[besson3c]

Do you guys agree with Meghan McCain in saying that the Republican party needs to go for a more moderate voice that reaches out to new voters and younger people, as opposed to going back to their roots? Do you agree with the possibility that the Republican party is in danger of becoming irrelevant to younger voters?

[ort888]

They need to get away from the Christian "no gaymosexuals, pray in school, no sex til marriage" crowd and the small town "scurred of the arabs, USA USA USA, don't take my guns" crowd and come back to the middle.

I can get behind some good old fashioned small government or fiscal responsibility... but the rednecks and Jesus freaks turn me off.

Probably in the same way egghead liberal *********s, and doe-eyed college kids who think they know everything turn off conservatives.

[Kerrigan]

The Republican party needs to wrestle internal control away from the religious wing, for the reasons noted above. Bush became almost something of a Gladstone type figure, shaping his foreign policy around moral convictions rather than practical considerations. And he gave too much power to the Baptist weirdos who frankly alienate too much of the country.

The Republican party ought to have another Nixon type of president: someone who is a genius at foreign policy and trade (much as Nixon was with China), someone who doesn't get involved in social issues but who is strong on law and order, and someone who is proactive on environmental issues (believe or not, some of the country's most important environmental legislation was passed during his administration). If this happened, the party would reclaim its imagine as the party of civility and responsibility.

I don't think this will happen, though. I think the changing demographics of America is going to lead to a state of society where the entitlement culture becomes entrenched and you have to be center left to win elections. The Republican party will put forward a series of RINO candidates like Schwarzenegger who may win elections but will be utter failures by the end of their term.

[Chongo]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

Do you guys agree with Meghan McCain in saying that the Republican party needs to go for a more moderate voice that reaches out to new voters and younger people, as opposed to going back to their roots? Do you agree with the possibility that the Republican party is in danger of becoming irrelevant to younger voters?

Like her father, or Bob Dole, or Gerald Ford, or all the other "moderate" candidates that have lost? The Republicans need to go back to the party that won control of congress in 1994, produced a budget surplus, and won two consecutive landslide elections in 1980 and 1984. (44 and 49 state wins ). If the Republican party goes "moderate," they will become irrelevant because they will be no different than the Democrat party.

[ironknee]

what's wrong with donny osmond?