By Larry Elder
Jan. 2, 2014
Jan. 2, 2014
Michael
Steele, then-chair of the Republican National Committee, criticized Obama's
stimulus plan as "a wish list from a lot of people who have been on the
sidelines for years ... to get a little bling, bling." Steele, who wanted
to expand the GOP's appeal to young voters, used the expression to, in Steele's
words, "take the party to the streets," while making the GOP more
"relevant" to "urban-suburban hip-hop settings."
In 2008,
Obama took 66 percent of the 18-to-29-year-old vote, and 60 percent in 2012. To
broaden the GOP's appeal, consultants hold forums, town halls and focus groups
to figure out ways to attract the youth vote. Is it the core message — low
taxes, low regulation, secure boarders and strong national security — that
young voters find off-putting? Is it the messenger? Former Democratic Chair
Howard Dean once referred to the GOP as the "white" party.
An April
2013 Washington Post/ABC News poll found 65 percent of young people thought the
Republican Party was "out of touch." Only 47 percent considered the
Democratic Party "out of touch." Focus groups find young voters,
largely because of the GOP position on abortion and same-sex marriage, dismiss
the GOP as the party that "tells people how to live their lives."
Blame the
GOP, in large part, for either being confused on its approach to social issues
or confused on how to talk about them. On domestic issues, the GOP should be
the "federalism," growth and empowerment party. Social issues such as
gay marriage, abortion and drugs, where the U.S. Constitution is silent, are
state matters to be fought at the state level — not matters addressed by the
federal government.
Supreme
Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Republican appointee and arguably the most
conservative justice, said the courts lack the expertise and judgment to
resolve issues like same-sex marriage, abortion and doctor-assisted suicide.
Scalia
argues that such issues are state matters: "On controversial issues on
stuff like homosexual rights, abortion, we debate with each other and persuade
each other and vote on it either through representatives or a constitutional
amendment. ... Whether it's good or bad is not my job. My job is simply to say
if those things you find desirable are contained in the Constitution."
Social
issues are important, but it's still the economy, stupid. Ronald Reagan was
elected president in 1980, capturing 44 states. When he ran for re-election, he
won 49 states. Did he win two landslide elections because he converted the
country into embracing all of his positions? Of course not. A September 1984
New York Times article lead with this headline: "Polls Show Many Choose
Reagan Even If They Disagree With Him." Reagan supported an amendment to
ban abortion. Most Americans disagreed. On abortion, the Times wrote,
"Half of those who disagree with Mr. Reagan on abortion say they plan to
vote for him, while only 38 percent of them say they will vote for Mr.
Mondale."
Did the
Great Communicator effectively convey his empathy, his heart and his
compassion? No, not compared to his opponent, former Vice President Walter
Mondale: "Significantly," wrote the Times, "71 percent said yes
when asked if Mr. Mondale 'cares about people like you;' 56 percent said that
of Mr. Reagan." On the issue of "caring," advantage to Mondale.
So what
was it? The Times provides an explanation: "There is clear evidence in the
(New York Times/CBS News) poll that the economy is a critical issue in the
campaign." On the economy, the poll asked about unemployment, inflation,
the deficit and interest rates. Of those naming "unemployment" as
most important, half planned to vote for Reagan. "But among the two-thirds
who cited one of the other three problems," the Times said, "Reagan
supporters outnumbered Mondale supporters by margins of greater than 2 to
1."
At its
nadir, the recession Reagan inherited reached 10.8 percent unemployment, 21.5
percent prime interest rate and 13.5 percent inflation. Reagan turned this
around with a combination of tax cuts, deregulation and slower domestic
spending, assisted by a Federal Reserve determined to rein in inflation. His
economic record, as of 1984, convinced voters — who otherwise disagreed with
him on many issues — to give him a nearly 50-state sweep.
The party
that says the federal government should butt out of social issues — the
Republican Party — is the party that "tells us how to live our
lives"? The party that tells an inner-city parent where her child will
attend school, the party that attempts to stop you from drinking a sugary
beverage from a big cup — the Democratic Party — is the party of empathy and
compassion?
Reagan,
like the people who wrote the Constitution, believed in federalism, that any
power not specified in the Constitution resides with the people and the states.
President Barack Obama criticizes Congress for "failing to act" on
gun control. Yet he recently praised states like Colorado and California for
taking action. That's called state action, Mr. President. It's how our republic
is designed to work.
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