Report details how GOP lost young voters

[J.E.D]

The College Republican National Committee on Monday will make 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.

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.”

The report is based largely on two national surveys of 800 registered voters each, ages 18-29, and six focus groups of young people, including Hispanics, Asian-Americans, single women, economically struggling men and aspiring entrepreneurs in Ohio, Florida and California who had voted for President Barack Obama — he cleaned up with 60 percent of the youth vote — but were considered “winnable” for the GOP.


Read more: Report details how GOP lost young voters - Katie Glueck - POLITICO.com

 

[Mac1958]

.

The first step in fixing a problem is admitting that you have one.

.

 

[aaronleland]

I imagine that within the next couple election cycles the GOP will manage to marginalize the crazies and bigots. Then they can go back to only being as terrible as the Democrats.

 

[JoeB131]

I imagine that within the next couple election cycles the GOP will manage to marginalize the crazies and bigots. Then they can go back to only being as terrible as the Democrats.

I'm not entirely sure they can.

Let's say the GOP actually get sane on Gay Marriage, Abortion, and Guns? That they stop villifying immigrants and such?

Then what would they have to run on?

That you should be happy slaving away for the 1%ers, working harder for less money, hoping they don't ship your job to China?

The GOP should marginalize the crazies. But they also have to get back on the side of working people.

The rich are going to be just fine, really.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

Yet, if that article is any indication, they don't take into account the one Republican with a significant youth following, Ron Paul.

 

[Truthseeker420]

Their whole message was "No Obiama". and anti-worker.

 

[JoeB131]

Yet, if that article is any indication, they don't take into account the one Republican with a significant youth following, Ron Paul.

Because Ron Paul is crazier than a shithouse rat, and the youth that follow him need their medication.

 

[aaronleland]

Yet, if that article is any indication, they don't take into account the one Republican with a significant youth following, Ron Paul.

It's too late for Ron Paul. The GOP managed to marginalize him, and call him crazy, while propping up nutcases like Michelle Bachmann.

 

[aaronleland]

I imagine that within the next couple election cycles the GOP will manage to marginalize the crazies and bigots. Then they can go back to only being as terrible as the Democrats.

I'm not entirely sure they can.

Let's say the GOP actually get sane on Gay Marriage, Abortion, and Guns? That they stop villifying immigrants and such?

Then what would they have to run on?

That you should be happy slaving away for the 1%ers, working harder for less money, hoping they don't ship your job to China?

The GOP should marginalize the crazies. But they also have to get back on the side of working people.

The rich are going to be just fine, really.

Republicans have been convincing poor people to vote against their own interests for decades. I'd guess the social issues are what has hurt them more recently.

 

[Kevin_Kennedy]

Yet, if that article is any indication, they don't take into account the one Republican with a significant youth following, Ron Paul.

It's too late for Ron Paul. The GOP managed to marginalize him, and call him crazy, while propping up nutcases like Michelle Bachmann.

I'm not saying he should run for anything again, merely that if the GOP is looking for ways to appeal to young people, and independents, then Ron Paul should be somebody they look to.

 

[JoeB131]

Yet, if that article is any indication, they don't take into account the one Republican with a significant youth following, Ron Paul.

It's too late for Ron Paul. The GOP managed to marginalize him, and call him crazy, while propping up nutcases like Michelle Bachmann.

He marginalized himself when he let someone on his staff put racist rants in his newletter.

 

[JoeB131]

[

Republicans have been convincing poor people to vote against their own interests for decades. I'd guess the social issues are what has hurt them more recently.

But that's the point. It's not working anymore.

Partially because after all this time, these social issues are settled. Abortion has been legal for 40 years. Women of child bearing years have never known a time when they couldn't end their pregnancy legally. Most folks know at least one openly gay person.

Partially, because after 30 years of making war on the middle class, the middle class is feeling it.

 

[FJO]

I imagine that within the next couple election cycles the GOP will manage to marginalize the crazies and bigots. Then they can go back to only being as terrible as the Democrats.

I'm not entirely sure they can.

Let's say the GOP actually get sane on Gay Marriage, Abortion, and Guns? That they stop villifying immigrants and such?

Then what would they have to run on?

That you should be happy slaving away for the 1%ers, working harder for less money, hoping they don't ship your job to China?

The GOP should marginalize the crazies. But they also have to get back on the side of working people.

The rich are going to be just fine, really.

Republicans have been convincing poor people to vote against their own interests for decades. I'd guess the social issues are what has hurt them more recently.

Kind of like Democrats have been convincing black people to vote against their own interest for decades.

 

[JoeB131]

[

Kind of like Democrats have been convincing black people to vote against their own interest for decades.

Not really. But it's kind of paternalistic for you to tell black folks what their best interests are.

 

[WillowTree]

Frankly, the best way to teach young people right from wrong is to let them suffer the consequences of their choices. They will too when they have to start dragging big bucks out of their pockets to pay for obamacare. Makes me roflmao.

 

[FJO]

[

Kind of like Democrats have been convincing black people to vote against their own interest for decades.

Not really. But it's kind of paternalistic for you to tell black folks what their best interests are.

"paternalistic"?

Thank you for not resorting to "racist".

 

[Lakhota]

Informative OP. Thanks.

 

[rightwinger]

The College Republican National Committee on Monday will make 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.

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.”

To a young person it becomes....."That is not the type of organization I would want to be associated with"

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.”

The report is based largely on two national surveys of 800 registered voters each, ages 18-29, and six focus groups of young people, including Hispanics, Asian-Americans, single women, economically struggling men and aspiring entrepreneurs in Ohio, Florida and California who had voted for President Barack Obama — he cleaned up with 60 percent of the youth vote — but were considered “winnable” for the GOP.


Read more: Report details how GOP lost young voters - Katie Glueck - POLITICO.com

The next generation is a big problem for the GOP

To young voters, Republicans come off as a bunch of crazies on issues like gay rights, immigration, taxes and abortion

Add to that the general perception that Republicans just don't care and you have a party in trouble

 

[Lakhota]

The GOP has become a joke. It really is like a clown circus. The current GOP makes Nixon seem like a reasonable guy.

 

[aaronleland]

The GOP has become a joke. It really is like a clown circus. The current GOP makes Nixon seem like a reasonable guy.

Aside from Watergate and coming across as kinda unlikable, Nixon wasn't a terrible President. Comparing him to the current GOP would be unfair to Nixon.