Editor’s note: We’re pleased to welcome Gideon D’Assandro to our team. Gideon begins his postings by taking a stab at what steps he thinks the Republican Party needs to do to get back on the right track.

Importance of a Unified Message

One of the most poignant talks I have ever seen a politician give occurred two years ago in Muskegon, MI. Midsummer Lincoln Day dinners in an off-year for elections are not exactly a hub of activity, especially with Governor Pawlenty speaking out of state. However, his discussion of Republican failings at projecting a coherent message was exactly what needs to be preached more widely. Specifically, he talked about the debate over a national health-care policy and how the Left’s competing plans were widely known and debated, while the conservative counter-proposal was to… not do what the Democrats wanted. Voters might not have liked the Clinton or Obama plan, but they were left with no alternative other than the great unknown of a displeasing status quo. Of course Senator McCain had a plan – as one of his campaign staffers at that dinner, I ought to know – but a door-to-door poll of local residents would have turned up only blank stares and stutters when asked what exactly it entailed.

Given, the GOP is at a serious disadvantage regarding issues right now with our opponents bringing in distressed voters in droves with empty promises and shallow pleasantries (hopenchange, anyone?). Since hearing that talk from Governor Pawlenty, I’ve been thinking about how to help voters understand policy issues without being too esoteric in the message. While I do not believe that Twitter is going to save the party, by any stretch of the imagination, I am pleased to see that recent RNC actions regarding new media are going to make sure that we never completely ignore such a large sector of communications. This ‘anything and everything’ approach is evident in the wide range of avenues used by successful political staffs with the right mix of political efficacy and real-life relevance to help voters identify our platform with what they know to be true. We as Republicans must know our audience; when reaching out to everyday Americans busy with work and family life, we can not simply show up with a thirty-point plan and expect them to analyze it for us. Rather, we as a party are going to be required to reach a point where people simply trust that we have that plan. This more empirical approach to meeting citizens where they are and creating an accessible message is a positive and necessary step.

Lemons to Lemonade

Of course, we can only make gains in this area if the party has one identifiable and consistent message to preach, which is a problem. We’ve all heard that ‘Republicans who don’t vote like Republicans’ were partly to blame for 2008. That trend hits the GOP especially hard, because Republicans don’t have that recognizable message to start with – our policy proposals aren’t being taught in classes, debated on CNN or receiving a fair vote in Congress, just because we believe that less is more. The GOP needs to join together, draw a line in the sand and state our policy proposals through seemingly hopeless amendments to Dem spending bills and filibustering Government takeovers of private enterprise. By turning each vote from a perceived knee-jerk reaction of ‘no’ into a principled stand, we lend credence to our own philosophies.

They sure started slowly enough, but our Congressmen seem to finally be taking this to heart. Recent debates over ‘Card Check’ and the omnibus spending bill have included the addition of politically suicidal amendments for the Dems – causing just enough to defect that concessions must be made. These are the loudest and most direct platforms through which the members can inject their ideas into actual legislation. Our previously confused and deflated Congressmen have suddenly grown backbones and found their voice in a particularly antagonistic resistance. If our Senators can make an issue out of whether a bill should pass, rather than with how much pork it should include, the public debate of the bill in the news will be our alternative.

Opportunity Everywhere

So in a weird way, I’m glad that Specter and company voted for the stimulus package. Obviously, I’m not happy that its going through – what makes Obama suddenly think he’s the CEO of GM? – but the vulnerable Senator from Pennsylvania has flown his flag and shown his true colors. Now Pat Toomey is far ahead in the 2010 Pennsylvania Republican primary and McConnell & Co. are defining themselves in the juxtaposition with Specter. I wouldn’t necessarily say that the three who broke on spending should be voted out, but I certainly like that those who would are taking a hard and well-received stance on the issue.

The way things had gone with the stimulus bill, many assumed Card Check was going to be another pushover on which the GOP would be unable to mount a meaningful defense. People even began to write Arlen Specter’s political obituary, assuming he would cut off the base of his support completely. Would he just get it over with and turn independent already? Surely he’ll vote with unions to win independents in 2010, right? The reports out of Pennsylvania said that his reelection supporters were on the brink of desertion and Michael Steele made the pundit rounds to threaten him by withholding RNC primary support. The issue saw much more coverage than when it was introduced in 2007 and became a right-to-work talking point, touching on fundamental democratic values and American history, instead of just a union procedural matter. In the end, even Specter himself broke back to the right and opposed it.

Your average voter might not understand the economics at play in a free-market auto industry reorganization, but they know that they don’t want their tax dollars going toward executive bonuses for insurance companies. The GOP can own that issue going forward with a consistent and principled commitment to fiscal conservatism. In essence, we’re putting the phonies on trial and making sure that it’s as public as possible. By showing everyone what we are not, ostensibly, they will understand what we are. If we truly believe that our beliefs about individual rights and freedoms are in the best interest of the country, then an increased understanding of our platform will only lead to good things for the party. Without the ability to govern effectively from below, Congressional Republicans must take on this task as a priority going forward. Our leadership was never very good at playing with a lead, but they sure fit into the role of the scrappy underdog that won’t leave you alone. It just took a couple trillion dollars for them to figure it out.

Last 5 posts by Gideon D'Assandro

• The Reality of Racial Politics - August 17th, 2009
• Thank God Obama's President - August 3rd, 2009
• Health Care Coverup - July 23rd, 2009
• The Suppressed EPA Report’s Effect on Healthcare - July 12th, 2009
• Social Conservatism Going Forward - July 5th, 2009