A $10 million campaign is the latest effort to show the party is inclusive after a poor electoral showing.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Prebius unveiled the report with 219 recommendations on messaging, outreach, technology and data collection, saying focus groups viewed the Republican Party as a bunch of "stuffy old men."
"We know we have problems; we've identified them, and we're implementing the solutions to fix them," Prebius said. "It all goes back to what our moms used to tell us: It's not just what we say, it's how we say it. The promise of opportunity will be our message."
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., an ally of the Tea Party movement, tweeted his support for the project. "Priebus doing a terrific job and moving the RNC in a positive direction," Johnson posted on Twitter.
Among the details outlined in the report by the GOP's Growth and Opportunity Project: an embrace of comprehensive immigration reform to make clear the party welcomes Hispanics.
Democrats pushing for a comprehensive overhaul of immigration laws hailed this suggestion, saying the GOP's support of such an effort could make it easier to pass legislation.
President Obama increased his share of the Latino vote to 71% last year, as Republicans lost both the White House and one of their best chances to win back majority control of the Senate. Obama also won 55% of female voters and 60% of people under 30, according to surveys of voters as they left their polling places in November.
Bipartisan groups of lawmakers in the House and Senate are drafting immigration bills. The Senate group's outline would create a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants already in the USA, in addition to tightening borders and improving the way employers verify the status of workers.
Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, the No. 3 Democratic leader, said he hopes GOP leaders will take the party's report seriously.
"It could provide a real boost for the prospects of immigration reform," said Schumer, part of Senate's bipartisan immigration group. "If Republicans dig in against common-sense reform, it will be hard for their party to move forward. But if Democrats try to use immigration as a partisan, wedge issue rather than seek real solutions, it will backfire on them, too."
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., who is helping write the House immigration bill, said the GOP is "back at the table discussing how to resolve a tough policy problem – conscientiously, seriously – and not just thinking how to exploit division at election time.
"Right now, we need to forget about who is going to get credit and have both parties serve the people's interest," he said.
Frank Sharry of America's Voice, a group that supports giving illegal immigrants a chance at citizenship, said the report "gets it right" on immigration.
"If you tell people you don't like them and back it up with policies that scream we don't want your kind of people here, it's hard to win their votes," he said.
The party says it will be up to Congress to figure out the details of an immigration bill.
The RNC's new effort is not the first time Republicans have tried to remake their party. In 2000, for example, the national party unveiled a multimillion-dollar ad campaign in English and Spanish aimed at reaching out to Hispanic voters. Republicans in Congress in 2009, led by Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, created a National Council for a New America designed to encourage dialogue about the GOP's future. That effort did not lead to any concrete proposals. Cantor voiced his support for Priebus' effort on Twitter. "Fantastic job by all involved. Now it's time to get to work!" he wrote.
Priebus cast this new outreach effort as historic because of the money being spent and the timing well ahead of the next elections.
He said the party would spend $10 million on outreach to minorities, women and young voters starting with the hiring of paid workers by the end of this summer.
On the mechanics of presidential elections, the party will also aim to limit GOP presidential debates and hold its national convention earlier so the eventual nominee will have earlier access to general election funds.
Republicans such as 2008 GOP presidential nominee John McCain believe Mitt Romney was hurt in the last election by having to participate in 20 primary debates, which highlighted negative attacks between the party's candidates.
For More Information Contact us at:
http://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/index.html
No comments:
Post a Comment