What is the future for the Republican party?

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

My generation of Republicans 18-25 tend to be more libertarian in their world view while being somewhat more fiscally conservative than our older counterparts. Traditional conservatism is not as popular amongst younger Republicans nowadays. We're not as religious as the older crowd but still are pretty faithful. Social issues don't matter as much to us as the older generation of Republicans does.

Do you see the GOP becoming a more libertarian party or do you see a new type of conservatism evolving in the GOP?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

We have this thread. And I do not think libertarianism is the future. Not all of us are future yuppies from Florida whose only care in the world is the legal availability of marijuana. If you get the chance to bum a smoke outside of your college's liberal arts building, you'll realize that the youth have many more concerns than "muh drones".

[HagridOfTheDeep]

My guess is the Republicans will coalesce around more moderate positions just by virtue of how far left the Democratic establishment is moving. We don't talk about it much, but only because there don't appear to be too many splinters on that side of the fence putting up roadblocks.

[Green Line]

I don't necessarily agree with all the assertions you make about young Republicans.  I do see Republicans moving to the left on social issues beside abortion, which is already happening.

[Intell]

Populist, and a sense of being for the american people, being more skeptical of free trade, more open to free healthcare, social programs, while being  a tolerant social conservative. It basically needs to be the christian moderate or a moderate party with a populist sense for being for real Americans.

[RINO Tom]

We have this thread. And I do not think libertarianism is the future. Not all of us are future yuppies from Florida whose only care in the world is the legal availability of marijuana. If you get the chance to bum a smoke outside of your college's liberal arts building, you'll realize that the youth have many more concerns than "muh drones".

Yeah, but most of those folks aren't Republicans, nor have they historically been.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

We have this thread. And I do not think libertarianism is the future. Not all of us are future yuppies from Florida whose only care in the world is the legal availability of marijuana. If you get the chance to bum a smoke outside of your college's liberal arts building, you'll realize that the youth have many more concerns than "muh drones".

Yeah, but most of those folks aren't Republicans, nor have they historically been.

I mean, bum a smoke outside anywhere. I'm probably as likely to hear someone argue for what might constitute fascism (or, in some cases, a middle class form of it) as you are to hear about how great Ron Effing Paul is.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

The future of all political parties is my own ideology. It's very convenient that at the apex of human thought is me.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

We have actual polls on what young Republicans believe, y'know

http://www.people-press.org/2014/06/26/typology-comparison/types/young-outsiders/

[Crumpets]

The Republicans have been the party of "whatever happened to the America I grew up in?" for close to 50 years, and probably more like 80 years. Thus, I think we can assume that the Republican Party of 2050 will be pining for the days when a "moderate" Democrat like Barack Obama could put aside partisanship and get good conservative policies like Obamacare and the repeal of DOMA through Congress.

[afleitch]

The GOP have few concerns for voters under 40. Possibly even voters under 50 or 60 to be honest. It's not sustainable.

[Rockefeller GOP]

The GOP have few concerns for voters under 40. Possibly even voters under 50 or 60 to be honest. It's not sustainable.

It's survived since the 1850s and through the Great Depression.  It'll change, but you're delusional if you think it'll be replaced.

[Rockefeller GOP]

The Republicans have been the party of "whatever happened to the America I grew up in?" for close to 50 years, and probably more like 80 years. Thus, I think we can assume that the Republican Party of 2050 will be pining for the days when a "moderate" Democrat like Barack Obama could put aside partisanship and get good conservative policies like Obamacare and the repeal of DOMA through Congress.

I hear a lot more Democrats pining for the Republicans of old than vice versa.  Democrats' favorite thing in the WORLD, regardless of time period or political climate, is to talk about how Republicans have gone crazy and how all past Republicans would be moderate Democrats today (reason: cuz!).

[RINO Tom]

We have this thread. And I do not think libertarianism is the future. Not all of us are future yuppies from Florida whose only care in the world is the legal availability of marijuana. If you get the chance to bum a smoke outside of your college's liberal arts building, you'll realize that the youth have many more concerns than "muh drones".

Yeah, but most of those folks aren't Republicans, nor have they historically been.

I mean, bum a smoke outside anywhere. I'm probably as likely to hear someone argue for what might constitute fascism (or, in some cases, a middle class form of it) as you are to hear about how great Ron Effing Paul is.

I was referencing the Liberal Arts building comment.  I don't know about up there in Michigan, but I'd wager that liberal arts majors tend to be MUCH more loyal to the Democrats (or independent liberals like Sanders) than Republicans, especially compared to more GOP-friendly majors like business.

Anyway, I don't know what the party will become.  I guess I'm in the minority, but I think the GOP has maxed out its gains with the "working class White" vote.  This anti-Democrat populism (which is really all it is: paint Democrats as *insert bad thing here* and assure them that Republicans represent "their way of life") can only go so far.  I think the GOP will realize that they can't rely on Southern and Plains states, and that they need to compete in the suburbs again; there's no reason Republicans shouldn't be making states like PA and even NJ competitive and winnable.

As for what I'd like to see?  A true big tent party.  I don't want Republicans to abandon the one thing they've represented since their founding: economic individualism and rewarding/praising success.  Leave embittering "the unfortunate" to the Democrats, but DO NOT give up on those voters.  A struggling factory worker can be reached with positive messages of upward mobility more effectively than demonizing those who have been economically successful (a place that I'd assume most looking up at it would like to be).  I'd also like the GOP to return to a more tolerant tone when it comes to multiculturalism.  That doesn't mean adopting the Democrats' strategy of yelling "racist" every chance they get, but it does mean reaching out to minority groups more effectively, because they're just as American as anyone else.

A socially tolerant (=/= liberal) party that defends fiscal responsibility and economic liberty.

[Green Line]

We have this thread. And I do not think libertarianism is the future. Not all of us are future yuppies from Florida whose only care in the world is the legal availability of marijuana. If you get the chance to bum a smoke outside of your college's liberal arts building, you'll realize that the youth have many more concerns than "muh drones".

Yeah, but most of those folks aren't Republicans, nor have they historically been.

I mean, bum a smoke outside anywhere. I'm probably as likely to hear someone argue for what might constitute fascism (or, in some cases, a middle class form of it) as you are to hear about how great Ron Effing Paul is.

I was referencing the Liberal Arts building comment.  I don't know about up there in Michigan, but I'd wager that liberal arts majors tend to be MUCH more loyal to the Democrats (or independent liberals like Sanders) than Republicans, especially compared to more GOP-friendly majors like business.

Speaking from experience on Liberal Arts majors, yeah, theyre all lost causes

[The Arizonan]

What is the future for the Republican Party?

Irrelevance, eventually (assuming that it doesn't adapt).

[Ban my account ffs!]

It's funny that we discuss the existential future of the GOP when they have their best congressional majorities since Hoover and a very substantial majority of state governments.

But that's precisely why we are discussing the existential future of the GOP.  They really hurt themselves long term by gerrymandering themselves into a "permanent" majority like they did.  Now they can get the biggest majority since Hoover by souring the electorate and getting 51% of the small number of voters that turn out.  Provided there isn't a presidential election.

This strategy was brilliant for short term gain to "stop HUSSEIN obama"... but it is starting to click in peoples' heads again that this problem is fixable.  That there is a way out of this intransigence and gridlock.  And that the Democrats are clearly the more competent party with the values of "going forward" (that is, values that align with the  vast majority in the near future).

There will be a backlash to the GOP if the Democrats come out swinging hard.  And 2016 is the time to do it.  They can pretty easily take the senate and will almost certainly hold the presidency.  And if the GOP house remains in chaos and they don't budge, it would greatly aid electing Dem governors in 2018 and might finally cause a big wave in 2020.. just in time for the Dems to undo the giant mess the GOP made in 2010.

For the first time in about 6 years... I feel that anger again.  That complete and utter feeling of "what the f**k is wrong with you people" that I used to have towards Republicans that more or less went away into a big swamp of apathy... it's time again for the Democrats to fight back. 

Only after the GOP falls HARD... will its future be discernible.

[MasterJedi]

It's funny that we discuss the existential future of the GOP when they have their best congressional majorities since Hoover and a very substantial majority of state governments.

But that's precisely why we are discussing the existential future of the GOP.  They really hurt themselves long term by gerrymandering themselves into a "permanent" majority like they did.  Now they can get the biggest majority since Hoover by souring the electorate and getting 51% of the small number of voters that turn out.  Provided there isn't a presidential election.

This strategy was brilliant for short term gain to "stop HUSSEIN obama"... but it is starting to click in peoples' heads again that this problem is fixable.  That there is a way out of this intransigence and gridlock.  And that the Democrats are clearly the more competent party with the values of "going forward" (that is, values that align with the  vast majority in the near future).

There will be a backlash to the GOP if the Democrats come out swinging hard.  And 2016 is the time to do it.  They can pretty easily take the senate and will almost certainly hold the presidency.  And if the GOP house remains in chaos and they don't budge, it would greatly aid electing Dem governors in 2018 and might finally cause a big wave in 2020.. just in time for the Dems to undo the giant mess the GOP made in 2010.

For the first time in about 6 years... I feel that anger again.  That complete and utter feeling of "what the f**k is wrong with you people" that I used to have towards Republicans that more or less went away into a big swamp of apathy... it's time again for the Democrats to fight back. 

Only after the GOP falls HARD... will its future be discernible.

And if the Dems followed through with their Bernie Sanders plan dreams there would be an equally hard reversal in 2022 and 2024. Everybody wants it until they have to pay for it.

As for the second part I have that all the time for the Dems and the people who vote for them. Hillary lies every time she opens her mouth and Sanders is legit insane. Add that to all the faux outrage over everything that happens but all those people thinking it doesn't apply to them.

[ProudModerate2]

Hillary lies every time she opens her mouth and Sanders is legit insane.

Yes ... and everything that comes out of the mouth of Trump, Carson and Cruz can't possibly be "insane."