TCR Calls for a GOP compact to win back voters
Texas Conservative Review looks at lessons Of 2008 Texas Primaries:
The record Democratic turnout around the state if replicated in November spells real trouble for the GOP.
Party unity alone will not do it. Glen Bolger, respected pollster at Public Opinion Strategies says the GOP is not badly splintered and is solidly behind Senator McCain now. This is confirmed by a recent Pew Center poll, which showed in trial heats that McCain gets 87% of the GOP vote versus Obama and 91% versus Clinton.
The same Pew poll shows the real problem: 38% say they are Democrats and 24% say they are Republican and after adding in leans, it's Democrats 55% and Republicans 34%!
The challenge: "grow the Republican Party quickly, or do a lot better with independents." But how. Polland suggests:
... why not have a Texas contract or compact with the voters? In the May 26, 2006 TCR Vol. V No. 9, we laid out ideas for seven issues to run on. They are certainly a starting point for 2008:
1. Residential property tax cap will be reduced to 5% less an index adjusted for inflation (just like income tax benefits are adjusted for inflation.)
2. TABOR type state spending controls limiting state increases in spending to no more than the increase in inflation and population.
3. Repeal the new gross receipts business tax (which could mean taxing a business that makes no money) and instead institute a broad based consumption tax at lower than the current rate.
4. End bilingual education in Texas to be replaced by an English First curriculum.
5. Support a constitutional amendment to require a super majority before the raising of any taxes.
6. Eliminate the top 10% rule on college admissions as it discriminates against students going to better high schools.
7. Institute a pilot program for school choice for students in under performing schools.
He says: "If the GOP, locally and statewide, can layout an agenda of five to ten points, get approval from candidates, elected officials and the Republican party itself, we will have something to run on and something to win with."
The best hopes for the GOP are getting back to basic issues to show the voters that their values, agenda, ideals and interests are in-line with what the Republicans offer, not what the Democrats offer. The GOP is going to have to aggressively market themselves in waysMedia brainwashing and the politics of personality and identity are being used to trump the real wishes of the voters.
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2 comments:
We have the most conservative platform in the state, but as evidenced at the precinct level, a lot of grassroots Republicans aren't even familiar with it. How can we expect our Republican elected officials to "stick to" a platform that our activists haven't even read? I think the 5-10 point plan is a good one, but we must follow up with holding our officials accountable to the platform - and our grassroots leaders.
The Republican Party of Texas spells out the direction we want the legislation to flow. I think to make this compact successful, we need our elected leaders to take the lead and create a philosophical direction. The specifics of the agenda are spelled out in the platform, but we need our Republican leaders to take charge of the direction of the philosophy train that is driving the implementation of the platform.
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