After reading the latest about Michael Steele, the new RNC chairman, I am forced to conclude that the GOP just doesn't really understand....well, anything but wealthy white men and the rabid homophobic/anti-abortion sects of Christianity. However, they are trying to appeal to those they don't understand.
Sadly, this effort just doesn't seem to work well. Like, you know, when they tried to appeal to Hillary supporters with the choice of Sarah Palin. It seems as though they thought "Well, one woman is pretty much like another....right? Hillary supporters will like Sarah because she has ovaries and breasts, right?"
Um...no.
"And how about this - a black guy for the chair of the RNC. Surely, with a black guy as chair, no one will remember that there were almost no people of color at the national convention. Now we'll just automatically have wide appeal with blacks, right?"
Um...no.
And now, Michael Steele has declared that the RNC needs to go after the youth vote. What better way to do this but to throw out some random terms he's heard those kids say nowadays?
He's going to launch an "off the hook" public relations campaign. He's going to go for urban-suburban hip-hop settings. He's even going after the "one-armed midget" vote? (Did I mention this guy also has absolutely no tact?)
Here's the kicker: He doesn't really want to change any of the "principles" of his party. Guess what? RNC principles are not really attractive to youth. This would be evident by the fact that Obama took around 68% of the youth vote in the election.
Decrying funding for education as "pork" is not popular with youth. Economic policies that oversaw a decrease in income after inflation for college grads are not popular with youth. Wars with no end and no real goal - not popular with the youth that are expected to fight. In short - the Republicans are going to have to become more of a big tent, because throwing out phrases like "off the hook" isn't going to fool anyone. At best, it will annoy them. At worse, it will insult them.
Sadly, this effort just doesn't seem to work well. Like, you know, when they tried to appeal to Hillary supporters with the choice of Sarah Palin. It seems as though they thought "Well, one woman is pretty much like another....right? Hillary supporters will like Sarah because she has ovaries and breasts, right?"
Um...no.
"And how about this - a black guy for the chair of the RNC. Surely, with a black guy as chair, no one will remember that there were almost no people of color at the national convention. Now we'll just automatically have wide appeal with blacks, right?"
Um...no.
And now, Michael Steele has declared that the RNC needs to go after the youth vote. What better way to do this but to throw out some random terms he's heard those kids say nowadays?
He's going to launch an "off the hook" public relations campaign. He's going to go for urban-suburban hip-hop settings. He's even going after the "one-armed midget" vote? (Did I mention this guy also has absolutely no tact?)
Here's the kicker: He doesn't really want to change any of the "principles" of his party. Guess what? RNC principles are not really attractive to youth. This would be evident by the fact that Obama took around 68% of the youth vote in the election.
Decrying funding for education as "pork" is not popular with youth. Economic policies that oversaw a decrease in income after inflation for college grads are not popular with youth. Wars with no end and no real goal - not popular with the youth that are expected to fight. In short - the Republicans are going to have to become more of a big tent, because throwing out phrases like "off the hook" isn't going to fool anyone. At best, it will annoy them. At worse, it will insult them.
This is apparently the best the GOP could do. I mean, um....the G to the O to the P.
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