Feb
10
Clues to the GOP’s growth
Part 3 of 3
By Katie Kieffer
Happy Hour tonight anyone? It’s my final day as Undercover Boss for the GOP, and I need a stiff drink after my GOP shareholder meeting this morning.
The GOP’s shareholders are frustrated with the party’s lack of growth. At first they were patient, but after 20 years of donating money, votes and volunteer hours to a party that seems to be on more birth control than Europe, they are fed up.
These shareholders, loyal Republican donors who have been the GOP’s bread and butter for years, want to know when they are going to get a return on their investment. One gray-haired benefactress raised her hand and asked me, “Is the party going to substantially increase the number of young people in its fold before I die? Otherwise, I’m ready to throw in the towel and give my money to the Tea Party movement.”
The overall consensus by GOP shareholders was that the party needs to focus to have a shot at adding new blood. And, these GOP donors knew exactly what they wanted the party to focus on in 2010: jobs.
Laser focus on jobs
I walked into this shareholder breakfast meeting thinking it was going to be one big brunch of GOP elephant ear pasties. And KT loves her elephant ear pastries. 
Well, I should have eaten breakfast before I came. These donors were ready to get down to business on straight coffee and bottled water.
One of the shareholders lectured as he passed out large stacks of paper: “President Barack Obama is presiding over the largest expansion of government in history and sixty-six percent youth, ages 18-40, voted for him in 2008. This is why you need to read this new study out of UCLA which shows that young people who live through a recession are more likely to believe that wealth and career success is the result of ‘luck’ rather than ‘effort,’ and they will therefore be more open to supporting more government redistribution of wealth via higher taxes.”
He continued, “Young people need to see the connection between capitalism and prosperity. This same study out of UCLA indicated that young people ‘hit with a negative macroeconomic shock have a significantly lower level of confidence in Congress and the executive branch of the federal government’ Said differently, young people have not yet turned against capitalism, and they have a healthy distrust of big government – but if they become convinced that “luck” and the redistribution of wealth are the only ways to achieve the American Dream, these views will outweigh their distrust of government and stay with them throughout their voting years.”
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
My undercover takeaways for the GOP: Neither “high taxes” nor “wealth through luck” are part of the GOP platform. They are liberal mantras. The time to act is now, if the GOP wants to show young people that the real sources of wealth are thriving free markets coupled with individual hard work and perseverance.
The GOP needs to hunker down and focus on showing young people that their future, and their ability to achieve the American Dream, will depend on reducing the size of government and lowering taxes so that small businesses – the fuel of our economy – can hire and innovate.
If the President succeeds in spending his way to a short-term recovery, the UCLA study suggests that many young Americans will become life-long believers in the liberal mantra that big government and big spending are real solutions. If the GOP lets the President ride his way into a second term on this short-term sugar high of fake job creation, it can kiss young voters and a growth trajectory goodbye.
Distractions that could kill job focus
After this meeting, my assessment is that one way for the GOP to achieve this laser focus on job creation is by avoiding distraction. Yesterday, I showcased a good example of negative distraction in the MN CR’s ‘Frankenstein’ You Tube video. Here’s another good example:
When Sarah Palin dug back into a private meeting held last summer by White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, where he called a proposal to air attack ads on conservative Democrats who opposed Obamacare “f—ing retarded,” she made a mistake that seemed out of character. Her Facebook announcement last week, appeared to be an attempt to pick a petty fight with Emanuel on a misguided statement he made to his peers nearly half-a-year ago that was not even directed at people with intellectual disabilities.
Palin’s call for Emanuel’s firing based on this comment rather than his performance sends the message that conservatives are hypersensitive name-callers who are afraid to tackle real issues and are thirsty for a fight.
No wonder young people vote for liberals. Liberals speak to the “feel-good” emotions, and Palin’s comment speaks to the “feel-bad” emotions. It tells young people that conservatives are angry bullies. Palin is strong, as I’ve blogged before, when she focuses on principle. Palin made a mistake in digging up this petty dirt, and hopefully the GOP will not make similar mistakes in its campaign to attract youth.
White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Image: REUTERS/Jim Young (U.S.)
Now, the unintended consequences of Palin’s comment include:
- Wasted time and distraction from ending the recession and cutting the deficit.
- An unnecessary opportunity for liberal media outlets like The Huffington Post to make conservatives look like laughingstocks.
- New, anti-American legislation. In this case, it led to increased calls for speech codes and a move to ban the term “mental retardation” from legal and medical terminology in favor of “intellectual disability” to appease PC watchdogs.
This is dangerous because as Jason Lewis stated on his talk show, “You do not have a right not to be offended in America. Get over it! … The purpose of the First Amendment is to protect speech that offends.” Additionally, the Washington Post reports that some advocates for the intellectually disabled feel, “the long campaign to change the term has been a waste of time, because the lexicon of insults is likely to expand to include any new terms and because it has distracted from more pressing needs.”
GOP’s Undercover Boss recommends
The GOP needs to focus on jobs and minimize petty distraction to grow its base with young professionals. Young people want jobs and job security. They want the opportunity to achieve the American Dream. The GOP has the opportunity to be the party that helps them achieve these goals.
Feb
09
Uncovering the youth vote
Part 2 of 3
By Katie Kieffer
I’m back from my first day as Undercover Boss for the GOP. I’m ready with a crucial report on how the GOP can bring young voting power back into the party.
If the GOP is bold enough to execute this plan, it will not be an easy Kobe Bryantesque slam-dunk to win the youth vote. It’s going to be a Rudy-like journey to achieve success.
I’m offering constructive criticism of the GOP that I think most conservatives (other than Jason Lewis) would be too afraid to announce publicly. But, isn’t that the point of Undercover Boss – to let the “Boss” know what is really happening in the trenches? So, if you’re used to brownnosing and political gaming, I’m warning you, my report isn’t going to be butterflies and smiley faces.
Here are the first two of my top recommendations to the GOP on how it can win young voters:
Marketing:
The GOP is not marketing its ideas in a way that is resonating with college students. A quick contrast of the national College Republicans’ website with the College Democrats’ website reveals that both are aesthetically boring. Neither sites would keep you coming back for more. This is an area of opportunity for the GOP. Locally, the Minnesota College Republicans’ (MN CRs) site is also a yawn, as well as a designer’s nightmare of inconsistent font sizes and style types everywhere.
Still, I decided to give the MN CRs the benefit of the doubt on its website design and check out its You Tube site. This was a bigger letdown than its website. The showcased video (below) was probably fun for the CRs to create, but it appears completely ineffective in attracting youth.
Rather than focusing on Sen. Franken’s numerous illogical ideas, the video personally attacks Sen. Franken, making him out to be “Frankenstein. Monster of the People.” It’s fine to use humor to get a point across: I do this in my own You Tube videos. But focus on defending a good idea, like capitalism, not on tearing down an individual.
In this video, a CR dressed like Frankenstein shouts out to other students, who mostly ignore him. If I weren’t a grounded conservative, I’d almost be inclined to feel sorry for Sen. Al Franken after watching this video, and I certainly would not join the MN CRs. The tone is petty, negative and borderline disrespectful. Watch and see if you think this is a group your non-GOP friends would like to join:
My assessment is that videos like this send the message to young people that the GOP is more concerned about picking a fight than solving real problems, like the labor crisis. This video sets up the stage for an “us vs. them,” “donkeys vs. elephants” mentality.
Being a conservative needs to be seen as cool, socially acceptable and the answer to America’s social and fiscal problems today. Otherwise, young people will choose to be liberals. I believe that conservative philosophies offer practical and rational solutions, but the GOP has yet to effectively market how it will be the party to implement conservative solutions.
To be fair, I’ve heard rumors that blogger and recently elected Deputy Chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Michael Brodkorb, would be tasked with overseeing a program to draw young people into the GOP. This is a huge job – bigger than one person – and Brodkorb will need many dedicated helpers and a killer strategy to succeed.
Intellectual inclusion
Here are the facts: 66 percent of young people voted for President Obama. The GOP has a long history of failing to connect with young voters. So, if the GOP wants to grow it needs young people to identify with its platform.
The time is ripe, because and young people always thirst for change. They have optimistic visions for improving the world and their lives. Now that President Obama’s promises of positive hope and change are failing to materialize, a Harvard poll reveals that even far-left young Democrats are beginning to have buyer’s remorse.
While young people are still attracted to the President, former Obama campaign volunteer coordinator, Ben Katz, says, “I do feel disappointment, yes.” Many young people had “Hollywood-like” expectations for change, and now, they feel let down.
You can’t forcibly change a bleeding heart liberal, but you can follow through on your promises and open the door to young people who feel like they do not belong to either major party. These young people fall into two main categories:
- Tea Party conservatives. They belong to a grassroots network frustrated with over-sized government growth and exorbitant spending. They feel disenfranchised by the two major political parties in America. Welcome them into the GOP, or understand that they will grow into their own distinct and powerful force.
- Censervatives. These are centrist conservatives who, as David Frum puts it, “support national defense, are eager to cut other federal spending and are hostile to Democratic attempts to regulate the economy.” But, they seek a middle ground on many other issues.
Pure-bred conservative young people are attracted to the bold, fresh ideas and activism that the Tea Party offers. Moderate conservative or disenchanted liberal youth are looking for solutions and flexibility, so they float towards the DFL or abstain from the political process entirely. Both groups could be brought into the GOP’s tent if the GOP opens itself to the Wisdom of Crowds. The GOP needs to open itself to more intellectual diversity while maintaining a solid, principled core.
The GOP will attract more young people of diverse viewpoints by simply following through on its promises, involving young people in the election process, asking for their opinions and bringing the “fun” and “social” aspects back to conservative debate. Let young people know that you don’t have to be a suited-up intern on Capitol Hill or a tent-abiding hippie, tattooed with peace symbols, to participate in the civic arena.
Humans are meant to learn and grow – not to fight and call each other names, like the MN CRs seem to do in the ‘Frankenstein’ video. I attract liberal readers to my blog, for instance, by giving them a voice in my conversation. Without changing my core beliefs, I can engage a wide range of minds by giving them the opportunity to voice an opinion, which I might learn from.
The GOP still has a stigma of being a white male cigar club, and this has to go. It will be hard to remove this stigma, and the GOP must make a genuine effort – not just a cosmetic effort – to remove it.
I have more major findings on young professional voters and the GOP to share with you. Please join me again later this week and I will reveal all.
Now, if only I could figure out how to create an “invisible ink” feature on my blog…
Feb
08
GOP gets Undercover Boss
Part 1 in a series
By Katie Kieffer
Image copyright Katie Kieffer. All rights reserved.
The GOP is at risk of losing key votes from young people. Young professionals are considered “swing voters” or “Supervoters” because of their powerful ability to determine elections.
I know jealousy is wrong, so I was trying to preoccupy myself instead of visualizing the Vince Lombardi Trophy in Brett Favre’s hands after yesterday’s Super Bowl game. My distraction of choice was to sort through a pile of research I’ve been collecting on young voters and the GOP, while watching the intriguing first episode of Undercover Boss.
Suddenly, a light bulb went off: “Why don’t I go undercover and dig up some of the reasons why the GOP has had 20 years of frustration in attracting young voters?”
Michael Steele didn’t tell me to clandestinely pinpoint why the GOP may look like moldy cheese to young professionals. I’m doing this out of curiosity and because I already have my ear to the ground. I’m a young professional myself and I move within the very circle of voters the GOP could be attracting.
I will debrief with my informants and report back to you tomorrow. You might be surprised whose fingerprints are on this story.
Until tomorrow,
Detective Kieffer
