In 2004, the Republican Party appeared on the verge of controlling Washington for years to come. President George W. Bush had just won reelection and the GOP had picked up a, few key seats in Congress.
Fast-forward to 2008, and there's a completely different picture: All signs point to an overwhelming victory for Sen. Barack Obama on Election Day. The Democrats will have dominant control over Congress and even have the opportunity to obtain that all-important 60th seat in the Senate. The idea of a Republican state is quickly disappearing as Democrats are successfully pushing their message in all 50 states. While Republicans can make President Bush the scapegoat, the situation is far more complicated. In theory, Bush is the model Republican. He is a social conservative and free-market politician who demands an active foreign policy. Yet something went wrong in the past eight years, and Republicans, Democrats and Independents are infuriated. The problem is deeper than one man and can be seen in the inflexible conservative ideology. Ironically, the Republicans can learn from the Democrats about adjusting their party image. After suffering devastating defeats from Reagan and the elder Bush, the Democrats knew changes had to be made. If they planned on remaining a legitimate party, Democrats had to make some alterations to their platform. In the late 80's and early 90's, the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) realized the importance of adjusting the party's tenets to enhance the party's voter base. The new face of the DLC soon became President Bill Clinton. While Clinton embodied the old spirit of the Democratic Party with his promotion of an active federal government, his fiscal responsibility gained the respect of many moderates. Clinton's ability to move beyond the rigid ideas of the old Democratic platform enabled him to win the presidency convincingly in 1992 and 1996.
The Republicans need to adapt their platform to meet the issues and the problems of the 21st century. If the GOP fails to meet this challenge, it will soon fail to be a serious contender in American politics. The Republicans' position on social, economic and military issues must be reformed. The country is changing, and Republicans must follow in their rival's footsteps by enhancing the reputation of their party. Although President Bush proposed the government bailout, over the past several years, the Republicans have become the party of laissez-faire economics. Through constant deregulation and refusal of federal oversight, the GOP played a significant role in the credit crisis. Further, as Obama offers help to struggling Americans, Republicans belittle him as a socialist and offer no real plan of their own. They continue to tout the old belief that the free market can solve the country's woes and ignore the fact that unchecked capitalism is what caused this devastating situation in the first place. Americans are struggling, and the GOP needs to understand that this is not a time for minimal federal support but rather active government intervention. Republicans face an identity crisis: how can you balance the free market with respectable government regulation? Despite positive improvements in Iraq, the United States needs to adjust its approach to foreign policy. Once again, the Republicans have proved ill-equipped to make the necessary modifications to their position on an issue. Sen. John McCain focused his campaign on the idea of strong military might and the refusal to use diplomacy with our enemies. This ideology administered under the Bush administration has harmed the country. The United States has provoked terrorists rather than deter them. As Reagan met with the Soviets, America must at least attempt to conduct negotiations with countries with whom we have disagreements with such as Iran, North Korea and Cuba. In addition, the United States has come to the realization that it lacks the power to combat terrorism alone and needs support from the international community. A new era of diplomacy and alliances must be the approach to promoting democracy and world safety. Yet as long as the GOP is filled with war hawks, these changes will not happen. The Republican Party faces its greatest crisis on social issues. The GOP cannot rely on "Joe the Plumbers" as its sole voter base. White males make up only about 40 percent of the population. Although small-scale attempts have been made to diversify the party, a significant pitch should be made to minorities. All major minority groups are overwhelmingly in favor of Democrats, including African Americans, Hispanics and women. In a country where whites will be in the minority by 2050, this poses a serious problem for the GOP. Republicans' refusal to accept social justice in programs such as affirmative action, coupled with their persistent pro-life platform, will pose a problem in the future.
Following the presidential election, leaders of the conservative movement will meet in Virginia to discuss the future of this once-dominant party. The mission of this meeting should not focus on who is going to carry the torch for the Republican Party. Regardless of whom the future leader is, whether Palin, Romney, Pawlenty or even Gingrich, the party will be unable to win an election with its current platform. Similar to the new Democrats two decades ago, the Republicans need to adjust their ticket in order to prove that their party is not filled with ideas of the past but rather with innovations for the future.
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Michael Bendetson is a freshman who has not yet declared a major.
