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Charles Krupa / AP
A campaign worker removes candidate signs from in front of Mitt Romney's campaign office in Manchester, N.H., Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012.
As Republicans nurse their wounds from last week's election setbacks, they’re trying to learn the right lessons from defeat, studying outcomes in various House and Senate races, and pondering how best to position themselves when it comes to the politics of immigration.
Mitt Romney’s poor performance among Latino voters in states like Nevada and Colorado helped undermine his chances of victory in those battlegrounds. As a result, some Republicans are drawing the lesson that their party must find a message and a candidate to ensure they do not end up, as Romney did in Nevada, winning only about one-in-four Latino voters.
Romney lost that state by 66,000 votes, or 6.6 percentage points.
“The handwriting is on the wall,” said Republican pollster Whit Ayres, the co-founder of a group called "Resurgent Republic."
“Until Republican candidates figure out how to perform better among non-white voters, especially Hispanics and Asians, Republican presidential contenders will have an extraordinarily difficult time winning presidential elections from this point forward,” he said.
Warning of a demographic apocalypse for the GOP was Texas Senator-elect Ted Cruz who told The New Yorker, “If Republicans do not do better in the Hispanic community, in a few short years Republicans will no longer be the majority party in our state.”
MSNBC's Thomas Roberts talks to former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell and former New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg, co-chair of the "Fix the Debt" campaign.
And since New York and California supply such a huge and utterly dependable source of electoral votes for the Democrats, if Texas joined them in going Democratic in presidential races, which hasn't happened since 1976, then, Cruz said, “The Republican Party would cease to exist.”
But in Nevada, Republican incumbent Dean Heller won his Senate race even as Romney was losing the state – and among Latino voters, Heller won just about what Romney won: about one quarter of them.
However, there were significant differences between the Senate race and the presidential race in Nevada: one was the weakness of Democratic candidate Rep. Shelley Berkley among black voters who accounted for nearly one out of ten voters in in Nevada.
While President Barack Obama carried 92 percent of black voters, Berkley won only seven out of ten. Berkley also under-performed among women voters, getting 48 percent to Obama’s 57 percent, according to exit poll interviews.
Mark Wilson / Getty Images
Latinos and immigrants participate in a rally on immigration reform in front of the White House on Nov. 8, 2012 in Washington, D.C.
And among the three-fifths of the Nevada electorate who believe that most illegal immigrants working in the United States should be offered a chance to apply for legal status, Berkley lagged Obama’s performance by ten points, according to exit polls.
Nevada also has a “none of these candidates” line on the ballot and that option drew 4.5 percent of the voters in that Senate race but only 0.6 percent of those who voted in the presidential contest in Nevada.
In July, the House Ethics Committee announced that it was opening an investigation into whether Berkley had violated the "Code of Official Conduct" or any law by her alleged intervention on behalf of businesses in which her husband had a financial interest. That fact may explain why Berkley lagged Obama.
Independent American Party candidate David Lory VanDerBeek, a small government conservative, also won nearly 5 percent of the Nevada vote, but if anything, his votes came from Heller and not from Berkley.
Now as the Senate looks toward the legislative agenda for 2013, newly elected Republican senators such as Cruz and Senator-elect Jeff Flake of Arizona, as well as returning GOP senators such as Heller, must decide whether to support the Democrats’ Dream Act which would give legal status to young non-citizens brought to the United States illegally by their parents.
Flake told NPR last week that Republicans “need to deal with this issue in ways different than we've approached it in the past ... We need to deal with the very real problem presented by the Dreamers – those who are here through no fault of their own. I think the Republicans can get out front on that issue and offer a long-term solution, not just the short-term solution that's been put forward by the president.”
But an accommodating policy toward legalizing illegal immigrants would raise strategic questions for Republicans: last Tuesday in Nevada, Arizona, and other states, Latino voters supported Obama and other Democratic candidates by a ratio of nearly three-to-one.
If adding millions of younger Latino residents to the legal resident population (and eventually to the citizen voting population) means adding millions more Democrats, then how is that a winning strategy for Republicans?
Tony Dejak / AP
A man walks out of the Ohio headquarters of Mitt Romney campaign office carrying a "Nobama 2012 sign," Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, in Columbus, Ohio.
“Who’s to say they’re going to be Democrats then?” Ayres asked, referring to the potential pool of younger immigrants who might eventually gain citizenship if Congress enacts some version of the Dream Act. “They don’t want a handout or a guarantee, they want an opportunity. They’d like to keep more of what they earn; they’d like the opportunity to start businesses and an opportunity to start a family. A great many of those people have the work ethic and the entrepreneurial spirit and the family orientation to be good solid Republicans – if we stop the tone that suggests we don’t want them as part of our coalition.”
The last time the Dream Act was put to a vote, in 2010, only three Republican senators and only eight House Republicans voted for it. If Republicans who voted against the Dream Act just two years ago now reverse or trim their positions on immigration, is every vote GOP candidates might gain among Latino voters offset by a vote they’ll lose among those who oppose giving legal status to illegal immigrants?
Again Ayres has an answer to this. Referring to GOP voters who today oppose the Dream Act, he asked, “Who’s to say they’re single-issue voters? And who’s to say they aren’t capable of being persuaded by the likes of Marco Rubio?”
Rubio is the Republican senator from Florida, and a potential 2016 GOP presidential contender, who has proposed his own version of a legalization program for younger illegal immigrants, but one that is less lenient and expansive than the version Democrats offered in 2010.
One other puzzle Republicans will need to solve if they are to win more elections in 2014 and beyond is how to make smaller government appealing to more voters, or in other words, how to offer voters less in the way of tangible benefits.
But the reason that Republicans were successful in exploiting the Medicare issue during the 2010 midterms is not because they were making a smaller government/fewer benefits argument.
Instead, they were arguing that Obamacare would take away older Americans’ Medicare benefits, since the Affordable Care Act intends to squeeze hundreds of billions of dollars in more savings out of Medicare, partly to help pay for an expansion of Medicaid for poor people.
By a narrow majority in the national exit poll sample, and by a wider majority in states such as Arizona, voters last week agreed with the idea that “government is doing too many things better left to businesses and individuals.” That indicates that perhaps Romney’s message got through to voters on the failed federally subsidized energy firms such as Solyndra and A123 Systems.
In the short term, Flake, for one, is taking a wait-and-see approach toward Obamacare, the most visible symbol of bigger government.
CNBC's Eamon Javers talks about the upcoming meeting between President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders.
He thinks that parts of it will self-destruct. “There are parts of Obamacare that I think will probably fall of their own weight,” Flake told NPR.
Outright repeal isn’t in the cards, but Flake argued that once people see how expensive Obamacare mandates are for his state and others – and once people see employers refusing to hire more than 50 people for fear they’d have to comply with Obamacare mandates, then voters might see that “the Republican way will be the way to deal with it.”
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What's with these news networks? What lessons? The people voted 49.9% Republican.
The only reason Obama won is because he is black and has skirted and spit in the face of the law for 4 years when it comes to Mexicans.
If Obama was the ant-Christ himself the blacks would follow him to hell just because he is black, ( and that is where we are headed with Obamaizm) and the Mexicans voted for him because he promised to give all the illegals blanket citizenship.
Half of Americans voted NOT for Obama and his lies and now that HALF will have to pay for the socialized medical, higher middle class taxes, free everything to the slackers that Obamaizm supports and are the very people that voted for him.
Yes I bet the Reps did learn some lessons. Run a black man with no regard for the people who really built this country and he is sure to get elected.
glad you got that off your ass... er, mind
Hey goober....actually, it wasn't 49.9% it was more like 47.7%. Romney lost the electoral college by 120 votes and will lose the popular vote by over 4 million.
Your statement is a perfect testament to how people like you really don't care about factual evidence....you have your rigid ideology and that's it.
Somehow, people of your ilk blame "the blacks" or "Mexicans" for voting for the President because he has their best interests in mind. But, a stupid white bigot can vote for Romney because he is actually "American". You people are disgusting and I am so happy weeding their way out of the political process...it is just a matter of time.
Steven: A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse.
Steven, is that the reason you voted for all the WHITE Republican Presidents, because they are WHITE? How freaking STUPID is your statement! Hey, Romney got a few Black and Hispanic votes, so what's your problem? The MAJORITY of Americans does NOT like your Policies, its really just that simple!
What reasonable thinking Woman wants the Tea Bagger/Rethuglican Party up their womb, all while you're claiming you want a smaller Government, yet you wish you could SHOVE the Government UP the woman's womb!
Seriously, you can't HEAR and SEE how STUPID your Agenda is?
Fact is, you guys can NOT win anything on FAIR grounds. If you're not trying to fix the voting machines, voter suppression, trash ballots, and flip votes into your favor, your Party could not will a turtle race, outside your Racist so called Red State's! Truth is, many Whites in your Racist Party, if FINALLY smelling the coffee, and VOTED for Obama too!
Truth is, President Obama DID WIN by a LANDSLIDE, if we could get back all the voter suppression, trashing ballots and Republican States who FLIP tens of thousands of Obama's Votes!
and how many news clips did we see where some dolt was interviewed about the election and they stated 'Oh I'm voting for the Black guy!' or 'ain't no way i vote for dat white trash' or the like. Don't tell me there weren't a LOT of votes that were racially biased!
Steven, look around the country - this election was about far more than Obama and Romney. Conservatives got crushed everywhere, even in districts they gerrymandered to prevent it. Here in NH this election was nothing if not a referendum on right-wing extremism, and it lost, big time.
Steven, Either you are joking, or trying to just piss someone off, or maybe you are just ignorant of the facts. Do you really believe that most Blacks voted for Obama simply because he is Black. If you really believe this where have you been for the last four years?? This President has worked wonders with just a very minimum of cooperation from the republicans. Have you heard the label placed on the republican congress as the "Party of NO". Now they still don't want the very wealthy to pay their fair share. Think of all the very wealthy who contributed "Millions to Romney and other republicans who were running for office. Surely they could pay more in Taxes or even help some in N.J & N.Y. who have lost their homes. I am happy that there are more intellegent, and compassionate folk who feel different from you.
lesson 1 : crazy doesn't sell well (except under W, go figure)
Sorry to deviate from your lessons,..(Actually thy've learned nothing) I wanna know where's this guy DT (Donald Truph) ... Can MSNBC go and interview him this time.
Republicans need to stick with their ideology and not be deterred by facts.
Let me explain to you righties why you lost.
We hate blacks.
We hate women.
We hate Hispanics.
We hate gays.
We hate unions.
We love angry old white men.
The republicans need to out bid the dems. Promise more free stuff than the dems offer and the election is in the bag...
I don't know if you realize how stupid your statement is....but, you are saying that the GOP needs to take on the Democratic positions to win elections (assuming that 'free stuff' is referring to a Democratic principle...which it isn't). In other words, you're admitting that the only way for Republicans to win elections is if they become Democrats.
I'm all for that! Not a real positive outlook for GOP principles!
When I hear "free stuff" I think of billions in tax cuts given to oil companies already earning billions in profits made from gouging American customers. I think of billions given to no-bid military contractors.
LOSE THE RABID RIGHT!
The republican base is made up, primarily of angry white people who hate, whether it be race, religion or gender. These "rabid right" conservatives need to recognize the likes of Hannity and Limbaugh make their living by spouting inciteful rhetoric.
The lessons are easy. Until the Republicans 1) get out from under the control of the Tea Party wackos, 2) stop running idiotic candidates ("pregnancy resulting ftom rape is the will of God"), 3) stop being the party of the monied interests (no tax increases for the wealthy, balance the budget on the backs of the poor), and 4) stop being obstructionist and dogmatic, reach reasonable compromises with the Democrats for the good of the country; they will continue to be a minority party.
You know that Democrats won the message war when you have right wingers on here admitting they have to adopt Democratic principles to win elections or commentators like Bill Krystal (sp?) saying they SHOULD raise taxes on the wealthy.
The right knows they are in big, big trouble now.
Principles or campaign strategies?
MJ...
Right...that campaign 'strategy' of telling people what you're going to do and passing legislation to back it up.....that's a pretty good strategy!
Lesson learned; 51% of Americans are idiots.
I guess we may be idiots...but we won. You people then LOST to a bunch of idiots.......not sure what that says about you!
Lesson learned? Lesson not learned. The American voter won, you lost.
The Four Stages of grief:
Denial
An individual's first response to bad news is often disbelief or denial. During this stage, people may feel emotionally numb. They may deny that the situation is happening, or they might try to reduce its the severity. Those in the denial stage often isolate themselves or withdraw emotionally. This is a natural part of the grief process, but those who remain in denial for too long risk emotional detachment and damaged relationships.
Anger
Once a person has accepted a situation, he moves from denial to anger. People who have suffered a loss may try to find something to blame for the situation. They might blame God, (Or Sandy ) themselves or even the one they lost. People in the anger stage might be irritable, have short tempers or lash out at people around them. They often don't realize that their anger comes from their grief.
Depression
After awhile, anger fades and leaves behind despair and depression. At this point, an individual may feel as if her grief is permanent. She feels overwhelmed and helpless and starts to believe that her life will never improve. People in this stage of grief may try to shield themselves from their pain by withdrawing and closing off their emotions. The primary emotion during the depression stage is sadness.
Acceptance and Hope
At this stage of the grief process, anger and sadness have begun to fade and a person begins to accept the loss. He begins to realize that he can overcome his grief. People at this stage often try to find hope in the situation. They look for meaning or for lessons they can learn. This stage of the grieving process is where recovery truly begins.
Right now the republicans are firmly in the denial stage. Lets hope the country does not suffer when they have their inevitable temper tantrum, the spoiled brats .......
The Republicans must remember that many who voted for Obama only want the government to take care of them. Many don't even know what the letters "CIA" mean. Many believe that the president can actually repeal Roe vs Wade. When you're dealing with the uneductaed and uninformed, it's hard to win elections.
Really?!
Bush's fault; without addressing underlying issues.
Tax the rich; a class tactic
Romney is worse than I am; attack Romney policy without detailing a plan
It seems easier to "frame" the election through "messaging" to the uninformed.
Actually, no, most understand that the Supreme Court would have the power to overturn Roe v. Wade. The next President WILL be appointing Supreme Court justices....there is a connection.
It is pretty hard to call the other side "uninformed" when you were the dimbulbs that were so sure you would win in a "landslide". We were belittled for listening to the "polls".....
I still laugh when I think of one ad that ran in New Hampshire against the Republican Senate candidate: "He will vote to get rid of Roe v Wade" ... even as a staunch Republican I know that's SO not going to happen! But, people will believe what the magic tv god tells them - it was on tv, it must be true!
Actually those with post-graduate degrees voted 55% to 42% in favor of Obama in 2012. Can't get my citation to post in easy mode but all you have to do to confirm is do a Google search. Obama enjoyed the highest level of support from the highly educated than any other white voter block. I think you want to insult Obama supporters by calling them uneducated but the reality is that is simply not the case.
Lesson to republicans: re-examine your assumptions, they are not accurate and it is costing you elections.
Republicans may have to hunt. We conservatives don't have to hunt for anything. All conservatives need to do is protect capitalism and freedom for the benefit of the entire nation. Never has a president been so undeserving to win re-election. The economy, the debt, the division, the scandals and yes the greatest lack of transparency ever. From hiding the true cost and taxes of Obamacare, to Benghazi, to hiding the Iranian attack on our drone, Fast and Furious, Petraeus (does anyone believe that the president didn't know that the FBI was investigating the head of the CIA, and on and on. Obama is a socialist, a liar and clueless yet, he won. WHY?? Because the republicans didn't talk about defending capitalism, instead were all over the board from women, to illegals, to economy, to foreign policy. Next time republicans, try defending capitalism where everyone wins, Capitalism and freedom built the greatest country the world has ever knowm.
YOU LOST! Get over it!!!!!
Actually the gop did try to defend capitalism, you know don't tax the rich. They wanted to make sure that corporations got their way, make more money even if they sent our jobs overseas. Breaking up unions is really helping those corporations, now isn't? Not the workers so much through...
They did try to defend freedom. Their freedom to tell us what freedoms we could have if we were women, minorities, or gay. Their gop freedom to tell us what the Bible says and how it would be interpreted.
You see the gop is owned by the rich. They have been protecting and helping the rich get richer. Their problem is that by helping themselves they were crapping on the other 98% of us. They demonized the poor, the elderly, the disabled and our veterans.... You don't win elections by doing this...
Smaller government?? Government in people's bedrooms is not smaller government at all... That is definately a larger government than we have now...
GOP: get rid of the Tea Party extremists and the pro-theocracy crowd, and you will survive. Otherwise...
Yea with another 16 trillion in debt..... I think NOT!
These Racist White Men, actually believe they are GOD! Forever talking SMALL GOVERNMENT, yet at every opportunity, they want to CONTROL EVERYTHING! Especially WOMEN, and People of Color, they truly believe we have NO RIGHTS, that we are to do as they tell us to do.
These are a bunch of INSANE humans, and should be EXILED from America, place on an Island in the Middle of the Largest Ocean or Sea! They are a DETRIMENT to any Society and Country!
You got it backwards. Libs want large government to tell you every aspect how to live. You must have health insurance or we will fine you. You must pay for your neighbors health insurance or we will fine you. You make too much money and we must distribute it to others. Laws don't matter, illegals can enter the country. You don't have to be personally responsible because we will pay for your abortions. You should not have to find a job as we will support you. Looney Libs!!!
Republick win when they try not to out Dumbocrats the Dumbocrats. Who have made it their mission to pander to and make every group special. Poor we got a plan, women there a war against you, oldsters the Repulbicks are coming to take your SS away, illegals the path to el norte is open, the list is end less. So time for the Republicks to go the way of the Whigs since they just want to be little Dumbocrats anyway. And tme for the country to take a look at the Libertarian Party.
1st lesson, learn how to learn.
The world is not flat and 4,000 years old.
Evolution is a fact.
We are a secular nation.
All men (and women) are created equal, that really does mean ALL.
Good luck.
Here's are some ideas for the GOP.
Bottom line... get your @!$%# together and start behaving like a party of the people. Be more moderate and loose the evangelists.
Then, and only then, will I vote for your candidates.
We have changed. We are tired of the debt, welfare, and political corruption of both parties.
The problem is that the GOP is trying to find a way to reposition themselves. They don't want to change their special brand of hate -- they just want to change what they say to get minorities to vote for them. Nothing could be more misguided. What they need is a total change of heart -- not just a different way of saying things.
Very well said
Lets be honest for a change...
Majority of Hispanics Americans want their ILLEGAL relatives in the country instead of following the rules.
Majority of Black Americans want there Obama phones and welfare.
Many- White Americans want there Obama phones, welfare and union bailouts.
The war against women is BS! I don't want to pay for your birth control or abortions. How about using some of the many kinds of protection and we won't have to use murder as a form of birth control.
The majority now are takers and don't want to be personally responsible for their condition. It is easier to blame someone else for their situation.
Finally, Many are just too stupid to realize that increasing taxes anywhere has a trickle down effect.
We need a flat tax, a balanced budget amendment and to CUT spending!!!
I'm also not rich but I do no that tax increases affect everyone. and I can look further than my own arm.
It's not about hate. That's what you libs use to cover your unrealistic and unrational decisions...
Kent, how about just keeping them legal and not be held down for aforced transvaginal ultrasound or carrying your rapist's baby to term???
You guys are nuts and don't even know the issues.
You speak from hatred and intolerance and wouldn't know a hard fact if it hit you on the head.
Sorry WillO I didn't say anything about making abortions Illegal. I just don't want to pay. Even in the case of Rape I find it hard to understand how a women can choose to murder something that is half hers...
Sorry spending my tax dollats has nothing to do with hate or intolerance... Just smoke you libs want to blow up peoples Azz for my dollars...
I am so sick of hearing the term "obama phone": here is a fact for you: The program which allows poor people to have a phone is called safelink and was started be President Reagan many years before Obama entered the white house.
so what's wrong with a trans-vaginal ultrasound? I had one this past summer for a female issue and wow.. it didn't hurt, I didn't die, the world didn't end, I paid the bill and life went on.
To a woman that would be forced to have one, it's nothing more than rape. A guilt trip on a woman who has already made a very difficult decision. A way to place intimidation on someone. Yet, you make it sound like a fun time experience. Maybe so if you chose to have one. Not so much when it's mandated. What would your feelings be if you had no intentions to have one done, but were told you were going to have one against your will? I bet you would find plenty wrong with it, correct?
You are trying to justify an action done against someones will, to your agreement to have one done.
I have serious doubts that you are even a female after your comment.
Probably because if you were raped, it can't end with a possible pregnancy. Half theirs or not, you have no idea what emotional and mental effects seeing a rapists in your child's eyes could have on someone. Having to be reminded every day while being pregnant, it is a result of being raped. Having to tell your child that their father is a rapist.
There are many other reasons, that those of us that can't bear children, or those that have not been raped will never understand. Get back to us after your rape results in a child being born and let us know of your emotional and mental state.
There are so many things you can not possibly understand because you choose to only look at it from a male perspective.
John- Sorry, the Obama phone was started to help the handicap. It was Obama that expanded for all his voting block!!!
Statistics show that the states with the least number of college grads of young people go for the Republican candidates, and those with the greater number of college grads go Democratic.
http://www.cnn.com/election/2012/results/race/president#exit-polls
There is actually one out there , you may have posted it, about the number of teeth (or lack of) that the different state populations have and how the most with missing teeth went Romney.
How about those communities receiving tho most government welfare voting Democrat...
As usual wrong again. The largest single demographic of welfare recipient in the US is white people from red states.
FOX won't tell you that of course but a simple Google search will.
Will her is your link...
http://www.politisite.com/2011/06/13/the-moocher-index-states-with-the-most-welfare-recipients-and-the-least/
Kent. Poor choice in links aside, tell us what states get back more than they send to the federal government.
Then, correlate that data with what states that need public assistance more. You will find, states like NY, that get back less than 80% of what they give, need help for a reason. It's hard to make ends meet when you're propping up other states that get back more than they put in.
Mike I agree. Instead of you propping me up how about you pay your way and I will pay mine. How about we each pay for our own health insurance? How about you live on what you make and I live on mine and we will both be happy... No, that is not how government works... take from the producing and give to the unproducing to get votes...
The lesson is not to put in a Romney lying flip-flopping self serving hunk of garbage.
“Until Republican candidates figure out how to perform better among non-white voters, ..."? How about if Republicans start doing their jobs - which is working for their country - instead of concentrating on the demise of a sitting President? This country isn't going to change to the Republican way of thinking, the Republicans have to adapt to the country's way of thinking. - the tail can't wag this dog. Is that so difficult, or is it a matter of ego that can never be transcended?
Where was the mainstream news media reporting on fast and furious, Libya embassy affair, and CIA director affair? Toss in the stimulus spending record. Republicans need to find a way to compete with the liberal news media that will turn a blind eye to liberal actions and pounce on any slip by a conservative regardless of its importance.
Lets be honest for a change...
Majority of Hispanics Americans want their ILLEGAL relatives in the country instead of following the rules.
Majority of Black Americans want there Obama phones and welfare.
Many- White Americans want there Obama phones, welfare and union bailouts.
The war against women is BS! I don't want to pay for your birth control or abortions. How about using some of the many kinds of protection and we won't have to use murder as a form of birth control.
The majority now are takers and don't want to be personally responsible for their condition. It is easier to blame someone else for their situation.
Finally, Many are just too stupid to realize that increasing taxes anywhere has a trickle down effect.
We need a flat tax, a balanced budget amendment and to CUT spending!!!
I'm also not rich but I do no that tax increases affect everyone. and I can look further than my own arm...
The repubs don't stand a chance until they wrest themselves from the control of the Koch Bros., Grover Norquist, Rush Limbo, Rupert Murdoch, etc. and their tired old lies about "job creators", "trickle down economics", "intelligent design" and so on.
Guess they didn't think the people would notice that after thirty years of reaganomics that the rich have gotten vastly more wealthy while the poor and working classes have only gotten poorer and then they come up with a plan to shift the republican created national debt from the shoulders of those that created it onto the shoulders of the poor and working classes.
How many years were the Democrats in control of the budget or lack of and had control of the country. I believe it was the Republican controlled congress (under Clinton) that had a budget surplus... We have to stop spending more than we take in..... Plane and simple.
The correct answer is 72 days.
As for the last two years of the Bush administration, Bush used all his 12 vetoes in that same time frame. That's one every two months.
Mike- I was referring to when Clinton was in office and there was a budget surplus. I think Bush overspent with his congress also and am not happy with it...
this is not that hard. The majority of Americans no longer accept your party's platform and do not believe in your social agenda, your fascist voter suppression, your protection of the rich at the expense of the poor, your attacks on womans rights, etc and just making a few changes to seem more middle of the road so that you can try and get more votes won't work. Until your party denounce people like Rush, the spin on Faux, and the far right extremes you will go nowhere. This is no longer an America of the 1950's