I have some suggestions on a variety of issues. I lived 20 years in CA and I’m a former party official at the county level in CO. I’m also a scientist with a good deal of background in modeling and Earth and Environmental sciences. So the first issue I’d like to talk about is Global Warming.
1. The democrats are vulnerable on this issue. In recent polling, a majority of the public either does not believe CO2 causes global warming or thinks it has been exaggerated.
2. The real world empirical support of the AGW (”Anthropogenic Global Warming”) theory is VERY weak. I’m not going into detail here on that but it is very weak.
3. Government action to fix it will be very expensive.
4. Even if we spend a bunch of money to fix it and even if the AGW models are correct, the most we can do is a tiny change in the predicted increased temperatures.
The problem with all this is that Republicans (from our former president and the current Gov of CA) really have no confidence that they can speak to the issue. So they have tended to agree that AGW is a problem but that we shouldn’t spend too much money. That is a losing political position.
I would strongly suggest seminars and position papers for Republican candidates and office holders to educate them about the very strong scientific case against accepting the AGW theory. In addition, the party needs to devote some money to focus groups to determine HOW to present that evidence to the public and help its members in addressing the subject.
The public is moving in our direction on this issue. Rather than trying to take a squishy middle position on it, we need to educate the public about why the middle position and the left position are wrong and dangerous. Our candidates and office holders are the tip of the spear for that education process.
Reagan won by taking strong stands and moving the public to the conservative position. Gerald Ford lost by splitting the difference.
If you are interested in further information about this, I would be happy to assist. I can be contacted thru FREEP Mail.
I’m also a scientist with a good deal of background in modeling and Earth and Environmental sciences. So the first issue I’d like to talk about is Global Warming.
1. The democrats are vulnerable on this issue . . .
Reagan won by taking strong stands and moving the public to the conservative position. Gerald Ford lost by splitting the difference.
IOW, a Gerald Ford will find himself in a strong attacking position - and convert it to an indefensible passive "defensive" posture. Just the sort of folly that earned the contempt of General Patton.And exactly the way that John McCain lost to nobody.