What's Ahead For The Republican Party
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-11-08/whats-ahead-republican-party
Since Tuesday's election, many Republicans have called for a frank reassessment of what it means to be a member of the GOP. As one Republican strategist put it, "Our party needs to realize that it's too old and too white and too male and it needs to figure out how to catch up with the demographics of the country before it's too late." Diane and Republican analysts discuss the identity and future of the GOP.
Guests
Henry Olsen
vice president of the American Enterprise Institute.
Matt Kibbe
president and CEO of FreedomWorks, and author of "Hostile Takeover: Resisting Centralized Government's Stranglehold on America."
Leslie Sanchez
Republican-affiliated consultant, founder and CEO of Impacto Group LLC, and author of "Los Republicanos: Why Hispanics and Republicans Need Each Other.”
David Winston
Republican strategist, president of the Winston Group and CBS News consultant. He has served as an adviser to the House and Senate Republican leadership for more than a decade.
Comments
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Nany wrote: 'If David Brooks is not a conservative, whom do you consider to be conservative? I don't think appearing on PBS means you are liberal"
Right off the bat I know he openly supports gun control and the failed "head start" program, in fact on this very show some time ago he was almost in complete lock step with the beliefs and desires of Diane Rehm. He is widely dismissed by most if not all true conservatives. He should be more accurately described as a liberal or progressive republican like George Bush II.
norman_m wrote:
"Why do we not hear this kind of measured discussions from the Republicans anywhere else?"
Maybe that's a difference between public broadcasting and commercial media. "Conservatives" believe in the magic of the marketplace and that everything (except human fetuses) should justify its existence to the "free" market: they forget that prominent actors in the market often lie and that there are many crucial things that money is ill-equipped to count.
Teece Bowman wrote:"Republicans have to get on the right side of that issue of work. How do we help people work harder and make their lives better?"
If you look at the stats, we are working harder, productivity is up across the board. Americans are productive people.
It's the second part that the Republicans fall on. XKCD published on line a fully documented explanation on money (http://xkcd.com/980/, check it out is an education in the guise of a web comic). In one spot on the chart an average wages of blue collar workers in 1965 (adjusted to 2011 dollars) was $19.61/hr in 2007 it was $19.71/hr. Meanwhile, the same comparison for CEO's went from $490.31/hr to $5419.97/hr in 2007.
Are there any questions why the middle class is gone?
What was saddest for me about this election -- and now the post mortem -- was the absence of meaningful dialog on _ideas_. Freedom, limited government, individual responsibility vs. ever growing federal government. A Swiss canton style of government vs. powerful central government and social democracy.
How many voters even thought about these issues? Did the candidates? It was (is) all about demographics: race, sex, ethnicity. And raw transactional politics based on the importance of swing states in the electoral system; what do we need to give Ohio.
This was so disheartening for those of us who were encouraged by Barack Obama v.2k4, "…. There is only one America." Guess not. Sigh… Ironic that it was Obama's own campaign who understood this best, and used it so strategically.
Of course the Republicans made it easy for them, with all the nonsense about 'justified rape', 'God's will...' on abortions, etc. Those fools deserved defeat.
As a moderate Republican, I really wanted Jon Huntsman. What a great president he would make. Hopefully 2016. At least Romney was the next most moderate guy. But when he chose Paul Ryan over Condoleezza Rice or Marco Rubio, I knew it was over. It was just too easy to portray the Republican ticket as simply two boring white guys.
Hopefully 2016 will be more about ideas and less and less about demographics. But so far it is not looking good.
De oppresso liber.
If you look at the rallies for both parties on election night, you will see the problem with the republican party. The Democrates were white, black, hispanics asian americans. The Republicans were white.
Enough said.
Listening to these fools it is quite clear they haven't learned ANYTHING from their recent electoral butt whoopin'
Diane, your guest David did not answer your question about what would have happened in NY with Mitt Romney's cut of 40% of FEMA's budget. He started talking about "FEMA being 100% effective and never making mistakes" to which you said "Nobody is saying that" after which he avoided responding to how FEMA would have handled hurricane Sandy after taking a MASSIVE cut of 40%.
If I was Diane I would be very frustrated with my guests all-but refusal to answer my questions in a serious way.
Mostly I am hearing a bunch of partisans trying to hedge/rationalize their way out of an unhedgable situation.
FEMA isn't performing any better than it did during Katrina?! You need to quit lying, that would be a good first step back to Republican legitimacy.
Diane,
Why is it that none of your guests will address the poison in the Republican system? Namely, Republican talk radio: a cancer that is killing the patient slowly but surely. Until sane Republicans shake off the shackles of Limbaugh, Hannity and Levin to name a few, the long term prospects of the GOP is certain: extinction.
Wish you had a "like" button for comments. I agree with 98% of the comments posted regarding their religious dogma.
Republicans call themselves conservatives but in reality they want to govern our values/morals. Choice is FREEDOM! My right to choose what is best for me should be protected. I don't want my freedoms legislated away.
The Republican Party is a study in hypocrisy. The say they stand for limited government, and say that people are better left to make their own decisions - EXCEPT when women want the right to make their own medical decisions. They want to allow the banks to run amok on the basis that too much regulation hurts the economy, but have no problem in dictating to a woman whether or not she should carry a baby to term, regardless of the circumstances. And they also want to dictate gay rights.....why don't they stick with the economic issues and leave social issues to the churches?
I think VP Biden said it best in his debate with Congressman Ryan: 'show me a policy' than demonstrates a sense of caring a public cause. Policymakers are supposed to make policy to make the country better; the present Republican Party seem to care more about expressing values than making good, sometimes hard, public policy.
I've heard no mention of the role of the GOP stand on gay rights in this election or going forward. Do your guests expect that, as they confront the reality of changing views, we will see Republicans become less hostile on LGBT issues?
Thanks for having Matt Kibbe on.
The Republican Party is a group of marketers and rabble rousers. Everyone has picked up on what their neighbors mean when they are 'members and get the insider stuff.' They speak about 'those people', never stay on subject, but bring up some other thing than what is being talked about in order not to listen about the facts. That is way it is designed to work. If I am 'of the Devil' then they are desperately trying to talk over and past me, just as a Mormon Missionary, or a desperate Evangelical would. This is real, and the man on now talking facts, is just trying to play with the grown-ups now that everyone else is on time out. Hey, they planted the land mines and now they expect us to clean them up. This is what their job creation is all about, cleaning up after them financially, emotionally and physically, if you have been hit by the bus of their 'caring conservatism.' They are out to break the bank and then blame it on others. This is what Preacher Man does. It is the way Ayn Rand manages the peons to do her work. This is the way of the Virginia Branch of the Republican Party, and has been since Reagan was elected. Reframe all you want. You is what you is.
Talk is cheap, Actions matter. The Republican actions since 2010 mattered. Mr. Romney's actions as Gov and Businessman mattered. That's why he lost in his home state and every other state that he owned homes in.
The Republican Party needs to throw out its braggard ways, its smirking when it wins and it's members who campaign on family values and then involve themselves in extramarital affairs. As a former employee of a Republican Congressman, I am sickened when the party of Lincoln can get away with "Do as I say, not as I do" behavior. People see this and they remember when comes time to choose national leadership.
In 2000 the Republican Party became a wholly-owned subsidiary of News Corporation, which also owns Fox News and the Wall Street Journal. When some honest Republican office holders decided to try to represent their constituents' interests instead of News Corp's interests, News Corp took over the new, and tiny, Tea Party to provide a way to force Republican candidates and office holders to toe the party line. This conglomeration may be starting to crumble, the way Rupert Murdoch's British holdings have been having problems. If this sounds improbable, just look at Fox News or the Wall Street Journal.
The "screwdriver" response to Diane's attempt to actually address this programs topic... all I can do is shake my head.
I hear Diane asking how the republican party can substantively "be" different and the panelists keeps talking about how they can "spin" things differently - talking about what they need to talk about more rather than how they need to change to a more 21st century inclusive party that reflects the population inclusively.
Partisan Politics epitomizes the problem with the attitude of the current Republican party: if you are a "true" conservative you will never agree with anyone with moderate views. This is why there is a refusal, (or inability) to comprise.
The discussion this morning seems to be about the sales pitch, and millions were wasted in this election trying to sell Americans on the Republican brand.
Perhaps the Republican Party should reconsider the product they deliver. I, for one, define the product by eight years under the previous administration and the current actions of the Republican majority in the House of Representatives. No, thanks.
patlib wrote: Partisan Politics epitomizes the problem with the attitude of the current Republican party: if you are a "true" conservative you will never agree with anyone with moderate views.
I am a libertarian, I was merely pointing out the difference between what a conservative republican is and what progressive republican is, it is substantial.
I found the link if anyone wants hear what a progressive/liberal republican sounds like.
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-03-10/david-brooks-social-animal-...
I agree that is none of anyone's business (especially the government) if you or anyone wants contraception or abortion. However, your choice affects my life when you use my tax dollars to get your wants/needs. Now that health care is partially funded by tax money I am allowed a voice in what is covered by insurance. In this country, if I am mandated to pay into something, I also get the right to voice my opinion if I don't agree with what my money is used for. That's just the way it works. I would fight and die for your right to do as you wish, but I will not be forced to aid you in doing something I don't agree with.
one of the guest just couldn't admit the vitriolic radio/tv pundits on Fox and other outlets are out of control. Matt just had to point out something like, 'yes, but the left does it too....just listen to MSNBC". This is a very juvenile and ineffective response.
Guess what? Intelligent, thinking voters recognize the problem everywhere we hear it. When Republicans keep pointing at the other guy......this is why the Republicans lost the race. Republicans deserve to lose as long as they are always pointing the finger at the other party and not taking responsibility for their own divisive spokespersons like Limbaugh, Hannity and Beck.
bethpuch wrote:
It's sad that Americans have lost unity in our values. How can you ask a party to give up their values just to appease the general populace who is quickly losing common sense and values ??
The GOP doesn't have to give up it's "values", but if it doesn't get with the times, then it's a dead party. You cannot force people to accept what they do not agree with.
CCraigS wrote:
I agree that is none of anyone's business (especially the government) if you or anyone wants contraception or abortion. However, your choice affects my life when you use my tax dollars to get your wants/needs.
So you also agree and will support any measures to not pay for viagra? That is frequently covered under insurance now, but birth control is frequently not. Why do you suppose that is?
10codeman wrote:
Republicans deserve to lose as long as they are always pointing the finger at the other party and not taking responsibility for their own divisive spokespersons like Limbaugh, Hannity and Beck.
Yep. The morning after the election, one of the first things I saw (by way of a tea party relative) was an article on Fox News claiming that "the liberal media" had won this election for Obama. Because clearly there is NOTHING WRONG with the GOP's message of hate and lies. They simply refuse to believe that anyone could disagree with them. And this refusal to admit that they might be wrong or out of touch is exactly what prevents the party from learning anything new.
queentess wrote: "So you also agree and will support any measures to not pay for viagra? That is frequently covered under insurance now, but birth control is frequently not. Why do you suppose that is?"
Viagra is to treat an illness, erectile dysfunction and the other is not, unless of course you consider pregnancy an illness.