For the last four years, the Republican Party has adopted a policy of complete obstinacy. They have allowed extremist rhetoric to dominate the party — rhetoric that alienates anyone who isn’t far right and objects the validity of compromise. On many occasions in the recent past Republicans have said that their goal was to totally block anything Obama and the Democrats support, and in this they have succeeded. They have created more partisanship than ever and slowed the government to a standstill. Because of this refusal to compromise, Congress has gotten much less done, and its approval ratings have hit all-time lows.
The Republicans were hoping that this strategy would lead to one of their own in the White House, along with gains in Congress. Unfortunately for them, this did not occur. The reelection of Barack Obama, the Democratic gains in the House and the Senate, and the defeat of some of the most offensive and extreme conservatives shows that this Republican strategy of obstinacy simply did not work.
Going forward, the Republican Party will necessarily have to moderate, sit at the same table with Democrats, and allow itself to compromise. There is no place now for the sort of baseless, paranoid, ideological warfare that has been espoused by the Republican Party in recent years. Republicans and Democrats both need to analyze problems, look at facts, and come up with solutions based on those facts together.
Many in the Republican Party claim that Romney simply wasn’t conservative or appealing enough. Many say that the party just needs to refine its message and better advertise itself.
Ralph Reed, leader of the Christian Coalition during the early ’90s, says, “If the Republican Party wants to be competitive in national elections, it will have to nominate candidates who can appeal to young voters, women, Hispanics, and other minorities.” Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz has said, “We can be more eloquent in stating our position … We are on the right side of the issues, but our coolness quotient is not as good as it should be.”
Maybe the Republican Party is not as good as advertising as the Democratic Party, but it is simply delusional to think that “coolness” or better social media skills are all that is separating the Republican Party from minority voters. No amount of “hip” branding is going to change the fact that the Republican Party platform is in direct opposition to women’s rights. Having a black Republican candidate does not mean that he can relate to black parents living in the inner cities or that he even cares about their lives.
The Republican Party lost the presidential election because of extremism, obstinacy, and a blatant lack of empathy for the groups it was so desperate to appeal to. It now has an opportunity to revamp its entire outlook and start appealing to a larger portion of the American people. But they will never be successful in gaining more support in this modern country by supporting archaic policy, utilizing offensive rhetoric, or attempting to shut down any and all government activity.
The Republican Party needs to open its eyes: there never was a perfect America, especially if you were anything other than a white middle- to upper-class male. Moderate views are not going to destroy us. We are not objectively the greatest country in the world. People can disagree with your worldview and still love this country just as much. Conservatism has its place in our national political discourse, but immaturity, paranoia, and ignorance do not.
— Lindsay Lee is a junior in mathematics. She can be reached at [email protected].
