Rebranding Will Not Be Enough For These Republicans
Last week, the news that the Republican Party, was kicking off an initiative called the National Council for a New America, as part of an effort to rebrand itself, was somewhat lost due to the extensive coverage of Barack Obama's first hundred days as president and the news of Arlen Specter switching parties. Republican Party heavyweights, from the past and, presumably, future such as Haley Barbour, Mitt Romney, John McCain, Jeb Bush and Bobby Jindal and others behind this initiative apparently think the problem their party faces is one of branding and image, suggesting things may be worse for the GOP than initially thought.
In politics, rebranding generally means shifting emphasis and image away from negative and towards positive associations. This is why President Obama has sought to, and already begun, succeeding in rebranding America. During the presidency of George W. Bush many people around the world began to see our country through a negative prism based on the arrogance and destructive policies of our president. Obama's presidency makes it possible for people to see the US through a different prism, one of hope and opportunity. Importantly, with regards to the notion of rebranding, regardless of whether or not much of our foreign policy may not change all that dramatically during the Obama presidency, the way we present those policies and ourselves will.
In business, rebranding is also what you do when you haven't updated your advertising jingle for too many years, your mascot's clothes need to be updated, or your product's colors need to be brightened or muted because of changes in fashion. The problems the Republican Party faces, however, will not be solved by rebranding. The Republicans don't have problems of slogan or presentation. Their problems go much deeper than that. In these days of increased concern about swine flu, porcine allusions may require even more sensitivity than ever, but simply rebranding the Republican Party by somehow updating its image, with apologies to Sarah Palin, really is putting lipstick on a pig.
The quandary in which the Republican Party now finds itself is not due to a public relations problem, but stems from being strongly identified, and not without good reason, with the Bush administration. The Bush administration is broadly viewed as a failure, not because it didn't present itself well, but because it mishandled both the economy and foreign policy to disastrous effect. Additionally, some of the ideas which have been foundation of the Republican Party have, in the cases of radical social conservatism and unregulated financial sectors, become the views of an increasingly small minority of Americans. Other bedrock Republican views, such as fiscal conservatism and a realist based foreign policy, were abandoned altogether by the Bush administration and the Republican Party in the last decade. These are problems are profound and go to the core not just of the party's image, but to its vision, message and raison d'etre.
The post-Bush Republican Party is not unpopular simply because they are viewed by many as too old, too white, too male or too out of touch with 21st century America, although all those perceptions do not exactly help the party. They are unpopular because they are associated with a failed administration and, due to having become captured by the right wing fringe, are unable to contribute serious, remotely popular ideas to the debate. Rebranding may help a little, but it will not resolve these fundamental problems.
What is most striking about the Republican Party's rebranding campaign, as presented thus far, is that they seem to have taken much of the current leadership of the party and simply given them a new name, suggesting that they think that all Barbour, McCain, Bush et. al. need to win back lost support is a new website and clever title. If the Republican Party wants to become a relevant force in American politics once again, they should think less about branding and more about substance. A post-Bush Republican Party needs to be defined, but this will not be easy in this period of the Obama ascendancy. Simply attacking the popular and politically deft president has done nothing to broaden the Republican base. Instead this approach has mobilized, and empowered, those segments of the Republican coalition who can most effectively push independent and moderate voters away from the Republican Party. Thus far, the Republicans have largely avoided doing the hard work of thinking through viable policy solutions, governing well in the states where the party still controls the government or creating a viable 21st century vision of conservatism, but if they don't start doing this hard work sooner or later, the Republican Party's path back to relevancy will be even more arduous.
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Jeb Bush.....sold almost a billion dollars worth of bonds to the Fla. State Pension Funds. Those bonds are now nearly worthless. He did this as a "consultant" (read lobbyist) for Goldman-Sachs or one of the other companies. They were backed by those wonderful derivatives. Why isn't the state of Florida investigating this little charade? What do you think he made off a transaction of this size?
The Bush family is corrupt from top to bottom. The old man, W, Neill, this one, their great-grandfather....crooks of the first magnitude. I hope someone investigates this soon.
The DNC just put a video together showing the new faces of the GOP: McCain, Cheney and Gingrich. It is one of the funniest things I've ever seen.
What not a listening tour now like Candor said, after all their pizza words listening listening listening tour..which is not now a listening tour now...hmmm now I am really confused Candor
There is only one card trick they have left....
ARE YOU SCARED ENOUGH TO VOTE REPUBLICAN AGAIN ?
The GOP will play you into the position they want day after day after day.....
That so called card trick is easy to play when you have liberals wanting to release Gitmo detainees into the U.S. and then put them on welfare, calling illegals patriotic, spending trillions of our dollars with very little oversight, and passing huge porkfilled bills that nobody reads.
Are you really so dumb that you believe GITMO detainees will be walking down the street with you ?
Gee, when I look at these "huge porkfilled bills that nobody reads" I see a whole lot of Republicans contributing to the abundance of pork. Are you really so uneducated as to believe that it's the Democrats that are the only ones adding pork to these bills?
Maybe you should actually read the "bills that nobody reads."
The problem with closing GITMO is what to do with the detainees who were never a threat to the US to begin with. No one said anything about bringing them here and putting them on welfare.
Jane, get a grip girl. How can you possibly imagine that the President is going to release terrorists into the general population? Try to do a little thinking for yourself and ignore the ridiculous inanity that comes from the extreme radicals of the Republican Party.
I always get worried with these types of stories. There are several others like them on Huff Post at this moment, not to mention the Jon Stewart clip of finding the lost Republican party. The stories that make it sound like the GOP is all but dead worry me greatly.
It wasn't long ago that the Democrats would be so close to winning, yet lose and lose some more. After two years of winning back Congress and the White House, my fellow Dems seem to be getting cocky and starting to feel as though we can't lose. We can and we have and stories like this only give us more reason to think we are invincible. That frightens me. That hyped assuredness leads to very poor decisions, bad attitudes and makes for frightening mistakes...just look at the Bush era, the Republican's were convinced they had it all in the bag. Their superiority got the best of them.
So all I'm saying before anyone gets all riled up is I think we need to keep our heads on straight as if the GOP was just as strong as they were three months, or two years ago. Remember that the when it comes to a matter of life or death each and every living thing pulls strength and energy from a sheer survivalists mentality.
Why is having Democrats in power such a good thing for you and/or the rest of America?
I don't support all of what Republican have been doing either, but it seems that Democratic voters will do and say anything just to keep their party in power.
Answer my question and I'll tell you why party politics is destroying this country.
I don't that democrats agree with every decision that there party makes, but if most of your values are on the side of a party that is the one you want to keep in power, and after the last few years of Republican power Democrats are not eager to see that back in power
You're drifting to the extreme here if you think that only Democrats will do and say anything to stay in power. That's the nature of politics. The answer is for people to read the bills and voting records of their elected officials and decide for themselves...most people are way to lazy to do that.
In response to Mover. Thank you for the respectful comment.
I don't agree with everything that Democrats stand for or vote for. However, I most likely will never find a 100% match, so I work with what I find most important. I believe some of what the GOP has to offer are at times very good ideas.
I agree that party politics is a hurdle to progress and unity in this country. Yet, this is the system that has developed and so this is the system I work with. I am secure enough to admit I don't have the time or the stomache to revolt against the two party system we have now. So if I am not going to be a driving force to break convention and promote radical change, I must instead cease lamenting about what should be, and work with the system that is.
Within that system my ideals most closely align with the Democrats. Therefore, I will choose the party and candidates that stand for what I believe in. I do believe very much in looking at individual voting records and seeing how the issues these candidates vote on affect my life and my ideals. However, with the exception of a very few, in my voting lifetime I have usually found that the candidates I choose within this two party system are usually Dems.
My post and points are watered down, there's a limit to how many words one can use here :)
I really dislike this phrase "rebranding." However, I believe it fully applies to the GOP. This is truly a marketing gimmick. This is just "tell the market what it wants to hear." And the market is the middle of the road swing vote. There is no redefinition of conservative policy going on here. It's plain to see that Rush is the "definer" of "good, old fashion, conservatism". This is just a sales pitch that focuses on a message that they are "new and Improved." In the end,they are the same GOP that they have been for the last 20 years. Same snake oil, updated artwork on the label. They are trying to find a new trinket to give America, so they can get back the power they lost, and continue to serve themselves.
I believe you are right. Rebranding is just another marketing tool and those we do not need. But, I don't believe you need to worry. Republicans lost their power by trying to appease the legacy media and be friends with the opposition. That strategy has yet to work. And we know that they lost power because of 2 things: The media blitz against them and Democrat candidates running on conservative issues (see http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Gillibrand-Defends-Gun-Control-Flip-Flop.html).
They will never win over the legacy media and their pandering to liberal causes is who they have become. The only way they will be able to regain power is if they replace most of the liberal, pandering Republicans with Washington outsiders who conservatives can believe in.
fabulous article. you really hit the nail on the head with the republicans
The Obama and in general the democratic partys brand is moving towards strength, technology, future, diplomacy, forward leaning, pragmatic, integrity
The brand is being buffed in to this though because in general democrats and the party are embracing what america really needs and what the most logical policy choices are.
Therefore republicans by walking in to an obvious trap of constant opposition are in fact aligning themselves with problems that are not pressing and solutions that are not legitimate and all the while exposing themselves as the same types of political hacks that would 'mislead' an entire world in to an illegitimate war and mindbogglingly continue to question and ignore global warming.
"democratic partys brand is moving towards strength, technology, future, diplomacy, forward leaning, pragmatic, integrity"
They speak it, but have yet to show it in anything they've done so far.
"Therefore republicans by walking in to an obvious trap of constant opposition"
You mean to say 'exactly as the Democrats did when the GOP were the majority party, right?
"are in fact aligning themselves with problems that are not pressing and solutions that are not legitimate"
Please, enlighten us as to what those are. Thanks.
"and all the while exposing themselves as the same types of political hacks that would 'mislead' an entire world in to an illegitimate war"
Are you referring to Clinton appointee, CIA Director "it's a slam-dunk" George Tenet? This is what happens when you carry over the opposition's henchmen.
"and mindbogglingly continue to question and ignore global warming."
All my friends believe it, all my legacy media talking heads believe it, and even though the global temperature has flat lined for the past decade, I still believe. Yes, Praise thee Algore.
Does this silly panel of men think that we have already forgotten that the Republican Party had a huge chance to prove that their ideas would work when they held the majority in both the House and the Senate AND they had W in the White House?
They had many, many years to prove us wrong.
Instead they used their opportunity to make toilet paper of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, ruin the nation financialy and make us an object of scorn all over the world.
Thanks, GOP!
These guys said that the GOP needs to forget about Ronald Reagan.
Of course they do, this bunch make Reagan look like a saint and a genius in comparrison.
Obama= to Lincoln and FDR..........Lmao!!!!!!!!!!
Teddy Roosevelt championed and signed anti-trust legislation. He was also an environmentalist and created several national parks. Eisenhower warned us of the military industrial complex and advocated lowering defense spending to feed/clothe/educate the needy. They were Republicans and very progressive, but they would be labeled as dirty hippie/commie/baby-killin/socialist liberals if they were alive today.
What Republicans don't realize that it isn't just about Bush and they can't spin-doctor their way out of their decline because when it comes down to it....they are just not on the same side as the large majority of the American people are when it comes to policy...both foreign and domestic. It's exactly their "values" and platform that does not jibe with the American people. It doesn't help that they openly detest feminists, non-whites, gay people and the thought of workers rights either.
Today's GOP clings to their past "glory" days of the Reagan era, which was not exactly a great time for a lot of Americans...inflation, unemployment, high interest rates, ignoring the AIDS epidemic. They should be looking farther back for inspiration but they won't. Because Rush tells them not to.
Funny how you can miss Republicans like Roosevelt and Eisenhower today.
I have to doubt that the Republican Party could produce anyone of that caliber anymore.
Before Barry Goldwater died, he said if he were running for office in this era he'd be labeled a 'liberal'.
Republican Wisdom of Yesterday
Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes that you can do these things. Among them are a few Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or businessman from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid.
--President Dwight D. Eisenhower
The Obama Administration is now the main brand spokesmodel for the Democratic Party. Let's see how it keep its promises.
If it fails to deliver its members will be out on their collective ear as well, as they should be.
Republicans won the election after Clinton by lying, cheating and stealing.
After their FAKE COWBOY BUSH got the presidency, the Republicans
went to the max with their LYING, CHEATING AND STEALING.
After WILD PROFITEERING, DEREGULATION and FOR-PROFIT WAR-MONGERING,
the Republicans kept on lying, cheating and stealing while they were crashing
American economy and having Bush LIE and say "y'all, it's gonna be okay...".
SURE. NOT.
Americans CANNOT AFFORD Republicans and their lying, cheating and stealing.
Republicans are TOO EXPENSIVE.
"Americans CANNOT AFFORD Republicans and their lying, cheating and stealing.
Republicans are TOO EXPENSIVE."
LOL, I guess you haven't looked at Obama's budget, it makes Bush's spending seem restrained.
I am delighted to see that your attention span stretches over all of seventeen nanoseconds.
The Obama Administration is spending money to keep this economy from going completely in the tank. The Bush Administration started the process, if my memory doesn't fail me, with a 700 billion rescue package for Wall Street companies, and by the way, they tried to keep the program entirely out of the scrutiny of any controlling instance.
Remember?
Re-branding is a marketing term and happens when a product is in the second stage of its downward spiral. The product has lost market share, can no longer be improved and other products on the market do a better job with a better cost benefit ratio. It is a way to try to keep the product viable until you can produce an alternative that meets the needs of the consumer.
The fact that the Republicans chose to call this re-branding, rather than a new product speaks volumes. The Republicans have a product that no one is buying and they're trying to get more sales by re-branding it.
I say, stop buying it and they might come out with a new product that someone might like.
Republicans had one good idea at their economic summit:
"Hey let's order extra cheese on our pizza!!!"
I like cheese on pizza too.
Sociopaths (re-Thugs) are all about controlling others and telling them what to think, what to do and who to hate.
http://www.mcafee.cc/Bin/sb.html
However - the x and y generations -- in larger and larger numbers - DO NOT need or want anyone telling them what to think, what to do, who to hate, etc., etc.
Cantor kissed Rush's keister by back-peddling from the term "Listening Tour" and re-naming it an education tour. Rush's point? -- that they should be going out to "educate" others. In other words - telling others what to think, what to do and who to hate.
It's NOT going to work. Re-Thugs don't even live in the present -- they live in and yearn for the past. We know that because they are only , ever and about completely about dragging America back to the 15th century. Ain't gonna' happen fellas.
The world is changing to fast for them. They're helpless against the tide of change because they are completely unwilling to change ANYTHING.
*
You big government apologists think you've come up with "new ideas". Wrong. Your ideas were stale 2000 years ago. Big government...worship the state...tax and spend. The Roman Empire collapsed because of over spending by big government. In the 18th Century they knew more about how freedom works that the people here at HuffPost. They understood that government is not the solution...government is the PROBLEM...(John Locke...Thomas Jefferson...etc).
Joseph says:
"In the 18th Century they knew more about how freedom works that the people here at HuffPost. "
Really? You mean the kind of "freedom" that's ONLY for WHITE, MALE, LANDOWNERS?
You have it exactly right.
You have it wrong, TJ didn't see government as a problem he saw an overbearing government that inserts itself into personal lives as a problem. Like say, outlawing gay marriage cuz the bible says so.
He'd be against the intrusion into the personal lives of citizens. Also he would have never been on board with the Patriot Act, Military Commissions Act, or any of the Orwellian policy foisted upon our nation by the Bush Crime Family.
Bush is the one that spent a budget surplus, started an illegal war against a nation that was not a threat that is costing us at least 1 trillion when all is said and done, pushed for the bank bailouts, passed huge bloated legislation like Medicare Part D, created the massive inept and incompetent DHS...etc.
Bush and the Rubber Stamping Republicans spent this nation into a hole and we have NOTHING to show for it. At least if Obama spends money on buildings and roads, people get jobs and we get desperately needed infrastructure improvement that helps the economy by aiding commerce.
So please, spare your lecture on big government and spending. Republicans have lost ALL credibility on that issue.
The Roman Empire collapsed because the tax system collapsed. The Equestrii, basically the landed bourgeoisie, were enlisted to collect taxes in their districts and had to pay whatever they couldn't collect from their own pockets. They excused themselves in droves to escape the responsibility.
At any rate, the Roman Empire lasted for two thousand years. We only have 1,800 more years to go to match that.
Government is the problem when it is incompetent. Government beat the Japanese in WWII, put a man on the moon, and gave us the National Parks.
Republicans believe that government is incompetent as a foregone conclusion. They should not be let anywhere near it.
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