It
is going to be an uphill battle for the Republican party over the
next couple years. They are going to need to change their image if
they want to stay competitive in national elections, as they lost the
2012 election by a 23% margin in the 18-29 year old category. We have
just gotten a taste of what the next couple years may be like, as
this past weekend was the annual
Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
The
theme of the conference this year was very fitting: "America's
Future: The Next Generation of Conservatives." This year
featured a wide variety of speakers, including Sarah Palin, Rand
Paul, Mitt Romney, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, and Donald Trump.
Every
year at the CPAC, there is a presidential straw poll of the upcoming
star of the Republican party. While very unscientific
and criticized by many, it does provide a starting place to
see who is most popular in the Republican party, among those
Republicans serious enough to show up to the conference. Last
year Mitt Romney won the straw poll, one of the three times that the
Republican nominee has also won the straw poll. This years
winner was Rand Paul,
the up and coming star of the Republican party and Ron Paul's son.
Rand
Paul's message was heavily based on the need for change in
the Republican Party. He said in his speech, "The
GOP of old has grown stale and moss-covered." He also tried
to show of his moderate and libertarian values in many
issues, saying of teen drug use that, "Ask the Facebook
generation whether we should put a kid in jail for the nonviolent
crime of drug abuse and you will hear a resounding 'no.'"
Marco
Rubio, the second place participant of the straw poll and another
rising star in the Republican party, is most known for his position
on immigration reform, which is to tighten immigration laws and then
create a pathway for illegal aliens living in the US to become
citizens. However, he did not mention this in his speech, instead
choosing to highlight his conservative views on social issues,
saying, "Science
has proven that life begins at conception." and "Just
because I believe that states should be able to define marriage in
the traditional way does not make me a bigot."
A
notable member of the Republican party, Chris Christie, got snubbed
by the event planners as he did not receive an
invitation.
Overall, the CPAC showed how splintered and divided the
Republican party really is, as many different and conflicting views
on the future of the party were shared. What do you think the future
of the Republican party brings?
2 comments:
I find it humorous that the CPAC panel on war, entitled "Too Many American Wars? Should We Fight Anywhere and Can We Afford It?," was introduced with "Some Nights" by Fun. Particularly because that song includes the following lyric:
"But I still wake up, I still see your ghost
Oh, Lord, I'm still not sure what I stand for oh
Woah oh oh (What do I stand for?)
Woah oh oh (What do I stand for?)
Most nights I don't know anymore..."
This alone kind of summarizes my understanding of the Republican party's showing at CPAC. Republicans seem a bit unsure of what they stand for following their defeat in the 2012 presidential election. CPAC panels (especially the ones on gay marriage) revealed a lot of internal division within the Republican party. Some of the party seems to want to stick to its conservative roots while other parts are scrambling to make its policy relevant to the next generation of American voters. In my opinion, the Republicans are having a bit of an identity crisis. Perhaps Rand Paul will be able to unify the party to an extent and provide a little more direction now that he has won the straw poll. Either way, I'm fascinated to see where the party is headed.
I think Sam’s question is inherently difficult to answer, especially given the GOP’s obvious instability that Andrew recently pointed out. Yet, I believe we’re going to continue seeing what we have begun to see, and what even our government class has predicted: movement to the left, a mediation of radical conservatism on key issues such as immigration, abortion, etc. It sounds like those who attended, and spoke, at the CPAC really concerned themselves with social issues, rather than economic ideology, which we’ve heard plenty of especially after Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign. It’s interesting to see how Republicans are finally seeking out the source of their poor stigma around younger people, who have in many parts of the country – important ones such as California (55 electoral votes) – been raised in a more open-minded manner than that of the past. Personally, it seems like selecting Mitt Romney as “the upcoming star” of the Republican Party last year was a conservative and safe choice, and it seemed like the Republicans took a shot by sticking stubbornly to their ideals despite changing demographics; with Rand Paul, there is a new, seemingly fresh outlook, a humbling frankness shared amongst party members where everyone is simply trying to assure that they stay politically competitive. References to Facebook and social media sites sound misplaced in the context of Republican speeches such as Rand Paul’s, yet they may just be the awkward topics the party needs to appeal where they’re hurting. Despite their efforts, I think it’s awfully hard for conservatives to accept change when they’re labeled conservatives.
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