I honestly don't believe there is any evidence that social issues are to blame. Sure, young people support gay marriage (though not as much as some want us to believe). So? Who steps into the voting booth and votes on gay marriage?
I don't think the Republicans have to scrap these social issues, they just need to do a better job in explaining them.
Beyond this forum, people have very limited political knowledge. When the image is portrayed by each party that Democrats are open minded and Republicans are traditional and religious, young people choose the Democrats. An extreme minority of voters have nearly enough knowledge to make educated decisions on political matters. The social issues have done us in because they're "uncool". The Democratic Party is trendy and in touch with young people and can be easily accessed on college campuses and social networking sites, the Republican Party has elderly activists and can be found handing out brochures outside of churches and retirement homes. Those are the people our parties have chosen to market to and those are the people that have become interested.
With young people I think it helps that they tend to be on average, more "impressionable", or so to speak, than older people. I generally agree with the notion that if you want to attract a certain group to your cause, it helps if you speak their language; the Republican party, though down at the moment, does have a realistic chance, I feel, of getting back up again if finds ways of drawing younger people into its circle. Using some of the Democratic party's methodology in drawing in the young voters, just adjusted for the Republican's message, could help initiate a resurgence of the Republican's in my opinion. You just gotta make yourself appealing, that's the trick.
