What Should the GOP Do To Appeal To Minorities?

[Bo]

I'd say move leftward economically and nominate more minority candidates.

[President Mitt]

I'd say move leftward economically

No.

nominate more minority candidates.

Sure.

[DariusNJ]

As long as you have guys like Rush Limbaugh, Beck, etc. it's not going to happen.

[Bo]

As long as you have guys like Rush Limbaugh, Beck, etc. it's not going to happen.

Is that your only piece of advice? Keep in mind that most minorities (with the exception of Asians) voted for the Democrats continuously since the 1930s, way before talk radio was created.

[Psychic Octopus]

I'd say move leftward economically

No.

nominate more minority candidates.

Sure.

^^^^

This.

[Bo]

I'd say move leftward economically

No.

nominate more minority candidates.

Sure.

^^^^

This.

The GOP tried nominating more minorities in 2006 and it didn't work.

[Bo]

I'd say move leftward economically

No.

nominate more minority candidates.

Sure.

^^^^

This.

The GOP tried nominating more minorities in 2006 and it didn't work.

I'd say move leftward economically and nominate more minority candidates.

I said the GOP needed to do both things simulatenously, not just nominate more minority candidates.

[Bo]

I'd say move leftward economically

No.

nominate more minority candidates.

Sure.

^^^^

This.

The GOP tried nominating more minorities in 2006 and it didn't work.

I'd say move leftward economically and nominate more minority candidates.

I said the GOP needed to do both things simulatenously, not just nominate more minority candidates.

I know, I'm just trolling you, man.

Anyway, I think that it would better suit the GOP to move to the left socially.

It might be more beneficial for them to move leftward socially if they want to get more young voters, but I was specifically asking about how they could get more minority voters, and I'm pretty sure most minorities vote for the Democrats due to economics (especially since many minorities are conservative on some social issues). I don't think the GOP is going to be very successful in winning voer minorities unless they abandon their "trickle-down policies" and embrace a more active govt. Finally, if the GOP moves leftward socially too soon, it might get more younger voters, but also might lose a lot of religious/moral voters and thus it might hurt them more than help them.

[Mint]

As long as you have guys like Rush Limbaugh, Beck, etc. it's not going to happen.

^^^

We can discuss issues all we like, and they do factor into things more so than in the past due to how obviously we're in trouble, but at the end of the day this is probably the GOP's biggest problem. They've developed a reputation for extreme dishonesty (if not contempt for their 'base', look at that memo a few months back) and incompetence. As long as the face of the party are hacks like Boehner, Palin, Romney, etc. and loudmouth morons like Limbaugh or Hannity people will not want to vote for them.

[J. J.]

Absolutely nothing.  Seriously.

[Frodo]

Do a paradigm change by renouncing the nativists and racists within the party in deed as well as in words (basically don't embrace them as a political asset, either covertly or overtly), and instead run on a platform of social conservatism (sanctity of life, protecting marriage from 'the gays', etc.), keeping the military strong and well-funded, and embrace the notion that government can actually be a force for good in this country while being cognizant of its limitations.  What I am saying is: go back to Eisenhower and Nixon when it comes to economic issues -'trickle down' economics of tax cuts and spending cuts is too fraught with racial overtones to be used any longer as a viable long-term economic strategy for political gain.  It is too easily interpreted as a means by which whites can covertly express their racial resentments by with-holding revenue to fund needed government programs for a diversifying society.  

[HAnnA MArin County]

Ditch these idiots in the Tea Party. Obviously, they aren't going to be gaining any African American votes anytime soon seeing as to what happened with Rep. John Lewis. Didn't Bush come close to winning a majority of Hispanics in 2004, if memory serves me correctly? Asians won't ever vote Republican because of the party's embrace of anti-intellectualism. Native Americans, I believe, are a reliable Democratic stronghold as well (not sure why).

As for age, yeah, if the GOP wants to attract younger voters, they'll have to moderate on the social issues and stop giving so much lip service to the Bible thumpers in the party. Most young people are turned off when they are told that they're going to hell for supporting the killing of babies or promoting the homosexual agenda. My generation is becoming much more accepting and tolerant of homosexuality, so the GOP will need to take a different tact if they want to reach out to them. Maybe talk to young people more about post-graduation jobs and economic security as opposed to trying to preach to them about being a good moral Christian.

I don't really think the GOP cares about attracting minorities, if the Tea Party "movement" is any indication of that (how many non-white faces are in these crowds?). I think Bill Maher said it best: "Now I don't speak sh**t-kicker but I know that in their world, freedom means guns, diplomacy means weakness, elitist means reader, and socialist means black." Showing such ignorant and hostile resistance to the first African American President, as well as to minority members of Congress, isn't going to play so well for the GOP among minorities.

[RosettaStoned]

Absolutely nothing.  Seriously.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Ditch these idiots in the Tea Party. Obviously, they aren't going to be gaining any African American votes anytime soon seeing as to what happened with Rep. John Lewis. Didn't Bush come close to winning a majority of Hispanics in 2004, if memory serves me correctly? Asians won't ever vote Republican because of the party's embrace of anti-intellectualism. Native Americans, I believe, are a reliable Democratic stronghold as well (not sure why).

As for age, yeah, if the GOP wants to attract younger voters, they'll have to moderate on the social issues and stop giving so much lip service to the Bible thumpers in the party. Most young people are turned off when they are told that they're going to hell for supporting the killing of babies or promoting the homosexual agenda. My generation is becoming much more accepting and tolerant of homosexuality, so the GOP will need to take a different tact if they want to reach out to them. Maybe talk to young people more about post-graduation jobs and economic security as opposed to trying to preach to them about being a good moral Christian.

I don't really think the GOP cares about attracting minorities, if the Tea Party "movement" is any indication of that (how many non-white faces are in these crowds?). I think Bill Maher said it best: "Now I don't speak sh**t-kicker but I know that in their world, freedom means guns, diplomacy means weakness, elitist means reader, and socialist means black." Showing such ignorant and hostile resistance to the first African American President, as well as to minority members of Congress, isn't going to play so well for the GOP among minorities.

All of that may be true, but there's one big problem -- its not like there is some guy that flips a bunch of switches and the GOP "turns" one way or another on a particular issue.  Any hint of divergence from ultra-conservative orthodoxy and primary voters will run you out of town on a rail.

A friend of mine who is a County Commissioner is facing a rough primary challenge just for being "too friendly" with a Democrat or two. Mind you, he's voted conservatively, including voting against a recent gay rights measure -- but his opponent calls him a "kid" (my friend in his 40's) and says he's a "RINO" for agreeing to serve on our city mayor's transition team.

[Derek]

If I ever saw the GOP doing any of these things I'd never vote for them again.  The election is about being the best choice for president and not who can pander to the most ppl or give the most free hand outs.  I applaud my party for their efforts in staying true to their base and form this past year and a half. However, it couldn't hurt to learn how to talk about issues that would appeal to minorities in their own ways and offer their own ideas.  An example of this was the 2000 election when Bush talked mostly about education, social security, medicare, healthcare, and the environment.  He mad have had conservative ideas about these issues, but at least he didn't simply shrug it off as if those issues shouldn't matter.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

the GOP should communicate with minorities, listen to their concerns, and explain how conservative/libertarian influenced policies can be good for their communities. so, basically similar to what they should be doing to appeal to anyone. the GOP doesn't need to win over the minority vote as a block - it needs to be competitive. that means paying attention to issues and having an open dialogue. if you believe (as i and many other conservatives/libertarians do) that moving toward more intrusive economic regulation has the potential to hurt minority communities disproportionately, then the GOP needs to provide alternative solutions, not just trying to copy the Democrats.

[Derek]

As a very conservative/libertarian Republican, I'd love to see my party support almost open borders and English classes for those who migrate from Mexico and other places.  Another thing the party could do is support affirmative action programs to help with getting into colleges and schools.

[President Mitt]

Another thing the party could do is support affirmative action programs to help with getting into colleges and schools.

So selling out some of it's decent positions for a few extra votes? No thanks.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Don't bother.

[#CriminalizeSobriety]

As a very conservative/libertarian Republican, I'd love to see my party support almost open borders and English classes for those who migrate from Mexico and other places.  Another thing the party could do is support affirmative action programs to help with getting into colleges and schools.

We already signed in amnesty in the 80's, Bush and McCain both championed amnesty.

What'd it get us?

[CJK]

What should Democrats do to appeal to Southern whites?

Seriously, the interests of most minority voters consist of receiving handouts from the government. How can the GOP compete on that level?

[Orser67]

Given the past and the race of the current president, they might have no chance at blacks for the foreseeable future.  But some version of immigration reform would help them appeal to Hispanics; maybe they don't offer amnesty but it seems like trying to outright deport illegals is killing them among Hispanics.  I also think it would help for them to distance themselves from some of the more inflammatory conservative pundits, but they might not be able to do that.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Given the past and the race of the current president, they might have no chance at blacks for the foreseeable future.  But some version of immigration reform would help them appeal to Hispanics; maybe they don't offer amnesty but it seems like trying to outright deport illegals is killing them among Hispanics.  I also think it would help for them to distance themselves from some of the more inflammatory conservative pundits, but they might not be able to do that.

There are other issues by which to win Hispanic support that don't involve abandoning their own base on a key issue.

[Bo]

Given the past and the race of the current president, they might have no chance at blacks for the foreseeable future.  But some version of immigration reform would help them appeal to Hispanics; maybe they don't offer amnesty but it seems like trying to outright deport illegals is killing them among Hispanics.  I also think it would help for them to distance themselves from some of the more inflammatory conservative pundits, but they might not be able to do that.

There are other issues by which to win Hispanic support that don't involve abandoning their own base on a key issue.

Exactly, and besides, as Dallasfan previously mentioned, the GOP supported amnesty in the 1980s, and it didn't cause much more Latinos to vote for the Republicans afterwards. Thus the GOP is afraid that if they support amnesty again, the same thing is going to occur. They will fail to increase their % by much among Latino voters and will just alienate a large part of their base.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

There is no motivation to support Amnesty or any Guest worker program unless we first improve our enforcement and crackdown on employers with E-Verify. Once that is successfuly then we can discuss a Guest Worker program, however I think such a think only depresses wages just as much as illegals do as Truman, JFK, and LBJ realized, hence reasons for ending Guest Worker Programs in existence at the time.

The way to go after Minorities is simple and ist not kowtowing the identity politics greivence mongers and the open borders lobby. The way to go after them is by have an adjenda and then communicating to minorities of all backgrounds and colors why it is better for them. On the immigration issue itself, do illegals benefit the legals and naturalized citizens? Can legal immigrants take a bullet just like a citizen in a gang war? Are minority owned businesses impacted just the same as white owned business by crime and gangs? Do legal working class minorities (hispanics included) get hurt by wage depression just like whites? The answer to all of them is Yes. Its about outreach and communication, not issues. You let the special interests (who want open borders and unlimited gov't support for illegals) dominate the debate and yes the results among Hispanics and all races will decline, but if you fight back, question their assertions and labels, and even question there committement to the people they supposedly fight for, I think we would do well. 40% to 45% of Hispanics, 45% to 50% of Asians, and 25% to 32% of African Americans is very possible. You need to have people with balls and guts. In 1940, Wilkie went into Working class districts where he got pelted with Tomatos. The GOP should go on the Reservations of Native Americans, listen to their concerns, and offer an alternative to the current situation that is destroying Native Americans and their families. While reading his book, "Whatever it Takes", I discovered that JD Hayworth (second only to Tancredo in opposing Amnesty) was in favor of reaching out to minorities and expressed a similar idea to what I presented here. He does have grounds to talk on the issue, as he improved his numbers among Native Americans in his old 6th district (most of the modern day First district) from 18% to 50% from 1994 to 2000. Now of course that brings up the whole, Abramoff and Indian Tribe scandal, and you don't want to bribe minorities with Pork either. What is needed is communication, listening, and offering alternative ideas.