Mountain West GOPers Aim For Cool Politics

And in our third post today about elections, let's take a look what Colorado GOPer Josh Perry has to say about young voters in the Mountain West. Apparently, the GOP has gotten the memo about young voters, but while theirs is dated 2008, the modern progressive youth movement has been hard at work since 2004. Perry, who is running for governor, worries about the generational politics.

Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry, one of three Republicans who are running for Gov. Bill Ritter's seat next year, sees a "demographic time bomb if Republicans don't get their act together." There's a real chance that young voters will form a permanent Democratic voting bloc if, as Penry puts it, Republicans "don't provide a credible governing alternative."

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Young voters have grown weary of "Republicans who look alike and sound alike," says Penry, who believes that conservatives need to focus on "messaging our values in ways that are relevant."

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The predictions from hopeful Democrats of a long-term trend of younger voters to the left may be exaggerated. Conservatism — especially the small-government variety that tends to win the hearts of Western voters — is far from dead. "When did freedom become uncool?" Penry likes to ask younger audiences. At a time when a Democratic governor and Democratic state legislature adds jobs in the face of a ballooning budget shortfall, the traditional Republican emphasis on limited government might just make conservatism cool again.

I don't think the messaging is the problem, but I think Perry is right when talks about the "look alike and alike" issue. That could change if the GOP was willing to be progressive about social issues like those pertaining to race and gays. The party needs to look and be inclusive, and ditch the country club mentality (well, maybe they like their club). One problem is is that the GOP machinery is still predicated on duck-speak - staying on message - even if it is stale or outdated. The hierarchical nature of the GOP itself is at odds with the free-for-all, democratic process of the Democratic party. Yes, the Democrats don't always agree, and that's encouraged because it allows for creativity and a re-evaluation of old policies and principles to make sure they are in line with an ever changing world. It also means the Democrats have a say in the direction of the party, even if it takes time.

The arrogance to think that progressives and moderates don't think freedom is cool gets my blood boiling. No party has sole license on freedom; that's an all-partisan issue that everyone can agree on. Acting like others don't care about our country cuts to the very heart of the GOPs problem with young voters - they want to continue the old-style politics of fierce competition, instead of cooperation. The Obama campaign understood this when they allowed young people to organize and advocate organically (to a degree) and allowed for criticism through mybarackobama.com. Governing isn't just about what the leaders want, it's about what the citizens want and you need a medium to listen to their perspective. The GOP is trying that with such sites as thenextright.com and hiphoprepublican.com, which are steps in the right direction for rigorous intellectual conversation about conservative principles in the 21st century.

Finally, young (under 40) GOP candidates can bring a fresh perspective to the party only if they actually have fresh ideas. Aping older politicians and their talking points is a recipe for more of the same. Not to mention the fact that being "cool" isn't a genuine political strategy; it assumes that voters aren't interested in issues and governing philosophies. The truth is that both progressives and conservatives must always adapt to the evolving political climate, and that doesn't mean a costume change; rather, it means a DNA upgrade from the bottom-up.