Reponse to Republican Commentary on CNN.com

Commentary on CNN.com: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/04/rollins.republicans/index.html

Quote Mr. Rollins:
"We are a party that needs ideas, new leaders and an inroad into young people and their thinking. That doesn't mean we have to abandon our old ideas or quit fighting the president's policies when we don't believe in them."

Response:
If you want an inroad to young people you are going to need to abandon your old ideas and quit fighting the president's policies. Young people overwhelmingly vote progressively, and voted for President Obama. Young people these days have grown up in an increasingly diverse country, going to public schools where they learn from students with other cultural backgrounds. This leaves them with an affinity with those who are from a dissimilar background and provides them with the ability to accept others who are different than them. The Republican party has long been opposed to diversity issues and still uses the tactics of race-baiting and blaming minorities for this countries problems. When Republicans can bring something new to the table and give up their old ways of discrimination then maybe just maybe they may be able to split off a little of the youth vote from the Democrats.

In addition to the discrimination method that the Republican party likes to run with, there is the current ploy to call all of the plans the democrats have socialism. That worked in the 50's and 60's when people in this country were afraid of Communist Russia but in this day in age with the strongest communist dictatorship being North Korea and the only other one being Cuba this tactic isn't going to scare anyone. Also the fact that most of the things that Republicans are calling socialism, like national health care, social security, and welfare are already instituted and much more heavily funded in almost all other industrialized nations. What Republicans term socialism the youth of today see as equality and fairness, you know those things that you try to instill in your children when they are young so they don't grow up isolated, alone, and bitter. I think that Republicans have forgotten that. So when you outgrow your old and tired rants on "socialism", what we today call equity, fairness, and human rights, you may be able to get a few more youth votes. Until then good luck with trying to win future elections without becoming more moderate.