conservatism.
Oh, wait. Facebook is much better.”
Like it or not Facebook will reach young people better. Good old fashioned conservatism will work for the 35 and over crowd.
Obama won because laws and promises did not matter to him.
He took illegal foreign contributions.
He renegged on his promise to use public funding.
He hired Shepherd Fairey, a man who Obama knew by his own admission used illegal posting of stickers and posters even on stop signs, to wage an illegally wheatpasted street campaign with the “hip” Obama posters.
Next he’ll tell us the internet is a series of tubes.
Oh wait, that was last year and it was ted stevens.
“They were hungry for it. The question is, why? What is it that people were/are looking for?”
A non-white.
Reason? To show their politically correct, open-minded bona fides.
I will blame the media, in part. Who got to chair every debate?
Remember the Democrats scoffing at the notion of appearing on Fox for a debate?
Remember the moderator who wrote a book about Obama’s America slated to be released on inauguration day?
I also blame this lousy primary system.
Iowa and New Hampshire get a say in the nomination but Texas doesn’t?
And crossover voters (especially in Florida and Michigan where Democrats were advised to vote in the GOP primary to have a say in the presidential nomination)?
We’d better change the system before 2012.
That’s not my quarrel. My point is that Old Media was more crucial for Obama’s campaign than New Media was.
I don’t disagree with you. Social networks and other New Media outlets will be crucial in the coming political fight. My point was that for Obama’s victory, Old Media was more important than things like “Facebook”.
Media have ALWAYS "carried water" for Democrats. It began around the turn of the last century (if you'd google "newspapers with the name "'Democrat'" you'd find a slew vice those with the name 'Republican'.)
But Obama didn't win just because of any media supporting him; he won because he essentially ran against George W. Bush's record of failure. To take back the WH, Republicans are going to have to find another "Reagan." I believe that Sarah Palin can fill such a role in 2012, yet a better choice may be someone like Gen. David Paetreus. Currently, the GOP needs to find itself a chairman. I suggest it looks no further than Michael Steele!
Make no mistake: Yes the old media was carring Fauxbama’s water, but so was the new media. Many conservatives may not get, or like, Facebook, MySpace or other social networking sites but you’ll seldom find today’s young people surfing anywhere else.
Look around coffee shops and other places people hang out and count the number of newspapers you see.
Posting videos to YouTube hoping they go viral is not the end-all be-all of online presence. Some FReepers were using Twitter and Digg, and while was a good start that’s all it was - a start.
This was somewhat of a recent revelation for me as well. I just started a Facebook account and now I’m trying to figure out how to present a positive conservative message in it.
Undoubtedly part of it, but I think not the entire explanation. The adulation is too ... well, too religious.
Yes, this Interwebs thing is really catching on.
May be worth looking into
They need to get the message right first...BE Conservatives!
Otherwise this is lipstick on a turd.
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