Since the failed presidential bid of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) last November, Republicans have been doing some soul searching. Some, like Rush Limbaugh, advocate a return to rightist conservative principles. Others, like Gen. Colin Powell, say that the GOP needs to be more open to different points of view. Neither of these assertions, however, get to the heart of the matter.
I do not think that there is anything wrong with the fundamental Republican message, which is an unwavering commitment to a strong national defense, a suspicion of big government solutions to domestic problems and a predisposition toward lower taxes, free markets and fiscal responsibility. If anything, the current debate over health care reform has shown that Republicans have many solid ideas when it comes to reducing costs and providing coverage for millions of uninsured Americans. If Republicans are going to have any chance of taking back the White House in 2012, however, they will need to win the votes of a fair number of Democrats.
When McCain tried to reach out to Democrats, he made the mistake of unclearly defining his target breed of Democrat. He sought to cast a wide net, pull in as many Democrats as he could and hope they would put him over the edge. That approach failed. Whoever the Republican Party’s nominee is in 2012 will need to target a specific type of Democrat.
The kind of Democrats that Republicans will need to appeal to have more passion about issues than they do about party. They might be centrists, but they do not have to be. They could just be average Americans who are registered Democrats but do not have a strong affinity with the party itself. Any Republican presidential candidate needs to pick up early on which issue is going to be the big one in 2012, research how that issue will impact different single-issue Democrats and concentrate the candidate’s efforts on those Democratic voters with whom common ground can be found. These potential swing Democrats are the ones who will decide the election.
Ronald Reagan is revered as a conservative Republican icon. However, Ronald Reagan’s candidacy and presidency were a success because he had the support of a broad coalition, including Republicans as well as some Democrats and Independents. Reagan took the issue of national defense and made it a focus of his presidency with his 1983 “evil empire” speech, winning the support of conservatives, Republicans and Democratic hawks like Charlie Wilson. Whoever the Republican Party chooses as its nominee in 2012 must have that same quality: the ability to transcend party and personal politics so that Americans of many different backgrounds can unite in support of a common vision while opposing a common foe, be it the “evil empire” or “death panels.”
The big question that many voters are going to be asking themselves in 2012 is, “What is the proper role of the federal government?” This is an area in which former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in particular may present a clear and present danger to Obama’s re-election. In addition to her rock-star status in the GOP, if she runs for president she will be able to point to her record in Alaska of minimizing government interference in people’s lives, keeping taxes low while maintaining a budget surplus, giving the state’s oil revenues back to Alaskans and reforming the state’s ethics laws. That, in addition to her single Facebook post that sparked a firestorm of debate surrounding health care reform and the public option, will resonate with many Americans who fear the growing power of the federal government.
If Sarah Palin continues to tap into these anxieties – over the increasing deficit and the growing influence of government in the private sector – and presents ways to solve problems alternative to the Obama doctrine, the president will have a very difficult time defending himself.
Reece Scott is a junior in the College. He is a member of the Georgetown University College Republicans.
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