How can the GOP win back suburbia?

[Bo]

De-emphasize issues like abortion, gay marriage, and evolution. Talk more about crime and about improving education, transportation, and the standard of living. Also moving leftward economically would help as well.

[Bo]

And by way, can anyone tell me the last time Republicans actually put a heavy emphasis on abortion, gay marriage, or evolution during a campaign?

2008 primaries?

Not really. I'd say the last time was in 2000 (in the primaries).

[Bo]

And by way, can anyone tell me the last time Republicans actually put a heavy emphasis on abortion, gay marriage, or evolution during a campaign?

2008 primaries?

Not really. I'd say the last time was in 2000 (in the primaries).

So you're trying to argue that Republican Party problems today are a result of negative public reaction to the 2000 primaries?

No, I'm saying that the last time the Republican candidates made a big deal out of wedge issues was back in the 2000 primaries. I didn't say that emphasizing wedge issues led to the Republican Party's downfall. I just answered his question.

[Bo]

Um, then why did you say

De-emphasize issues like abortion, gay marriage, and evolution.

Because I think many suburban voters who might otherwise vote GOP support the Dems on these issues and thus vote for the Dems instead.

[Bo]

They may not have been Presidential campaign issues, but they certainly have been issues. 

That's what I meant.

[Bo]

Um, then why did you say

De-emphasize issues like abortion, gay marriage, and evolution.

Because I think many suburban voters who might otherwise vote GOP support the Dems on these issues and thus vote for the Dems instead.

Um, you just admitted that these issues have not been emphasized since 2000, so why the need to "de-emphasize" them?

They may not have been Presidential campaign issues, but they certainly have been issues.  The FMA for one, all the gay marriage bans that have been put on state ballots.  These are the kind of Christofacist activities which turn off suburban voters.

How can you assert that they "turn off" voters when all the gay marriage bans put on the ballot have passed?

They turn off voters in suburbia, not necessarily in other parts of the states (such as rural areas).

[Bo]

Um, then why did you say

De-emphasize issues like abortion, gay marriage, and evolution.

Because I think many suburban voters who might otherwise vote GOP support the Dems on these issues and thus vote for the Dems instead.

Um, you just admitted that these issues have not been emphasized since 2000, so why the need to "de-emphasize" them?

They may not have been Presidential campaign issues, but they certainly have been issues.  The FMA for one, all the gay marriage bans that have been put on state ballots.  These are the kind of Christofacist activities which turn off suburban voters.

How can you assert that they "turn off" voters when all the gay marriage bans put on the ballot have passed?

They turn off voters in suburbia, not necessarily in other parts of the states (such as rural areas).

Also, many suburban voters who voted for gay marriage bans, aren't as fanatically anti-gay as the GOP establishment.

As a Democrat, I can proudly say that most of the GOP establishment is not fanatically anti-gay. Even most of the GOP establishment that opposes gay marriage does not speak badly of gay people themselves.

[Bo]

Um, then why did you say

De-emphasize issues like abortion, gay marriage, and evolution.

Because I think many suburban voters who might otherwise vote GOP support the Dems on these issues and thus vote for the Dems instead.

Um, you just admitted that these issues have not been emphasized since 2000, so why the need to "de-emphasize" them?

They may not have been Presidential campaign issues, but they certainly have been issues.  The FMA for one, all the gay marriage bans that have been put on state ballots.  These are the kind of Christofacist activities which turn off suburban voters.

How can you assert that they "turn off" voters when all the gay marriage bans put on the ballot have passed?

They turn off voters in suburbia, not necessarily in other parts of the states (such as rural areas).

Also, many suburban voters who voted for gay marriage bans, aren't as fanatically anti-gay as the GOP establishment.

As a Democrat, I can proudly say that most of the GOP establishment is not fanatically anti-gay. Even most of the GOP establishment that opposes gay marriage does not speak badly of gay people themselves.

Allright. But the point is that some voters could have voted for a gay marriage ban, but still not like the GOP's hardline social conservatism and rhetoric.

Still, I don't think many non-gay voters use gay rights issues as a decisive issue to determine who they're going to vote for.

[Bo]

Um, then why did you say

De-emphasize issues like abortion, gay marriage, and evolution.

Because I think many suburban voters who might otherwise vote GOP support the Dems on these issues and thus vote for the Dems instead.

Um, you just admitted that these issues have not been emphasized since 2000, so why the need to "de-emphasize" them?

They may not have been Presidential campaign issues, but they certainly have been issues.  The FMA for one, all the gay marriage bans that have been put on state ballots.  These are the kind of Christofacist activities which turn off suburban voters.

How can you assert that they "turn off" voters when all the gay marriage bans put on the ballot have passed?

They turn off voters in suburbia, not necessarily in other parts of the states (such as rural areas).

That's flatly untrue: 59% of suburban Californians voted against gay marriage in 2008 as well as 63% of Ohio suburban voters in 2004.

Many of those other 41% and 37%, respectively, were turned off by the GOP's rhetoric on various social issues. It's not just about gay marriage--many suburban voters who support abortion vote against the GOP when the GOP places large emphasis on the issue.

[Bo]

Another problem is the lack of concern for important suburban issues like the environment and education.

Exactly. The GOP needs to talk about important issues to suburban residents when they are campaigning there.

[Bo]

VT isn't very suburban, however. We are very rural. The GOP just went South and really hurt itself up North here. I wish we could get in a candidate we could return the GOP to its roots. I think Jim Douglas would make a great President if he would run. He could probably perform well in suburbs.

Is he economically moderate/liberal? And by asking this question, I mean liberal as in an American sense, not in a classical 19th century sense.

[Bo]

Sorry if someone has said this, but it already has.

Not compeletely, based on Obama's victory margins in many suburbs.