I am an independent voter who for the first time supporter a republican in a Presidential election. I think these ideas are great for the Republican Party. But they didn’t address a now predominant question for the party. Does it shift to the center and follow the likes of Moderate Republicans like John McCain? Or does it “return to the roots” and try to rebuild the base. Many are saying things such as “well look where following the Moderate plan got us with the nomination of John McCain. Well let me tell you, if you think any other Republican could have done as well or remotely better than McCain, you are NUTS. The only reason he didn’t get KILLED was b/c of his Moderate and bipartisan image. And it was the ‘reformer’ image he was trying to appeal to with Sarah Palin and that actually worked immediately following her announcement. But once her extreme right views came to light (and of course the economy worsened), he sunk back down in the polls.
I honestly think it comes down to two issues. Abortion and gay rights. At least for us young independents (I am 26). It is those two issues that instantly will put most of my peers into the democratic column. They won’t even look at you guys. When your true ideology of small government, less taxes, greater individual liberty would actually be very appealing to many of them. And why do Republicans make these litmus tests?? You screw yourselves out of so many votes, instantly. And if you truly dissect your ideology… I think you’d see that you are actually supposed to be Pro-Choice and Pro-gay rights. It’s actually very un-Republican by true definition (certainly NOT modern definition) to be 100 percent prolife and against gay marriage.
If the party could make its platform about smaller government, fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, reform, individual liberty (I’m sorry but that includes marriage equality and the freedom for a woman to choose)… it could take back control of the government. With my support and with a far greater youth support (b/c now you have none).
If sarah Palin could say that while she is personally against abortion ,she does not believe in over turning roe v wade. And while she may personally believe that marriage is a between a man and a woman she does believe in separation of church and state and DOES believe that atleast as far as the government is concerned, there should be civil marriage equality (churches do what they want). If she does those two things and the party gets behind her… she could be elected in 2012.
