On Monday, the College Republican National Committee will release a report about the GOP’s outreach and appeal to young voters. The report was conducted by the organization’s polling and research operations.
According to Politico, the 95-page study asserts the GOP is in a “dismal present situation” with young people who do not identify with the Republican Party “brand.”
The “Grand Old Party for a Brand New Generation” report was based on national surveys and focus groups of voters who were 18-29 years of age. The research included “six focus groups of young people, including Hispanics, Asian-Americans, single women, economically struggling men and aspiring entrepreneurs in Ohio, Florida and California who had voted for President Barack Obama.”
This report comes after the RNC released its “autopsy” that called for Republicans to do things like work with minority interest groups and find better ambassadors to the entertainment and pop culture world.
The report, based on its surveys, will imply Republicans should not focus on cutting the size of government and taxes.
It will slam the party for the “polarizing rhetoric” of some Republican candidates and the “outrageous statements made” by them. It will paint Republicans as being out of touch on the gay marriage issue and with Hispanics. The report reportedly will say Hispanics “tend to think the GOP couldn’t care less about them.” The study also will highlight responses that described Republicans as “closed-minded, racist, rigid, old-fashioned.”
While the report does not offer specific policy solutions, Politico notes it will also say Republicans need to recognize “the difference between legal and illegal immigrants and to also differentiate illegal immigrants from the children of illegal immigrants.”
The study reportedly found that “about a quarter of those surveyed said they couldn’t vote for someone who opposes gay marriage,” which was reportedly characterized as “neither a hopeless situation for the GOP nor a great one.”
Yet, based on these findings, the authors concluded Republicans would “face serious difficulty so long as the issue of gay marriage remains on the table” and the “the party ought to promote the diversity of thought within its ranks and make clear that we welcome healthy debate on the policy topic at hand.”
Young people are becoming more pro-life, but the report seems eager to highlight that the “the Republican Party has been painted — both by Democrats and by unhelpful voices in our own ranks — in holding the most extreme anti-abortion positions.”
The report also found young voters see the Republican Party as one that will “that will pat you on your back when you make it but won’t offer you a hand to help you get there,” and will note that if Republicans do not believe they belong to a “fend for yourself” party, “then it’s time for us to explain why” in order to resonate more with Hispanic voters.
The report cites Rep. Todd Aiken’s (R-MO) “legitimate rape” remarks and Mitt Romney’s “47 percent” remarks as being “terribly out of step with where voters – particularly young voters – stand.”
The study will also highlight the fact that only 17% of respondents from one of its surveys found keeping Americans safe from terrorism was a top priority. The report will claim that while Republicans are viewed as the party of strong defense, that may not necessarily be a positive thing to young voters.
According to Politico, the report also suggests Republicans need to be viewed as the “smart” party instead of the “stupid party” in order to appeal to young voters.