GOP needs to embrace its strengths, new tactics

With President-elect Barack Obama’s historic election and strong Republican losses posted across the nation, many Democrats are exulting that the nation has lurched dramatically left. Many pundits are wondering what will become of the Republican Party after two devastating defeats.

Calls for the second coming of a liberal ascendancy are premature. For Republicans, the path forward is clear and can lead to a Republican majority in future elections.

Exit polls showed that most voters consider themselves to be moderate or conservative —- not liberal. Despite the election of one of the most liberal Congresses and Obama’s victory, Election Day was not a rejection of core conservative principles. Rather, it was a rejection of George W. Bush. With the word Republican synonymous with President Bush, very much as Republican and Herbert Hoover were in the 1930s, voters turned out Republicans. Even the base Republican vote was lower than in 2004. The reason for this is that Bush, despite promises in 2000, was not a traditional conservative in the mode of Ronald Reagan. From runaway spending to the nomination of Harriet Miers to the U.S. Supreme Court, voters felt that Bush betrayed the conservative principles they voted for.

Now more than ever is the time for the Republican Party to demonstrate its core values to regain voter trust and begin a comeback. Failure to do so will consign the Republican Party to a period of decline.

First, the Republican Party must re-embrace traditional conservative policies and not be afraid to be conservatives. The mantra of conservative reform —- less government, less taxes, personal freedom and strong defense —- still resonates with voters and is a winning ticket. The Republican Party cannot allow itself to become “Democratic-lite.” It must be unafraid to take risks and fight on conservative ideals (one can thank acquiescence by many congressional Republicans to the Bush bailout for many losses and closer-than-expected results). Give voters a choice and they will respond to a reformist conservative agenda. Give them a carbon copy and they will vote for the original.

We must embrace new technology. Just as the Republicans capitalized on talk radio, which helped the Republican Revolution of 1994 become a reality, so have Democrats embraced today’s new technologies to reach voters. From MySpace to YouTube to Twitter, Democrats have dominated Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 strategies to fuel their victories in 2006 and 2008. Now, Republicans must embrace these technologies for our upcoming battles with the newly entrenched Democratic leadership.

Next, we have learned that Republicans must campaign everywhere. The old electoral maps are out the window. Democrats ran a national campaign in both 2006 and 2008 and have the gains to show for it. Republicans can never again afford to write off a region or state as we have seen in the past. To regain the competitive edge we had in the 1990s, we must carry the fight to the Democrats. In the past several elections, we have played defense, and, just as in war, defense usually leads to disaster.

Finally, the Republican Party has a strong bench of new and promising leaders. We must highlight them and their accomplishments. Our governors and young conservatives in Congress include Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (who invigorated conservatives as no one has since Reagan), Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, South Dakota Sen. John Thune, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan and Virginia’s Rep. Eric Cantor. We must highlight the leaders of the Republican Party who will take conservative ideals to a lasting majority. We can’t keep highlighting the same old stale faces.

The rebuilding of the Republican Party begins now. It must start by going back to its reformist conservative agenda and turning the page on the Bush years. By doing this, the election of Barack Obama and Democrats in Congress will have meaning —- but not the meaning they hope for. In 2010 and 2012, voters will re-embrace Republicans.

> David E. Johnson is the CEO of Strategic Vision LLC and a Republican pollster and strategist.