Sara Haile-Mariam

After Governor Jindal’s response to President Obama’s address to Congress Nate Silver joked

“If it sounds like Jindal is targeting his speech to a room full of fourth graders, that’s because he is. They might be the next people to actually vote for Republicans again.”

For Conservatives were thinking of shrugging off his statement, yesterday’s New York Times report might give them pause. The report indicates that Republican identification rates are down 10% when compared to Democrats and have been in decline since President Bush’s re-election in 2004.

As the GOP attempts to re-brand their party, the party faithful see Michael Steel (RNC Chairmain), Louisiana’s Governor Jindal and Alaska’s Governor Palin as potential youth magnets. The young Barack Obama certainly managed to transfix a generation, so they figure that their new diverse trio is young enough to inspire young voters to at least consider joining their party.

They fail to realize that the key to winning over young voters isn’t a matter of appointing a new poster boy or girl. What they should be doing is trying to understand why young people flocked to Obama in the first place.

I would argue that Barack Obama’s appeal had less to do with his race or age as it did with his policies and his general approach to politics. In a country that seems particularly polarized he was able to assert that one’s political party wasn’t a litmus test for determining how American someone was. His 2004 Convention speech was built around this simple notion, that regardless of our differences we rise and fall as one nation. The President revisited this sentiment in his recent address to Congress stating:

“I also know that every American who is sitting here tonight loves this country and wants it to succeed. That must be the starting point for every debate we have in the coming months, and where we return after those debates are done. That is the foundation on which the American people expect us to build common ground.”

He’s both right and wrong. I’m not sure if this is what the American people expect, we’ve grown accustomed to a politics characterized by distrust and score keeping. Still, I think it’s what the majority wants and why he was elected, to change the tone of the debate. Although the last month have shown us that he can’t do it by himself, his inability isn’t a reflection of him, and it hasn’t driven down his negatives. A recent CBS poll shows that 81% of the country thinks that President Obama is trying to be bipartisan whereas less than 50% think the same of Congressional Democrats and Republicans.

Now what might be keeping Congressional Democrats and Republicans from being bipartisan? Well, Congressional Democrats arguably want to pass policies that reflect their long term aims. Republicans on the other hand run the real risk of being seen as obstructionists. Although concessions were made in the recent stimulus debate (tax cuts were included and certain programs were cut) only 3 Republicans crossed the isle. That in itself isn’t as troubling as a recent sentiment shared by an unapologetic Rush Limbaugh who proclaimed that he wants the President to fail.

Let’s hope that this isn’t the strategy being adopted by the GOP. What Rush Limbaugh doesn’t seem to get is that if the President fails, we all fail. We don’t have the luxury to hope for anything but an extremely successful Presidency. Even if we did, I can’t recall anyone from the left asserting during the Bush administration that they wanted the President to fail to keep our country secure or economically viable. Sure they took issue with his policies and they argued them, in an effort to help his administration succeed. Granted, success is a highly polarized concept. What’s successful to one party doesn’t necessarily transfer, still, they should all be working towards the success of the country as opposed to the failure of the opposition party.

This kind of rhetoric paired with John Bolton’s nuclear fantasy epitomize all that is currently wrong with the GOP. Americans of all ages want solutions, they want options. The 2008 election was a referendum on both GOP policies as well as GOP tactics.

Right now, albeit more diverse, the Republican party is claiming the mantle of the irrationally “angry” party at a time when nobody wants to be yelled at.

So rather than watch them flounder- I figured I’d offer my advice on what they should do, advice from someone of the generation they’re hoping to win over.

1. Stop trying to make a comeback. The election just ended, the American people are still pretty upset about what happened over the last 8 years. Stop campaigning for 2012, the American people are also a bit fatigued from a really long election cycle. Embrace you’re minority status and put some time aside for reflection and strategy. Build up your platform with actual policy alternatives that aren’t focused on “big government VS small government” rhetoric. I have yet to met a young person say they voted for or against Barack Obama because he was going to increase the size of government. That argument is outdated, people don’t care what size their government is as long as it’s functioning effectively.

2. Acquiesce. This isn’t reverse psychology and I know it seems counter intuitive but your best bet is to cooperate with the President. You don’t need to agree with him, and you don’t even need to vote for legislation, just don’t filibuster it. This is a gamble, because you’re going to have to rely on the fact that you’re right. Based on you’re on air tirades I have no doubt that you think you’re right. If you are, the President’s policies won’t work and then you’re poised to run on his failed record. If you choose to go the obstructionist route than in 2010 you’re going to end up running against you’re own records. “Health care didn’t pass because [endangered incumbent] said no.” That’s a political fight you’re unlikely to win.

3. Set you’re Presidential sights for 2016. Again, this is counter intuitive but you’re better off hoping to make gains in Congress in four years than to take on a sitting President who’s an exceptional communicator.

4. Don’t dismiss my advice because I’m some young kid. That’s exactly what Barack Obama didn’t do throughout the election, he never spoke down to young people, he actually never spoke down to anyone. If someone disagreed with him he maintained a level of respect that was, frankly, refreshing.

Throughout the campaign you made this mistake through the cult of personality and celebrity ads that assumed a lack of intelligence and conviction. If you’re going to win over this generation you’re going to have to convince the skeptical that you have their interests in mind, slash and burn tactics aren’t going to accomplish that and hoping that the President fails so that you get a turn- well, let’s just say I don’t see that working either.