Report: How GOP lost young voters

[Penny Lane 8,159]

A new postmortem on the November elections from the nation’s leading voice for college Republicans offers a searing indictment of the GOP “brand” and the major challenges the party faces in wooing young voters, according to a copy given exclusively to POLITICO on Sunday.

The College Republican National Committee on Monday made public a detailed report — the result of extensive polling and focus groups — dissecting what went wrong for Republicans with young voters in the 2012 elections and how the party can improve its showing with that key demographic in the future.

It’s not a pretty picture. In fact, it’s a “dismal present situation,” the report says.

The 95-page study, which looked at the party’s views on social and economic issues, as well as its messaging and outreach, echoes a March report on the election debacle issued by Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, which presented a devastating assessment of the party’s current state of affairs.

In the report, the young Republican activists acknowledge their party has suffered significant damage in recent years. A sampling of the critique on:

Gay marriage: “On the ‘open-minded’ issue … [w]e will face serious difficulty so long as the issue of gay marriage remains on the table.”

Hispanics: “Latino voters … tend to think the GOP couldn’t care less about them.”

Perception of the party’s economic stance: “We’ve become the party that will pat you on your back when you make it, but won’t offer you a hand to help you get

there.”

Big reason for the image problem: The “outrageous statements made by errant Republican voices.”

Words that up-for-grabs voters associate with the GOP: “The responses were brutal: closed-minded, racist, rigid, old-fashioned.”

“[The] Republican Party has won the youth vote before and can absolutely win it again,” the report says, pointing to presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush who were competitive with that demographic. “But this will not occur without significant work to repair the damage done to the Republican brand among this age group over the last decade.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/gop-youth-vote-report-92119.html#ixzz2VAz3J7gV

[JohnR! 5,495]

It seems as of lately the GOP needs a study to determine water is wet. How many more postmortems will they conduct until they realize their main issue is a complete disconnection with the XXI century?

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Considering how many of their followers don't see where the problem is, it might be awhile before they feel forced to change.

It's June and they're still trying to figure out what went wrong.

Edited June 3, 2013 by Penny Lane

[mota bhai 2,675]

Considering how many of their followers don't see where the problem is, it might be awhile before they feel forced to change.

It's June and they're still trying to figure out what went wrong.

Most of them still believe we stole the election.

[Darnell 8,478]

Ho Hum.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Ho Hum.

Thanks for your contribution.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Most of them still believe we stole the election.

That goes without saying. Nobody in their right minds would put a hippie in political office.

[Darnell 8,478]

What contribution?

Just cause the reports came out, twice, means nothing.

It'll take a wholesale adoption of the recommendations for any change to be effective (yes, any change, and yes, wholesale)

and I don't see that happening with the RNC or it's constituents.

[mota bhai 2,675]

What contribution?

Just cause the reports came out, twice, means nothing.

It'll take a wholesale adoption of the recommendations for any change to be effective (yes, any change, and yes, wholesale)

and I don't see that happening with the RNC or it's constituents.

They don't have to change wholesale. All they have to do is make sure the Democrats nominate someone who can be beat. The Dukakis of 2016. And they can win if they run someone reasonable like Jeb or Chris.

[Darnell 8,478]

nah, I'm for wholesale change, as it'll take something that drastic to remove the bad taste in the mouth's of the survey respondents.

Anyway - ho hum - Die, Karl Rove, Die ! (Start there, tag a few more, and maybe the change can be noticeable)

[decocker 7,198]

my standard for voting is "no old balls". that's pretty much it.

[mota bhai 2,675]

nah, I'm for wholesale change, as it'll take something that drastic to remove the bad taste in the mouth's of the survey respondents.

I understand you are for it. That's fine. It would be good and would create a more sustainable party.

I'm arguing that it isn't necessary for winning in 2016. There are other pathways.

[Darnell 8,478]

oh - is ok, AraJit - I'm not interested in win or lose, but how the game is played.

And that's solely dependent on the players. Change em, or change the funding, or change the platform.

Wholesale.

[RGinWA 816]

The party of crackpots had to do a study? That alone speaks volumes.

An idea would be to not appear to only care about taxes, money and big business. The entire "free-market" idea is a scam and an invention for the rich to exploit. It has nothing to do with a small business owner, who usually are crushed by the big business free market strategy.

Basically they care about one thing, keeping their base...which only makes them less appealing to the rest of the US voting public.

They put themselves in a never ending catch 22 with their party.

Sadly they haven't had a good idea in many many years, yet they hate every new idea that's not their own. True sign of a failed party and dismal future for all of us because of the two party system.

If they had half a brain they wouldn't need a study, their problems are well known outside their GOP bubble.

Welcome to the real world...now retreat to your caves until 2014; when you'll ignore what you just learned in this report.

Priceless...

[Karee 4,190]

What do you expect when the Democrats main campaign pledge is "more free stuff" The U.S. is starting to look like Thailand. The latest campaign slogan there is "All Thais will be rich in 6 months."

I'd love to see why the majority of these young voters went for Obama. I doubt it has much to do with his policies.

BTW: thanks for making my point RGinWA.