Why does everyone think American hispanics want all illegals given amnesty? Many don’t and this is the group that we have to convince. I really think it’s a GOP communications and image problem with many hispanics. Basically, many hispanics feel (and the democrats reinforce this feeling) that Republicans truly don’t like them or consider them equal citizens. Republicans are new media stupid and like to nominate bland boring guys like Romney. If we had the right candidate who actually made a good faith effort to court conservative hispanics, the Republicans could still oppose amnesty and get enough hispanic votes to win. Perceptions are hard things to change. Republicans need to work on that false perception before it becomes ingrained. Abandoning our principles won’t change that perception, but an active outreach using Spanish-language media and good more culturally attuned candidate might just improve things.
“Active outreach” = Jeb Bush
“I really think it is a GOP communications problem. . . “
I agree. Look at most Republican leaders talking on television’ representing the face of the GOP:
John McCain - on the air all of the time. Looks and sounds like an ancient angry fool.
Both George Bushes had trouble articulating a full sentence.
Rob Portman and Tim Pawlenty boring as paint drying.
Lindsay Graham - no comment
Romney - improved as a speaker during the campaign but always seemed stiff. At the Candy Crowley moment when it really counted, he folded. In any event he looked and acted like the rich white guy Obama labeled him.
Boehner - the tan looks fake, and he seems to be in a fog. No energy or passion. Seems happy to be a punching bag.
McConnell- comes across as a doddering old fool.
Karl Rove - a slick white male political operative who has been around forever.
The boring white men above are the daily face of the leadership of the Republican Party for most Americans. What can Mitch McConnell or John Boehner possibly say to a 26 year old unemployed youth, with $100K of student debt, that will make her the slightest bit interested in voting Republican? McCain is even worse, he comes across as crazy and angry. Plus they ooze of being unprincipled politicians, not passionate advocates for a viable vision.
Palin gives a good stump speech but still has trouble in an interview format. I cringe when she stutters through an interview on Fox and cannot do more than repeat obviously memorized talking points. Under fire in a hostile interview at NBC or CNN I fear she would fold under pressure even today. Until she can consistently prove herself under pressure in hostile environments she cannot be the conservative spokesperson. She has to demonstrate her intellect, and effectively articulate a message, in the media of the people she needs to persuade. Her perceived negatives must be overcome and it is her job to do it if she wants to be a player.
Rubio shows promise. In an interview he speaks well and with controlled passion for real ideas, not sound bites. Hi speeches are uplifting. However, like Obama in 2008, he has no real record of accomplishment. If the GOP runs him in 2016 without a record the media will have a field day accusing the party of pandering to Hispanics and not being serious. If they are going to run him against Hillary they need to get him a real leadership position as well as create PR events to demonstrate to the American people he is a real leader.
Candidates such as Mourdock and Akin only reinforce the party’s image as the bastion of out of touch white men. They were incredibly poor communicators and cost the party two Senate seats.
If the Republican leadership wants to understand its communication problem, it needs to take a long hard look in the mirror. Boring middle aged and elderly white men are not going to sell conservative principles to young whites and minorities. A mature white male with effective speaking skills, conviction, and a positive message (ie Reagan) could but such a leader is not in sight.
The fact the Democrats successfully defined Romney in a negative way, and the party could not attack Obama’s glaring negatives effectively, demonstrates the GOP does not have a real communications strategy. it may be because the leadership has no core beliefs. To them politics is thousands of individual races, not a grand crusade to sell the American dream. They view the political landscape tactically and not strategically. Look at the debate within the party today about conservative principles and the Tea Party. Many in the leadership want to ditch the conservative policies supported by the base, even though they haven’t tried to make a passionate case for those policies. How can people who don’t believe in conservatism sell the story and attract new voters? They can’t and won’t.
The question is, what are conservatives going to do?