It would be tough. Going moderate like many advocate on here wouldn’t work as any gain from Kasich supporting crowd will be offset by those further right who just give up on voting outright. Options going forward would be:
1. Republicans will either become junior party that occasionally puts check on left moving too fast, but never controlling all branches of government (like New England politics currently). Win 1 out 5 presidential elections at most and stay legislative minority.
2. The winning strategy is full populist (Fiscal left/social conservative). Fiscal conservatives are dying breed in electorate until the federal government or a large state government goes BK.
The GOP would abandon fiscal conservatism in its official platform (already have in practice) and run to the left of Democrats on economic policy/safety net (adopt more generous version Yang’s UBI, medicare for all citizens, higher tariffs, higher taxes on the rich, etc.) while maintaining social conservative views. This would win over both white and minority working classes at the expense of losing libertarians and upper middle class professionals who are already trending Democrat. GOP would also have to work closer and drop hostility towards organized labor. This would be winning ticket, but also equal the death of American conservatism.
I broadly agree with this point of view, and it dovetails nicely with many of my own views, but I'm not sure the GOP will be able to afford to simply give up on libertarians and the upper middle class entirely, especially if the Democratic Party continues on a hard-SJW trajectory. I'm also not sure people would accept the GOP simply dumping its entire economic plank entirely overnight.
My personal belief is that the path forward for the GOP is to do several things:
1) Preserve the socially conservative views essential to the party's base: abortion, gun rights, immigration, free speech, and identity politics. Jettison opposition to marijuana and perhaps rethink parts of the drug war.
2) Promote themselves as a humanistic, patriotic alternative to the Dems. Whereas the Dems believe humanity is inherently stained by racism, sexism, harming the planet, etc., the GOP must stand on the power of human ingenuity and compassion to solve problems and bridge divides, regardless of race, sex, etc. If the left stands on the inherent sin of humanity, the right must stand on its virtue.
2a) Co-opt climate change as a real and pressing issue not to be solved by higher taxes, lower birth rates, and social liberalism but by aggressive innovation and science. Similarly, the right must become more willing to embrace science and experts
insofar as they deserve to be trusted by their merits; put another way, be skeptical of science from within a scientific framework, not simply reject it out of hand as if by ad hominem.
3) Become highly economically nationalistic and community-centric -- perhaps framed as "economic patriotism" -- which includes support for a UBI (perhaps while also overhauling traditional welfare programs) and other economically-sound policies. Perhaps reframe from "smaller government" to "better government" or "smarter government" or "government for Americans".
4) Actively stand against unchecked corporate power which undermines American values, reduces privacy through surveillance, and harms American consumers and markets through monopolistic tendencies.
At least, this is what I would try to do if I where running for office.
