The RNC’s Problem: We have a great product, but the people in DC have no idea how to sell it

Now recently, the RNC unveiled their 100-page, 219-point plan for winning the youth and saving the party. Count ’em, these are 100 pages, 219 points. Now the RNC Chairman, Reince Priebus, ordered this report, what many are calling an autopsy report, to examine what went wrong last November. Now, he told me at CPAC, don’t call it an autopsy report. Well, Mr. Chairman, if you don’t modify your strategy, it’s gonna be.

Not one point of this 219-point plan mentioned how to better use blogs for messaging. In fact, blog wasn’t mentioned at all, and social media was only mentioned once, and that was only in the context of fundraising, not as a platform for messaging or marketing. These omissions show me that the RNC still doesn’t get it.

And while the Peacock Press routinely trashed our candidates and our ideology all around the web, blogs and social media became the battlefield where narratives were born and where narratives died. It was the denizens of new media who fact-checked the press and made famous those reporters who grew fat and lazy off the scraps of DNC press releases. The best chance at equal treatment for our candidates came from new media. An entire generation changed its news consumption.

Now, there was a discussion on ideological purity and messaging and growing the base within this report, although I kind of get the feeling that the authors of this report, most of whom are former Bush aides, simply just had a one-sided conversation with one another on the definition of purity. In fact, they write in here, I think it’s on page eight, “Our standard should not be universal purity, it should be a more but welcoming conservatism.”

Now, the authors are correct. I’ll give some credit. They are correct in that the GOP needs to personalize policy, but on page eight of this report, they give more attention to the government as a trampoline rather than taking a moment to really light a fire and encourage the private sector to stop outsourcing the stewardship of their fellow man. Now, what a way to personalize policy and change the narrative of safety nets in one fell swoop.

Now, speaking of messaging, in an interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, the RNC Chairman gave the impression that he holds the few idiotic remarks during the election cycle as the sole reason for GOP losses. He admitted that the RNC outreach after these remarks was insufficient, which is examined in the earlier pages of that report. Now, again, they just don’t get it.

If the party was a healthy party, if the party wasn’t already rotting away from within due to the decay of moderate constitutionalism, manifest in policies like No Child Left Behind, Medicare Part D, TARP, et cetera, it would’ve been much more difficult to topple the party’s electoral chances based on a few stupid remarks. Now, people can forgive a dumb comment when the offender apologizes, but they can’t forgive the increased nationalization of their education and additional entitlement programs while the offenders behind those programs insist in telling us that it’s compassionate conservatism.

Now, here’s where the report was correct. It noted that the demographic of the country has changed. The electorate has changed. More youth than ever are voting. Romney lost the under-30 vote by more than 5 million; however, the solution isn’t to water down Conservatism, because watered-down Conservatism never works at the polls. When faced between the choice of a Democrat or a Republican trying to be a Democrat, voters are always going to choose a Democrat.

Give voters a choice. Give us a choice, politicians. Don’t cede your principles because your stuffed shirts on K Street can’t figure out how to sell liberty for the six figures you pay ’em. We need to become better marketers. Now, the president has a logo for everything, even his recent trip to Israel. Look, I bet he even has an official Obama logo for when he eats breakfast. I’m not even certain that that isn’t his logo.

Being a Democrat has become a lifestyle brand, much in the same way that people but Apple stickers on their cars or purchase a Harley. Brands are now self-expression. Brands identify people without needing a single conversation. Luxury labels, like Louis Vuitton, hire famous people like Michael Phelps or Angelina Jolie to appear alongside their products with the hope that the stars’ allure will rub off on the product.

Fashion companies send their products to celebrities hoping that paparazzi will capture an image of them with their product, and in turn the public will see this, and it’ll drive up demand. Politics is the exact same way. Democrats hobnob with Hollywood to borrow legitimacy and allure. Sometimes it’s symbiotic. Jay-Z pops some tops with President Obama, Obama looks cool and connected to culture, Jay-Z looks like his influence extends outside of the entertainment industry.

Chris Dodd is on the board of the Motion Pictures Association of America for crying out loud. Hollywood has its own lobbyist in the Senate, and of course we can’t forget First Lady Michelle Obama presented the best picture award at the Oscars this year.

Do you remember the Apple versus PC commercials? This is how the left markets. Guess which one of these guys is perceived as being GOP? The left gets branding; we don’t. They’re so good at marketing and branding that they’re able to sell federal servitude. They have a horrible, horrible product, and that’s half of the battle right there. And on this, we got ’em beat.

We, on the other hand, have a great product, but unfortunately we have a bunch of people in D.C. that have no idea how to sell it, and it’s sad, too, because there are so many conservatives who’ve cut their teeth on marketing and new media and so much more who would just love to help steer the current winnable party into a new direction. Unfortunately, I personally know several instances where younger more connected new media wunderkinds were rejected by politicians in favor of those outdated K Street brokers.

These stuffed shirts run a consulting racket, ORCA, anybody? I mean, the ultimate fail whale, and they create ads that fall into one of two categories, the I love my country ad, and the look at how bad this other guy is ad. Now, the first is devoid of a great pitch, and the second just makes candidates look like whiny, negative Nancys with no solutions. I mean, honestly, who doesn’t love their country and think that the other guy is worse?

Democrats were sprinting away from ObamaCare; yet, I don’t recall a single major Republican ad that used Nancy Pelosi’s famous sound bite:

VIDEO
Nancy Pelosi: But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it away from the fog of the controversy.

Dana Fog – Yes, the Akin sound bite was stupid, but I didn’t see a single GOP rebuttal which asked, what is the real stupidity, a comment with no impact or choosing to not offer rape survivors protection against having the details of their case made public via vote as one former Illinois senator did? I sometimes feel like the RNC has bought into the left’s stereotype of Conservatives and through this perspective tries its outreach.

Now, I don’t agree with Paul Ryan on everything, but when he walked out on stage in Ohio to AC/DC, I almost straight up fell over. And when Marco Rubio personalized his family story and sold voters on the renewed American dream, I saw some hope, real hope. It’s not hard to sell liberty folks, not hard at all. Do you want the mediocrity of slavery or the rich opportunity of freedom? And that, ladies and gents, is the thing on which the RNC should focus.

  • Anonymous

    The GOP is a bunch of teabagging pervs who suck each others balls in bathroom stalls. That is NOT a good product for America

  • Anonymous

    Ah! Still spewing puss I see. We expect nothing less from whitepimples!

  • Draxx

    Everytime I see Pelosi, I know that Our Country Is Screwed With Leaders Like Her and Her Dang Fog She Lives In…

  • Anonymous

    Are you a Wilco fan?

  • Anonymous

    Her Dang Fog Dangnabbit! How about the assfog that right wingers choke on? Thone assfog that comes out of Rush’s assmouth, Beck’s assmouth, etc.?

  • http://www.artinphoenix.com/gallery/grimm snowleopard (cat folk gallery)

    The old Republican party is finished, that much is self-evident from their out-of-touch means and ways of doing things. Now the next generation of true conservatives must either regenerate it from the ground up, using social media and the like to get our message out, or let the party and the nation fall to the Democrat Socialists once and for all.

  • http://www.artinphoenix.com/gallery/grimm snowleopard (cat folk gallery)

    Here is some practical advice and wisdom for the Conservatives – do not ever compromise on your integrity or solid principles. State exactly where you stand and why, and stick with it or suffer the consequences.

  • http://youtu.be/0iRCvDwF26Q Sam Fisher

    I see you still have nothing relevant to say. Besides isn’t that a liberal thing to do with other guys.

  • http://youtu.be/0iRCvDwF26Q Sam Fisher

    They GOP will die if they don’t get on the ball and actually listen to young Conservatives like myself. We are the future after all and it would be nice if the McCains of the GOP don’t destroy the party before we can fix it.

  • http://youtu.be/0iRCvDwF26Q Sam Fisher

    I seen more intelligent rebuttals that come from a cow than you post.

  • Draxx

     I feel like a Third Grader is mad at me… not very scary at all.

  • landofaahs

    I don’t believe you have a good product to sell.  Dems and republicans anymore seem to be just 2 sides of the same counterfeit coin.

  • landofaahs

    Potomac fever reigns in DC in both parties.

  • Anonymous

    Not what you would call a fan but I think they’re good musicians and enjoy what I have heard.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1118254425 Amy Mickelson Halterman

     Oh my gosh.  That is not a very intelligent reply to an important issue.

  • Anonymous

    Fighting a world orgy of evil and culture of death is past the abilities of most of our greedy politicians. There are areas and people of hope. The money has to go to them. No money for the party or compromising republicans. That may raise the ethics of a trouble nation and fouled world. We are a culture of death, note Hospice mudering people in a week or so with no food or water. Who allowed this. No more compromise to evil and the destruction of the US Constitution.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=640857452 Rc Fowler

    THE MARXIST DEMOCRAT PARTY IS NOT GOOD AT MARKETING–ITS THE IGNORANT AND IMMORAL AMERICAN PEOPLE WHO ARE TO BLAME–ONLY AN IGNORANT AND IMMORAL PEOPLE WOULD ACCEPT THE MARXIST LEFT–ITS NOT BECAUSE THEIR MARKETING IS SO GOOD!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=640857452 Rc Fowler

    DANA LOESCH IS WANTING IN HER APPROACH. THIS WOMAN BELIEVED PIERS MORGAN WAS SINCERE ABOUT PROTECTING CHILDREN–HOW PATHETIC! NO ONE WHO IS PROPOSING DISARMING THE LAW ABIDING AMERICAN CITIZEN IS SINCERE ABOUT PROTECTING CHILDREN–NO ONE! THE MARXIST DEMOCRAT PARTY IS THE PARTY OF MASS MURDER OF CHILDREN–NOW AT OVER FIFTY MILLION IN AMERICA!

  • Anonymous

    Dana,
    Great commentary, enjoy the show along with Monica Crowley.
    Hope to see you again.

  • Steve Angell

    The GOP is being destroyed by the GOP.  It is self destructing almost as if the DNC was in charge.

    We did great in 2010 with a Conservative Constitutional message but no mention of that here almost as if Glenn Beck is assisting in the destruction of the GOP.

  • Anonymous

    Well whitepimples isn’t very intelligent.

  • Anonymous

    He does have that Children of the Corn thing going on though.

  • http://www.facebook.com/nelson.whipple Nelson Whipple

    I keep reading and hearing a bunch of tripe.  What the RNC the RSC and the candidates need to do is tell all the people why conservative policies will prove valuable to America’s future.  The party’s future is not the point!!  For example, you need to explain conservative energy policy to give an understanding that gasoline prices will come down sharply if we drill and develop our own resources.  That means crude oil, fuel oil, natural gas and coal prices will decline.  In addition, by supplying our needs internally, we stop sending money to the arabs and financing their attacks on America.  Moreover, the jobs problem will likelly disappear fairly quickly.
    Romney, Rove and the RNC never explained any of this to the general public.  The same goes for education policy, EPA regulations, Homeland Security problems and so forth!  It is time to educate voters and STOP the playing off of one special interest group against another and do what is best for America, the nation and our citizens.

  • bartolome san096

    If you think Stephanie`s story is impressive,, four weaks-ago my friend basically also got a cheque for $4269 putting in a sixteen hour week from their apartment and there best friend’s mom`s neighbour done this for nine months and brought home more than $4269 part-time from their mac. use the tips available on this page……. BIT40.ℂom

  • Anonymous

    I am a conservative. But the more i watch conservatives speak about why they lost the last election, the more I am ashamed of calling myself conservative; and that includes, Glenn Beck, Limbaugh, Dana, etc. Is like conservatives are REALLY STUPID!! The reason for the loss is SIMPLE, THERE WAS NO OUTREACH TO THE MINORITY COMMUNITY, PERIOD!!! Imagine tens of millions already in the bag for dems without even a campaign needed, simply because the GOP and the right look like WHITE is BETTER party. And yes, i have defended the right all my life, but this DISGUSTING inability to reach out to minorities is unbelievable.
    I am a BIack conservative, and i believe that the culture has not changed yet to the left. If bIacks and latinos voted on gay marriage the way they really felt, one would think we were still in the 50′s. The only place that is seeing a move to gay marriage is in WHITE AMERICA.
    But why will minorities stand with White Conservatives when it doesn’t look like they really want them?

  • Anonymous

    Dana hit the nail on the head.  There were two HUGE technology failures: 1) ORCA (get out the vote); and 2) failing to use Social Media effectively (the broad nature of the GOP marketing outreach).  Social Media isn’t just about sending a message to someone on a new platform, it’s data; lots of it.  First you use public data to build profiles, then you send targeted individualized messages (including calls to action).  How targeted?  I’m told that the Obama campaign had over 30,000 profiles that categorized people by demographics, “likes”, likelihood to vote/retweet/post/comment/blog/block walk/put a sign out/use a bumper-sticker/laptop sticker/etc., including GOP profiles (to send demoralizing messaging, and to amplify the severity of mistakes on “our” side and depress the GOP vote).  It’s incomprehensible to me that the GOP turned down help from some of the guys that started PayPal. 

  • Anonymous

    “The only place that is seeing a move to gay marriage is in WHITE AMERICA.”

    That’s simply not true. Maybe Fox “News” would have you think that, but in fact the numbers of blacks who have “moved to gay marriage” went up significantly after Obama announced his evolution on the subject. 

    Reading your words, I suspect that you have not yet evolved toward equal rights for all. Ironic, huh?

  • Anonymous

     maybe you think bIacks are cows that just move because Obama moved. also, i doubt you have bIack friends at all. and your watching of MSNBC makes you think that anyone who is not in line with your thought watches foxnews. Please try to know some bIack people, and stop being a tool. Again, the only shift towards gay marriage is IN WHITE AMERICA. Finally, HOW DARE YOU COMPARE MY EXISTENCE AND RIGHTS TO A SEXUAL PREFERENCE, lDIOT!

  • Anonymous

    They have to win people like me over; Once a die hard liberal, Became a Republican, Turned Conservative, now no longer either. I will never be a liberal again; After 40, one tends to smarten up. As long as the GOP continues to think they need to change like the wind, The chances are nil to none they’ll get me back.

  • http://youtu.be/0iRCvDwF26Q Sam Fisher

    The mental hobbit can’t even have a relevant thought. I wonder if he even thinks. Hell I wonder if he is not just some chimp typing random crap just to see what he can get to stick. What is socking that the moderators still refuse to kick the child out.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bob-Connors/1598820880 Bob Connors

    Unfortunately there is no reason to believe that the Republican Party report is going to do anything to help the GOP. Remember the same people who messed up the 2012 Presidential race wrote the report. They have concluded that the loss is not their fault. Color me surprised. The GOP has been told for years to improve their message and stick to Conservative values and learn how to sell that to a mostly center right Country. They have ignored the advise. It is my opinion they don’t sell the conservative message because they are not conservative and they are happy being the minority party as long as they get re-elected. The Grand Old Party is over unless new leadership takes control before 2014.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bob-Connors/1598820880 Bob Connors

    icen_von, you are partially right about the outreach. The rest of the story is that there was no outreach to anyone, not just minority voters. The GOP completely missed the boat on selling their story or reaching out to anyone.

  • Anonymous

    Republicans are trying to sell conservatism.  It’s a mistake.  They should sell Liberty.  But too many Republican leaders are sold on the power of big government. They think conservatism depends on a strong central government. The concept of Liberty is running at odds with what many Republicans believe in today.  They think Liberty is a product of big, powerful government.  They think government provides it.  They’re just like Democrats–They’re wrong.

  • Anonymous

    You can’t market something if you are trying to hide the product.  The “party” can make the tent as BIG as they want with a watered down message that doesn’t stand for anything – and they will find very little loyality in ANY age group!  As long as the Roves, McCains and Grahams and Priebus types are running the show – I’m left without a party.

    As a voter that was never known for being politically active – I became active when the Tea Party formed.  At that time I didn’t believe that it was possible to rebuild either party – the progressives were deaply entrenched in both.  I know plenty of Democrats that are generational  (I’m Democrat, cause my daddy is Democrat and his daddy is Democrat, etc.)  party loyalists that don’t believe in most of what has gone on in this administration – but, they would NEVER vote for a Republican.  HOWEVER, they would vote for ANOTHER party. 

    Our time, energy and momentum should be directed elsewhere.  If we were to convince leaders such as Rand Paul, Ted Cruze and Mike Lee to leave the Republican party – we would be well on our way of establishing the NEW party.  I think that the MAJORITY of citizens (young and old) would happily follow a party that put the country ahead of party.

  • Anonymous

    “They G.O.P. will die if they don’t get on the ball and actually listen to young Conservatives like myself.”
    *
    The GOP will die from ignoring their conservative base- which is representative of most of America. There is a broad spectrum of people working towards correcting our Nations ills.
    *
    True Conservatives that don’t compromise on important issues such as abortion; fundamental topics of right and wrong that aren’t subject to whatever emotional whim that sways the less “grounded” people such as where our rights originate from…
    *
    Often, due to ones age, one may forget that it is the wisdom of one’s elders that provide direction and balance…
    *
    Impetuous action (and reaction) to whatever captures youths attention and emotions has been the hallmark of the youth of today. This Administration is adroit at exploiting their weaknesses and inexperience, IMHO.

    As a consequence of this, we have Obama.

  • Anonymous

    I really don’t understand why any black people vote democrat.  Republicans freed the slaves and put up for a vote the original civil rights bill.  But Leftist revisionist historians claim that Lincoln’s motivation wasn’t about slavery but political power and LBJ is credited with passing the civil rights bill that he watered down immensely, yet still needed a Republican controlled Congress to pass.  The Democratic party has never been a friend to black America.  This isn’t due to an inherent racism anymore (like it was in the past).  I’d contend that the Democratic party isn’t a friend to ANYbody anymore.  Black or white, no matter what problems any of us have today, the only way to solve them is to blame yourself for them and solve them by yourself.  If you look to the government to save you then you might as well marry it.  

  • http://youtu.be/0iRCvDwF26Q Sam Fisher

    I am speaking from experience most of the young people I know tend to lean more Conservative than liberal but don’t vote because the feel it would change nothing that their votes don’t count. For only a few I knew that where happy that Obama did win but many youth here did not because we knew he was in reality screwing us over. Now if you where to go to college things would be reversed because of the brain washing that goes on in there and frankly we younger people will have a better time of converting them then you older folks. That being said I agree with a lot of what you said and is problem the reason why they lost in the last election. The GOP picked a guy that was no different than Obama and pretty much supported the same things he did. That being said I believe that they can still reach out to the young people that don’t go to college or liberal controlled colleges and quite frankly the GOP can use some energy in it. But if the GOP keeps writing us off they will die off for no will join someone that seems to hate their guts for what a majority in their group. Like everything else the majority don’t speak for all of us.

  • Anonymous

    Unfortunately, I hate to be a naysayer but I believe our day of liberty and freedom is long past. I don’t believe there is any hope for us.  I truly believe God has taken his hand off of America and we are most certainly doomed.  Why would he bless us with all that is going on at this time?  It is like Sodom here on earth and why would we think we would be blessed.  We need a revival and we need it now!!!

  • Anonymous

    That is because they have made that position a job.  Most have been there so long they go in as young men and die in the Senate or House.  What a shame.  We need new blood and really have a term limit.  That way there are always new ideas coming in and they don’t have time to be corrupted. 

  • Anonymous

    The Republicans don’t have a problem.  It is the apathetic
    American people who have a problem.  I don’t care what
    Political party you belong to.  People have to start paying attention
    to what is going on in their country.  As long as the government
    takes care of some, some, of them and these people who are
    in good health refuse to work, they will vote for free stuff.  The
    more goodies given out the faster our country will fall.  We are
    bankrupt.  Morally and politically.  When we fall, our entire
    country will be chaotic and then we will see who are animals
    and who are spiritual leaders.  People have a choice.  If they
    choose the wrong one, their children will hate them for stealing
    their future.

  • Anonymous

    We already have term limits, they are called “elections”. 

  • Anonymous

    Heh heh.  We will bury you.

  • Anonymous

    The GOP can only win the next election if they out-promise Obama.

    The GOP can offer voting without ID; citizenship without visa; top wages for unskilled work; free no-judgement behavioral promiscuity healthcare; rent and mortgage rates based on income and equal 2 bath housing for everyone; free but mandatory permissive parenting classes; free home inspections for sharp objects and weapons; laws against bible thumping; free subsidized utilities; lifelong unemployment benefits; and free government insurance if things don’t work out well.

    Remember, Jesus Christ lost His debate to Barabas, the peoples choice.  

  • Anonymous

    Common Sense trumped by ego deletes virtue and only produces
    failure, guilt, depression and unhappiness.

     

    This nation has committed two sins: They have forsaken God,
    the spring of living water, and have dug cisterns, broken cisterns that can that
    can hold no water, (Jer. 2:13). Oops I thumped the bible. My bad!

     

  • Anonymous

    For the same reason I became a religion-less Christian belonging only to the church at Philadelphia (Rev 3.7), along with many others who write on sites like this.

    “From the least to the greatest all are greedy for personal gain; prophets, and priests alike all practice deceit”. They dress the wounds of my people as though it were not life threatening (Jer.6:13). Oops, I bible thumped. My bad!

  • Anonymous

    Oreilly still can’t understand why people like us are displeased by his statement….and he’s standing by it. It isn’t that he has insulted me, because quite frankly, I am the one that gets to choose whether something insults me or not; It’s that I am disappointed in him and proves to me what I already knew about the Catholic RELIGION, because I was one. They revere the Virgin Mary and the Pope above Jesus and that’s a fact! Reading the Bible? Non-existent. No where in the Bible does it mention the forbidden fruit as an apple or a pope. Growing up, no meat on Fridays? Where in the Bible did it say that? I can go on and on….I can understand Bill calling us Bible-thumpers from his perspective.

  • Anonymous

    You write like you are set free, free indeed! 

  • Anonymous

    You are on to something here…..And it should be called The New Party! I truly hope they consider other options; Both parties have lost the faith of those that count; Those that hold those truths to be self evident! Those that belief we were given God given rights…call us Bible thumpers if you wish. It’s time we take our country back and send those that disagree packing, back to their country of origin.

  • Sandie

    The “New Party” already exists. It is a Socialist party.  Obama was a member of the Chicago chapter and sought their support for his Senatorial run.
     
    They had a goal “of socializing the American economy to an unprecedented degree.  The party’s official “statement of principles,” which candidates seeking endorsement from the Chicago chapter were asked to support, called for a “peaceful revolution” and included redistributive proposals substantially to the left of the Democratic party.”

    This and a lot of juicy info can be found here – take a look…..

    http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/302031/obamas-third-party-history-stanley-kurtz#

  • Anonymous

    Ugh!

  • Anonymous

    This is why I say Obama perjured himself when he swore the oath of PONTUS.
    One of the main tools of the socialists is to blame the  failed success of socialistic policies on a less than rigorous employment of it’s basic tenets; of course the more it is tried the faster it fails which causes them to more loudly make the same asinine assertion and on and on Ad infinitum. This is how they always ratchet things forward toward their goal which is total domination, which of course will only make “one helluva” mess.
    Preaching to the Choir, I know! LOL 

  • Sandie

    Interesting reading, no?

  • Sandie

    Preaching to the choir, but right on pitch! LOL

  • Anonymous

    Sickening. I knew about most of what I read except for the name “New Party”. Truly, I tell you, I am not voting Republican….I feel about them the way I do the Dems.