How can the GOP win back suburbia?

[Smash255]

As someone who is also from Long Island, one key reason is southern Evangelicalism simply doesn't work here.   Trying to overturn Roe V Wade, bashing gay people is going to turn off many more voters then it will bring in.   Also being from LI, I'm sure you know how important investing in public schools and education is here, as much as people complain about property taxes, education funding and spending is key here.  Also with that trying to shove "Creationism" into schools generally don't work well in areas that put a huge importance on .  I would also say LI is more along the lines of economically moderate and socially liberal than economically conservative and socially moderate.

As far as some of the other suburban areas that the GOP has lost a hold on, its pretty much the same types of reasons.  The Evangelical take over of the GOP just doesn't sit well with the well educated middle to upper-middle class suburban voter in many parts of the country.

[Smash255]

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.

[Smash255]

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.

Why abandon the 59% to get the 41%? And why is abortion relevant when it has not been an emphasis in many years and growing numbers of people are opposing it?

The idea that suburban voters favor gay marriage and abortion out of proportion to the total population is pure fantasy.

Actually growing numbers of people are supporting it.  We also aren't talking about the suburban areas that are still Republican, we are talking about the suburban areas that were Republican.  The southern Evangelical takeover of the GOP has hurt the Party here on Long Island, it has hurt them in Westchester, suburban Philly, Northern Virginia, suburban Denver.  These were all once solidly Republican areas, they aren't anymore, and a key reason is social conservatism,  trying to shove religion down the throats of everyone hurts the GOP.  So does the idea that Gay marriage is some huge threat.  Even those who might not agree with Gay marriage and would vote against it on the ballot, are turned off by the gays are evil idea put forth by many in the GOP.  Not to mention the hostility many in the GOP have to education and intellectualism, that simply won't fly on Long Island, Montgomery PA, Fairfax & Loudon VA, Jefferson & Araphoe CO, and the others

[Smash255]

The "evangelical takeover" of the GOP occured back in the 1980s when Republicans were doing quite well.

There's simply no proof to support your contention that social conservatism costs Republicans votes. Indeed, the evidence suggests the opposite. As I stated earlier, gay marriage bans passed by landslide proportions in the suburbs.

They took it to another level during the 90's and during the Bush administration.   The total lack of anything moderate in the Republican Party is only a fairly recent development.  As far as the gay marriage bans that passed in the suburbs, how many of those suburbs are Republican??  You also have some of those who may not personally agree with Gay marriage and may even vote to ban it in their own state, but think its insane to have a FMA.  Also isn't the point of this thread to discuss what has happened to the GOP in suburban areas that use to be GOP that are no longer GOP??  not suburban areas that still are GOP??

 Fact of the matter is shoving religion down everyones throat and harping on social conservative issues important to southern Evangelicals have deeply hurt the GOP in many suburban areas which use to make up the old base of the GOP.   Banning abortion, banning and bashing Gay marriage, bashing the repeal of DADT (bashing gays themselves) trying to shove religion into schools via creationism, sure as hell isn't the way for the GOP to get back suburban voters that they have lost in areas they use to dominate.  Its not going to work here on Long Island, nor in Westchester, same in suburban Philly, as well as in Northern Virginia,not to mention suburban Denver, etc..

[Smash255]

The "evangelical takeover" of the GOP occured back in the 1980s when Republicans were doing quite well.

There's simply no proof to support your contention that social conservatism costs Republicans votes. Indeed, the evidence suggests the opposite. As I stated earlier, gay marriage bans passed by landslide proportions in the suburbs.

They took it to another level during the 90's and during the Bush administration.   The total lack of anything moderate in the Republican Party is only a fairly recent development.  As far as the gay marriage bans that passed in the suburbs, how many of those suburbs are Republican??  You also have some of those who may not personally agree with Gay marriage and may even vote to ban it in their own state, but think its insane to have a FMA.  Also isn't the point of this thread to discuss what has happened to the GOP in suburban areas that use to be GOP that are no longer GOP??  not suburban areas that still are GOP??

 Fact of the matter is shoving religion down everyones throat and harping on social conservative issues important to southern Evangelicals have deeply hurt the GOP in many suburban areas which use to make up the old base of the GOP.   Banning abortion, banning and bashing Gay marriage, bashing the repeal of DADT (bashing gays themselves) trying to shove religion into schools via creationism, sure as hell isn't the way for the GOP to get back suburban voters that they have lost in areas they use to dominate.  Its not going to work here on Long Island, nor in Westchester, same in suburban Philly, as well as in Northern Virginia,not to mention suburban Denver, etc..

I don't know much about the NYC metro area, but how much of an effect do you think socially conservative issues help in places like Weiner's or McMahon's district?  They both seem like somewhat "Archie Bunker-esque" areas or at least have elements of it.  And Weiner's district moved heavily away from the Democrats since Al Gore and John Kerry, but still a Dem district.  Unfortunately I see a slight GOP trend in what I would call "outer urban" white areas such as Northeast/South Philly and as shown in Massachusetts the election of Scott Brown. 

Maybe a little in portions of Staten Island, some of the Orthodox portions of Brooklyn and the Howard Beach portions in Weiner's district, but those areas are pretty much already voting Republican. 

My family is pretty much from Weiner's portion of the Queens district, my dad grew up in Ozone Park which is in the 9th, my mom grew up in what is now Meek's district in Richmond Hill, but was 3 blocks from the border with the 9th.

[Smash255]

The GOP doesn't need Long Island or any of those  liberal subrubs in states we never win in anyways.

Stop crying over a lost cause. New York will NEVER Go republican again. End of story, and i'm from NY.

The GOP doesn't need Virginia??  They don't need Colorado??