Zogby is CEO of Zogby International, a market research and opinion polling firm he founded in 1984.
He wrote an op-ed piece for the July edition of Campaign and Elections' Politics magazine, headlined "An Endangered Party?" The article asked if the GOP will go the way of the Federalist Party and eventually disappear as a viable national party.
Newsmax.TV's Ashley Martella asked Zogby if the Republican Party could really become extinct.
"Let's face it, it could be teetering on the brink," he declared.
"There's been maybe a bit of a resurgence since I wrote what I wrote a few weeks back. However, there still is a lack of a program in a time of change. I'm not sure the Republicans are addressing change."
Zogby also observed in his article that Republicans are "swimming against the tide of demography."
He told Newsmax: "That's very true, and that's got to be a cause for concern. Look at the fastest-growing groups in the electorate. Those groups are Latinos, African-Americans — even though the numbers of African-Americans are not growing, the number who are voting is certainly growing — young people 18 to 29, and what we call the creative class, people who work in the world of ideas."
These are college-educated professionals such as software engineers, graphic designers, attorneys, and workers in the healthcare technology field. They make up 20 percent of the workforce, Zogby said, and "make up critical parts of the population in states like North Carolina, Florida, New Mexico, and so on.
"Republicans are not appealing to those groups, and yet those groups are on the upswing."
Martella noted that the United States is still said to be a center-right nation, and polls have been showing that Americans increasingly believe President Barack Obama is a liberal. "Could that pave the way for a possible Republican resurgence?" he asked.
"The premise of your question is true," Zogby responded.
"About 40 percent of the electorate does in fact consider themselves to be conservatives; 20 percent or 22 percent [consider themselves] liberals. It's that big middle that's a concern.
"And for conservatives, there have been some that have been turned off over the [George W.] Bush years, for a variety of reasons.
"But the issue is, winning the middle. It's still a long way to go from 40 percent to 51 percent, and that's a difficulty.
"Republicans certainly score points by being critical of Obama, by raising questions about spending. But for now, there is no pro-active program. There's just putting up a hand as a stop sign and saying halt."
Martella asked if Obama's declining approval ratings could be good new news for Republicans.
"It certainly could be for the GOP," he said.
"I have the president at about 50 percent . . . Good news, but always think of the horizon — what's the next act for the Republicans? And is this a factor of just saying no to a change program, putting up the yellow light for caution, or is this a response to a Republican conservative agenda? Right now I don't think it's a response to a Republican conservative agenda."
Martella pointed out that the cap-and-trade program to curb carbon emissions and the major healthcare overhaul both appear to be stalled, and asked if that too could be good for Republicans.
"Potentially it could be, so long as there is an alternative," Zogby said.
"But where is the alternative energy policy, the alternative environmental policy? Remember that centrist voters, including young Christian conservatives, are very concerned about the environment and global warming. Where's the pro-active agenda? Same thing with healthcare."
Zogby said if these two programs had been presented in isolation, without other spending programs, they would have a much better chance of surviving. But after the stimulus package, TARP, corporate bailouts and the like, and with Americans not seeing progress just yet, "American voters are sacrificed out.
"That kind of gives pause to the additional reforms. But I think the sentiment for reforms is still there."
Conservatism works every time it’s tried.
It is so damn hard to be polite when I tell the GOP phone solicitor that I’ve not been employed for three years and I don’t have any money to donate to help retire John McCain’s campaign debt.
In other words, they have to pander to rapidly-growing groups that the Democrats will always out-pander to. They have to become more and more like Democrats.
We really are sc***ed.
If we continue to elect the likes of McCain, Snowe, Collins, Luger, Crist, Lindsay Lohan Graham, and Lugar the GOP will be extinct.
Republicans like Jim DeMint and Marco Rubio can solve this problem.
Extinction?
No way!
It's just a business merger with the dimocrats as a silent partner.
But it was interesting about 2 weeks ago when they asked me, "How do you feel about the phrase 'There's no such thing as a free lunch.'"
The very next day I heard Obama use that exact phrase to explain why government run healthcare is a great idea.
Nevermind the fact that "no such thing as a free lunch" is the antithesis of government healthcare.
The minority pander has been in effect since at least the 1970s, and it fails for good reason. If you pander on race then you racialize the electorate and they gravitate to that which pays off better for their “race.” Look at Gates earns like rich person votes for Mugabeism all on account of racial politics. Zogby is a man of little imagination, he is just spewing the PC dogmas of the day as a liturgy of stooopidity.
Exaggerate much?
Extinction?
It’s true, the GOP lacks a leader and needs a more appealing counter message.
I suspect a cold front is coming down from Alaska soon that may cure all of that, provided the beltway crowd doesn’t try to kill the messenger.
There are conservatives in every demographic group. Here’s an idea - why don’t we have a party that has conservative values and principles - AND - actually sticks to them? Instead of trying to pander to each individual group - why not just try to appeal to the conservatives in EACH group?
Well there are stories that Chris Dodd could lose as well as Barb Boxer. The public including more educated minority groupos will not want to pay high taxes or be unemployed. The problem I see is things will turn to crap and remain bad for so long that people will forget what it was like when it was good.
Zogby hasn't a clue what he's talking about. I didn't see the dems putting forward alternative policies when Bush was president, they just criticized and hoped to draw in anyone dissatisfied with W - the details of what they would do instead were always fuzzy. There's a certain amount of ease that comes from being an opposition party, since among a hodgepodge of political affiliations it's usually easier to organize masses of people in opposition to something than it is to organize in support of something else.
The GOP is already dead, they just don’t it yet. Nothing they can do at this point in time can stop the Democrats from Socializing this country except wait until this country has had enough of it.
As far as I’m concerned the GOP IS going to be in deep trouble. They do not seem to have the leadership capacity to (a) pull in the RINOs or expel them and (b) to carry off a meaningful message to the people. The “conservative party” is being led by people like us at the resistance of the GOP — not all but enough.
Well then he should stick to opinion polling and leave the political analysis to those who are qualified.
My opinion. 2010 will look like 1994 all over again and Zogby / democrats are scared to death. As they should be.
Most of us have been in the political minority all our lives...and never once considered changing our principles after we did a head count.
Being in the “middle” never had an appeal for me anyhow.
The GOP does offer alternatives, but the press just doesn't report them.
Like all the articles about Sarah Palin...this is more Democrat wishful thinking, IMO.
They WILL if they adopt the Colin Powell "strategy" for winning elections (as they have with McCain and power circles seem intent on continuing.)
Why not oust RINOs (ala Specter) and run actual conservatives.
Conservatism wins every time it is actually on the ballot!