Republicans Seek Minorities

By Douglas V. Gibbs

The Republican Party is trying to figure out a way to improve the party's performance with minority voters.  In fact, the RNC chairman, Reince Priebus is staking his legacy on it.  The problem is, the are missing the whole point.  They have the premise all wrong.

The democrats have historically done well in the voting booth with the minority vote.  As The Hill explains, "In the 2012 election, President Obama won 93 percent of the black vote, 71 percent of the Hispanic vote and 73 percent of the Asian vote, helping him coast to a victory over Republican Mitt Romney."

The Democrat Party has spent tremendous effort to sway the minority vote in their direction, proclaiming themselves to be the party of the people, and constantly jabbing at the GOP with accusations of racism.  The democrats realized quickly that after the American Civil War, when blacks were flocking to the Republican Party, they had to change things.  When in the 1960s it was the Republican backed civil rights legislation that was being passed, and after President Johnson reluctantly signed the Civil Rights Act, the decision to get the minority vote went into high gear.

Unfortunately for the republicans, the propaganda by the democrats has been effective, and the less-informed voters, often mired in poverty, and often members of a minority group, has believed the lies.

Going for amnesty did not gain Reagan, or Bush, the Mexican vote, and catering to black groups has not gained the black vote for the Republican Party.  In the past, the thing that has done it, has been pure conservatism.

Conservatism, when articulated properly, is a winning recipe.  California has proven the conservative nature of minorities when, in 2008, Proposition 8, the State Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, won largely because of the minority vote, which had turned out to vote for Obama, also voted in favor of Proposition 8.  Minorities tend to be socially conservative, and fiscally conservative.  But the GOP has failed to shake the narrative that the republicans are against minorities, which has been put out there by democrat propaganda machines.  Republicans can't win minorities if they try to do it by compromising their principles, or trying to appease groups.  The message must be that conservatism is good for all Americans, that when the country improves because of conservative fiscal policies, for example, all boats rise with the tide, including minorities.

The demographics are turning red states blue because the republicans are trying to play the democrat's game, and have abandoned their own game.

The way to turn it around is not to pander to minority groups, but to convince America as a whole that the GOP is good for all of America.  That conservative policies will better the country for all of its citizens.  That the republicans don't play the divide and conquer games because they won't play favoritism to any group.  It is not about groups, it is all about America.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

RNC chairman stakes his legacy on winning over minority votes - The Hill