The Republican Party has set up a new website, RepublicanforaReason.com, in the attempt to find a new identity for their fractured party. As stated on their site:
Welcome to our newest grassroots Web site, Republican For A Reason.
As we regroup as a Party after the presidential election, we must reflect on what we have done well and what we can improve upon as we move forward.
The Republican Party has always been the Party of hope and the Party of ideas. I strongly believe we will continue in this tradition as we work to the future.
This is a website where people can create an account and voice their opinions and suggestions as to how the Republicans can be competitive sometime in the next decade or two. While I would never sign up and "troll" on their site, I decided to leave my suggestions for them here, where they will never see them.
Here is a sample entry from Stephanie, an Army brat from Texas:
As a young 23 year old wife and mother a college graduate and a Republican I find I am one of very few of my generation that stand with the Republican party. I believe that my background as a Army brat and daughter of parents with very conservative views have shaped who I am today. I am not one of these well off Republicans and feel that a great American like Sarah Palin really connects me more to the GOP than those who truly do not understand. I like the diversity I am seeing and that is what it is going to take to show that the GOP really is getting down to business.
Here is what my entry would look like:
I am not a Republican, but I thought I would give you some pointers as to how to rebuild your party. Take these suggestions how you will, but they may help you if you choose to give them any thought.
- Abandon the Friedman model AKA Reaganomics, Voodoo Economics, Trickle-Down Economics. It does not work. It is a Ponzi scheme to make the rich into the super-rich and make the rest of us poor. We all see that now and we hate it.
- Anyone in your party who says that God guides them in their governance and literally means that they have heard God speak and he has given them details about how to actually make decisions, should be kicked out of your party immediately and sent to a mental institution. Anyone who figuratively mentions this should be suspect.
- Give a civics/history test to anyone prior to allowing them to speak in public on your party's behalf.
- At least pay some non-white people to be at ANY of your rallies or events. The same goes for people under 40.
- Please understand that Gay people vote. So do Blacks and Hispanics. You can't have some Colonel Sanders looking politician from Alabama insulting everyone who doesn't look like him days before an election.
- Come to understand that exhausting your military in unnecessary wars, cutting funding for veterans benefits, lengthening deployment schedules, and voting against a new GI bill is NOT "Supporting The Troops", nor is it sound national security policy.
- Figure out that rich white guys are a rapidly shrinking minority in our country and regardless of how many voting machine companies they own, they are not a dependable voting demographic.
- Racism is a horrible, despicable behavior flaw, not a campaign strategy.
- Look in the mirror and ask yourself, "How much money do I actually need? Is it worth it to be that rich at the expense of the well being of the entire country?"
- The law is the law. It doesn't matter how much money you have or what office you hold, you are not above it. Ever. Really. I mean it. Ever.
- Last, but not least, stop being the ultra-national, America is ALWAYS right crowd. America is the greatest country on Earth, but there are things that we do that are horribly wrong (torture, pollution, Fox News). Make it your mission to right those wrongs as well as celebrate the things that we get right.
If you do all of these things, then I guess we won't need a new Republican Party. You all will be Democrats!
Sincerely, rickrocket