After the new law Palin, pushed through, even the oil exec's admitted that it was a good deal for them and their going to develop the resources, build the natural gas pipeline and pay directly to Alaskans through the Alaskan Trust program.
The national GOP ought to look at this success, which put Palin up to 80%+ approval ratings.
I've thought for 20 years, that the number one target for the GOP ought to be special deals for big business. They ought to declare war on special deals, simplify the tax code, ie cut taxes in return for removing all of the subsidies. Attack Obama and the Democrats for being in bed with the BIG guys; Big Business, Big Labor, Big Lawyer and Big Bureaucracy. Root out the special deals...
Why do many working class people vote Democrat? I'd say, number one, they hate their bosses (at least resent them). They've identified the GOP with their bosses, therefore vote for wacko, anti-capitalist, environmentalist Democrats, who destroy their jobs. In 2000, I was in line waiting to vote, and two mechanic types from the nearby factory, talked about voting for Gore for this reason. They didn't know that Gore wrote the the internal combustion engine was going to destroy civilization. These guys worked in a business based on the internal combustion engine.
GOP FAIL. Why didn't they know about algore's views? Why? Bush was sympathetic to those views and didn't attack Gore for those views.
I have noticed that the democrats are in the cat birds seat in this regard. They are riding on their undeserved reputation as being the party of the working man while they are actually in the pockets of big business. So they have the best of both worlds (ethics aside...which is typical for dems) to have the perception they are for the working man while actually being for, and getting the financial boost from, big business.
So I agree with you, the republicans need to "re-brand" so to speak and make it clear they are for the working man. Simplified tax reform that is transparent with no loopholes would be brilliant start.
Simple answer: the left (and MSM) has successfully portrayed Republicans as 'the boss man', who makes them suffer and holds them back- both financially and racially.
Another reason is that they have 'skin' in the game- of big government, that is. Many are public employees or other union members where they are insulated from market fluctuations that can be devastating to non-union/government protected employ. Look at the unemployment numbers a find, if you can, where Fed, State, or Local government employees go to fill their soup cans.
It's a giant game of Musical Chairs where last year, millions of chairs were removed each month whenever the music stopped. It wasn't played by all, though. Those connected in some way with government or a union remained seated throughout the 'game'. If they gave up a seat, it often came with parting gifts (pension, full benefits, etc.) at an age hardly approaching the 'golden' years.
This recession and the bankrupt nature of states and government in general may prove an exception. President Smoking-Jacket and his sidekicks, Reid and Pelosi, are, without a doubt, the worst prescription for a pneumonic economy. Together, they're likely run big government and big bureaucracy types into the ditch usually reserved for the private sector. Won't they be surprised to find their chairs ripped-out from under them, then?