RLC calls for change in Republican Party

Since the Republicans lost what should have been the unloseable election, in fact not only failing to win the Presidency, but having losses in the Senate and House, there have been plenty of pundits giving opinions on what went wrong.  These vary from the sublime to the ridiculous, right through to the irrational and nauseating.

Most have been in the nature of kneejerk reactions from bitter members of the various segments of the party claiming that if only the party had pursued their agenda or sectional interest, then it would have been a walk in the park.  If the party had offered more free stuff, been tougher on migration, put women in their place, or even put God in charge, it would have been hunky dory.

The Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC), one of the few elements of the party that actually gained in the election, has now come up with its own more sensible ideas: 

 Change is Coming to the Republican Party

It's Time to Pay Attention to the Voice of the Grassroots

In remarks made at a post-election event for members, Republican Liberty Caucus National Chairman Dave Nalle observed that "If you nominate a candidate who has a position to please every constituency you run the risk that voters will decide that this is the same thing as having a position to alienate every constituency and respond by not turning out to vote," referring to the drop in Republican voter turnout since 2008.  "The party has lost its way because of lazy leaders who have ignored the sensible voters who make up the base of the party and have instead given too much influence to outside interest groups who bought their loyalty with the promise of easy votes.

"It is time for fundamental change at the top of the party. Leaders who basically rigged the nomination process to force Mitt Romney on the party gambled their legitimacy on his success. They put the entire party at risk with a candidate without a constituency, whose failure dragged down other candidates including promising newcomers and incumbents whose seats should have been secure. They lost key seats in the Senate where we could have won a majority and even weakened our position in the House. They must pay the full price for their poor decisions and be stripped of any position of leadership in the party."

"It is time for the Republican Party to return to the control of the grassroots and to a simple, ethical agenda of limiting the size and power of government and protecting the rights of individual citizens. The practice of giving special influence to outside groups whose first loyalty is to their own interests and issues must stop. Our allies should be drawn to us by our principles, not by our willingness to sell influence and trade favors."

"The party is aging and becoming isolated from the people. Republicans have forgotten how to be activists and stir up popular enthusiasm for our cause. We have lost touch with the younger generation and we have abandonned minority groups which ought to share our principles. In too many counties and too many states the Republican Party has become an exclusive private club rather than the inclusive political movement it was meant to be, and it has become too reliant on divisive social issues to drive participat ion at the cost of narrowing the party's base. This is the course of extinction for a political party. If we do not grow and embrace new members and new strategies we will continue to stagnate and age into irrelevance."

"The voters we need to attract to revitalize the party want less government on their backs and more liberty in their lives. They do not want to live in fear of external threats or excessive internal security. They do not want to see the fruits of their labor seized by government or devalued by irresponsible policies. They do not want government in their businesses, their schools, their churches or their bedrooms. The Republican Party of the future should be young, diverse, entrepreneurial and inclusive. There is no hope for a party which is not strong enough to preserve its core principles while still embracing change."

"This is the vision of the Republican Liberty Caucus. It is a challenge to the Republican Party to become a better party, rededicated to its founding principles. This election must be a turning point for the party and if we do not pick up the banner of leadership and embrace the changes which must come, then the GOP will fade away lnto whiggish obscurity."

This election season the RLC and its associated PACs raised over $300,000 for our candidates and elected two dedicated new Senators and about a dozen new Congressmen, plus hundreds of candidates at the state level.

For more observations on the outcome of the election and the future of the party, please see this article: 

RLC National Chairman Dave Nalle will be available for interview this coming week either by phone or in person in Washington DC.  To schedule, please call 512-656-8011 or email media@rlcpac.org.

For local and regional media the RLC has representatives in every major market available for comment and interviews.  Please email media@rlcpac.org for a local contact.