In early 2013, the Republican National Committee (RNC) released a report to diagnose the GOP’s tough losses in the last two presidential cycles, and attempt to set a path to victory in 2016. In part, the report advised the Party to choose a candidate who would embrace immigration reform, and focus on appealing to the minorities, women, and younger voters that were lost in 2008 and 2012.
The report warned “young voters are increasingly rolling their eyes at what the party represents.”
The Hill reports that current GOP front-runners Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are casting aside these lessons with their rhetoric on immigrants and Muslims, (and in Trump’s case, charges of sexism), and argues the two candidates defy the RNC’s “autopsy” report by appealing to just one segment of the population.
College Republican National Committee (CRNC) Chairman Alex Smith disagreed with this assessment, specifically applauding the candidates’ efforts to reach out to young voters.
“According to Henry Barbour, who was one of five authors of the 2013 GOP autopsy report, ‘To win the White House, a political party has to make folks feel welcome and show that it cares about their daily life,’ and that is exactly what Donald Trump and Sen. Cruz are doing to reach out to younger voters,” Smith said.
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04.16.2024