Republican Party Must Get Good, Firm Grasp on Reality

By: Carlo Barbieri 

On the morning of Nov. 7, 2012, virtually every Republican in the United States awoke with a splitting headache and a deep sense of unreality.  Had the nation crossed over into the “Twilight Zone,” they asked.

No. Barack Obama, the man that many presumed could never win a second term in the Oval Office because his first term, they felt, was an utter disaster, was punching his ticket for a ride back to the White House for another four years.

Not only that, but many Democrats – particularly here in Palm Beach County and its environs – were elected to various offices, some of them ousting sitting Republicans, others defeating GOP candidates that many felt were more popular. Lois Frankel, former mayor of West Palm Beach, a woman known to be tough on friends and foes, defeated nice guy Adam Hasner for Congress in District 22.  Republican Allen West, the much honored military man who rose up to win a Congressional seat in 2010, lost it in 2012 to a South Florida accountant.

Now, the Republicans are doing the accounting.  Just what the heck happened on that fateful day in November 2012?

The assessments are still coming in – and most are pretty harsh. Many say GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, despite his eloquence and his efforts to humanize himself, was still viewed by many as an elitist. He campaigned on a platform that promised to create jobs.  Apparently, many Americans don’t want jobs. President Obama has created his own “needy” class, people who get extended unemployment benefits, food stamps, government-paid Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, utility bill assistance, housing assistance and other “nanny” allotments.

Clearly, the American Dream does not consist of a good job and a healthy paycheck with livable benefits. It’s the flat-screen TV and the big lounge chair with a remote control on a nearby table, right next to a pile of government aid checks.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, a Republican himself, was one of the first post-election critics, telling the GOP to end “dumbed-down conservatism” by putting a stop to “offensive, bizarre” comments.

“It is no secret we had a number of Republicans damage our brand this year with offensive, bizarre comments — enough of that,” Jindal told Politico. “It’s not going to be the last time anyone says something stupid within our party, but it can’t be tolerated… We’ve also had enough of this dumbed-down conservatism. We need to stop being simplistic, we need to trust the intelligence of the American people and we need to stop insulting the intelligence of the voters.”

Other Republicans have attempted to explain the GOP’s election failure in less harsh terms. Karl Rove gave nearly two dozen reasons for Republicans’ election night losses while 2012 Republican Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan said “urban areas” gave Obama the boost he needed to win.

But the real question is: With a horrible economy, soaring food and gas prices, millions on food stamps, not to mention suspicious scandals like “Fast and Furious” and the Libyan debacle, how on earth did Barack Obama get re-elected, especially just two years after the unprecedented Republican victories in the 2010 mid-term elections? Why, after almost four years of massive deficits and staggering debt, all of it racked up by Obama and the Democrats, did an astonishing 50+ percent of voters say they still blamed the economy on George Bush? How is that even possible?

We feel the answer is marketing and the message. Republicans have always tended to speak over the heads of the “little people” – and that includes not only the middle class, but minorities both of color and ethnicity.

In 2012, Republicans had nothing to market to blacks, Hispanics, students voting for the first time and the masses who have become comfortable living off government doles.  As Fox Network commentator Bill O’Reilly predicted on election night, the winner would be chosen by the people who get “stuff” from the government.

In a world replete with TV commercials, Internet pop-up ads and signs on the sides of buses, trains and taxis, it should be clear to Republicans that the message is the thing. They should take a lesson from the Democrats who sell their message relentlessly, forcefully and with language that is simple, vivid, and emotional. Even when the “product” is flawed – in this case an ever increasing dictatorial nanny state – the right marketing campaign works.

Thus, Republicans should turn from policies to promotion. If they want to survive as a party, the GOP had better get back to the kinds of conservative principles that have always worked. But then they must learn how to “sell” capitalism and smaller government using the kind of language that everyone can understand.

The GOP must also shed its image as a party of exclusion and promote what Republicans do best – supporting capitalism and job creation – ideas that have worked in the US and abroad. Surely with its record of success throughout history, free market capitalism should be downright easy to vigorously promote, let alone meekly defend.