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To Attract Millennials, GOP Must Dial Back the Social Conservatism
National Journal ^ | December 9, 2013 | Charlie Cook

Posted on 12/13/2013 9:51:29 AM PST by kobald

Fifty-six percent of Americans ages 18-29 disapproved of the Affordable Care Act, the poll found; when it was worded as “Obamacare,” the disapproval was 1 point higher. And less than a third planned to buy health insurance from an exchange...

..President Obama’s job-approval rating had dropped to 41 percent, about the same as the president’s approval rating among the population as a whole, with 54 percent disapproving. The poll also found that a surprising 47 percent of millennials would recall Obama if they could; 46 percent would not. For a group that has been among Obama’s staunchest supporters, these numbers must be awfully dismaying for the president and his supporters...

..At the same time, any conservative or Republican looking at these same numbers with hope of support for limited or minimalist government must confront other findings that show that while this generation has a healthy--or unhealthy, depending upon your perspective--view of government, millennials also have a profound streak of libertarianism. Specifically, the conservative positions on social and cultural issues that have come to be dominant in the Republican Party in recent years run precisely against the grain of this new generation that is maturing politically.

One national conservative leader recently told me about visiting campus chapters of a national, very conservative organization and canvassing these conservative student activists about issues. Within their ranks, he could not find any that opposed same-sex marriage. Among younger conservatives, the perennial applause line of wanting “government out of our lives” now extends to every room in the house and the ob-gyn’s office as well. The GOP’s strict opposition to abortion and same-sex marriages, along with its other unambiguous conservative positions, severely jeopardizes any progress that conservatives and Republicans can hope to make from their skepticism of the effectiveness of government...

(Excerpt) Read more at nationaljournal.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: conservatism; elections; freedom; liberalism; smallgovernment; socialliberalism
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To: maryz
Ah, basically he's recommending the "Massachusetts model" for the national party!

Bump. The liberal is inviting the GOP to morph itself into democrat-lite. Like most European nations. The better solution is to do the exact opposite.

In the months and years to come, this nation will be pressured more with fiscal crisis. People will be looking for a answers from the elected. What they will see is those who defined themselves as fiscal problem solvers or just a milder form of Santa Claus. Ted Cruz defined himself as one by his filibuster.

141 posted on 12/13/2013 1:45:36 PM PST by VRW Conspirator (Obama is a proven liar)
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To: kobald
.


"Charlie Cook" (the suspect journalist) must be Karl Rove's secret sexual partner ...


secretly married by (then) Gov. Mitt Romney ...


who helped write this inanne article.



.
142 posted on 12/13/2013 2:01:54 PM PST by Patton@Bastogne (Swine Piss be upon the Sodmite Obama, and his Child-Rapist False Prophet Mohammed)
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To: kobald
The GOP’s strict opposition to abortion and same-sex marriages, along with its other unambiguous conservative positions, severely jeopardizes any progress that conservatives and Republicans can hope to make from their skepticism of the effectiveness of government....

Yes, well, that is remedied by Republicans really defining what it is they believe: the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT has NO BUSINESS endorsing sodomy and the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT has NO BUSINESS paying for infanticide--which is ACTUALLY the conservative position on both of these issues.

143 posted on 12/13/2013 2:04:44 PM PST by SoFloFreeper
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To: C. Edmund Wright

LOL, you just said it again, back off the social issues, using the old cliche, “”we are talking about electing officials to secular government…..and not electing pastors.””.

So far your evidence is to repeat your position of getting social conservatives to retreat, make childish personal attacks, and to post some sales advertising.

That is how I described you earlier.

To: C. Edmund Wright
Yeah, you want social conservatism to become more limited also.
You want to agree with us in private, and just ask us to leave the public face and campaigning of the GOP agenda to you guys.
121 posted on 12/13/2013 11:30:24 AM by ansel12


144 posted on 12/13/2013 2:16:34 PM PST by ansel12 ( Ben Bradley-JFK told me that "he was all for people's solving their problems by abortion".)
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To: kobald

You’ve posted two threads in as many days. One crowed about the GOP “catching up” to what you called “the new cultural and political landscape” by supporting queer “marriage.” Now this one, encouraging conservatives to shut up about social issues.

Not exactly subtle.


145 posted on 12/13/2013 3:29:07 PM PST by CatherineofAragon ((Support Christian white males----the architects of the jewel known as Western Civilization.))
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To: CatherineofAragon

I posted quite a bit more than that, as I get a feel for which topics are valuable and interesting.


146 posted on 12/13/2013 3:35:56 PM PST by kobald
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To: kobald
When the Biblical concept of "right" and "wrong" are outdated and unneeded, so is our Constitutional Republic...

Religion and good morals are the only solid foundation of public liberty and happiness - Samuel Adams

147 posted on 12/13/2013 4:18:59 PM PST by Gritty (The emperor has hipster garb, but underneath heÂ’s just another Commissar Squaresville - Mark Steyn)
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To: cripplecreek

Exactly, but it seems GOPers are only allowed to say “I’m Pro-Life”, and that’s it.

Whereas the Regressive Left can go on for days about CHOICE.


148 posted on 12/13/2013 4:29:38 PM PST by TomasUSMC (FIGHT LIKE WW2, WIN LIKE WW2. FIGHT LIKE NAM, FINISH LIKE NAM.)
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To: kobald

We can get more millennial votes by throwing all gun owners in camps. Then we can get more liberal women votes by making me pay for my neighbors abortions. And we can certainly attract hispanic voters by granting amnesty and citizenship to illegals. Then we can confiscate the wealth of the top 40% and give it to the bottom 40%. I mean there are literally unlimited interest groups that we can cater to.


149 posted on 12/13/2013 4:34:33 PM PST by jwalsh07
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To: kobald

Hey newbie: I’ll pay attention to what Charlie Cook thinks about the same time the NHL opens a new franchise in Gehenna.

If you don’t know where that is, you might want to study up on it. It’s kind of important to your future.


150 posted on 12/13/2013 4:35:22 PM PST by EternalVigilance (Deja Moo: The feeling that you've heard this bull before.)
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To: TomasUSMC

and even some FReepers think GOPers shouldn’t mention it at all


151 posted on 12/13/2013 4:35:27 PM PST by GeronL (Extra Large Cheesy Over-Stuffed Hobbit)
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To: Cementjungle

Which begs the question of why do we even have a GOP? If a voter of any age group likes Democratic ideas and policies, he will vote for the Democrats no matter how liberal the Republicans get.


152 posted on 12/13/2013 5:02:53 PM PST by ReformationFan
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To: KC_Lion

Exactly. There is absolutely no demand for a “Democrat-lite” party.


153 posted on 12/13/2013 5:04:52 PM PST by ReformationFan
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To: VRW Conspirator

‘Ah, basically he’s recommending the “Massachusetts model” for the national party!
Bump. The liberal is inviting the GOP to morph itself into democrat-lite. Like most European nations.’

So we get more “raving successes” like Mitt Romney and Scott Brown?

No thanks.


154 posted on 12/13/2013 5:10:15 PM PST by ReformationFan
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To: kobald

I just ^love* getting advice on what to do from the Charlie Cook types.

Charlie, your white courtesy phone is ringing. Martin Bashir is on the other side...


155 posted on 12/13/2013 5:14:24 PM PST by sauropod (Fat Bottomed Girl: "What difference, at this point, does it make?")
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To: kobald
What fiasco?

This is the article that cost Derbyshire his job at NR:

The Talk: Nonblack Version

156 posted on 12/17/2013 9:25:27 AM PST by Drew68
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