Republicans Face a Fork in the Road
Fork in the Road for the GOP
Undoubtedly when a political party loses an election, talks arise of whether or not said party is in trouble. These talks surfaced for the Republican Party shortly after the November election cycle, but certain factors will continue to hamper and erode the GOP’s prospects of having a successful future unless Republicans make a clear shift in their ideology.
One issue Republicans will have to address is the changing demographics of the country. So far, the Republican response to key issues affecting minorities and young voters has been pandering by pushing certain individuals to become the face of the party (e.g. Bobby Jindal and Marco Rubio). Simply masking the underlying issue will only delay the inevitable. Having Marco Rubio continually on the TV circuit will not render Hispanic votes. Coming up with comprehensive immigration reform and sticking by a decision will.
However, the Hispanic/immigration issue is indicative of a larger problem. The GOP cannot confront challenges by window dressing. Republicans need to take a look in the mirror and ask if they really believe certain ideologies, or if they are merely sticking to the rules that have seemingly always been there. Republicans are swimming upstream on issues such as gun rights and gay marriage, so if the GOP wants to dig in on these issues, then it is going to have a hard time getting elected in the future. If Republicans want to go to battle on whether or not military grade weapons should be allowed on the streets, then the GOP will sustain many casualties. Instead of catering to fringe elements of the party, someone (preferably with party credibility and visibility) needs to stand up and speak out. Times are changing, but at times the Republican Party seems to be stuck in the 1980’s. Times of challenge can be times for a fresh start or the beginning of the end.
However, all is not lost for the party. Many voters are starting to realize that fiscal problems need to be addressed no matter how eloquently the other side spins the issue. People are at a jaded point with both parties, because nothing ever seems to get done in Washington and there is an ever pending crisis looming. By addressing issues head on and learning to evolve with the changing world, Republicans can gain momentum and build a more promising future. However, the clock is ticking, and it’s not ticking back to the 1980’s.
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