The Republican Party is serious about their push to draw support from minority voters. Coming off two back-to-back presidential losses, and the damage done by Mitt Romney’s White House bid, the Republican National Committee revealed yesterday, that they will in an attempt to diversify the party.
Party workers will attempt to appeal to Hispanic, Asian and Black communities with the new plan. “It will include hundreds of people — paid — across the country, from coast-to-coast, in Hispanic, African-American, Asian communities, talking about our party” said committee chairman, Reince Preibus, who led the announcement. “Talking about our brand, talking about what we believe in, going to community events, going to swearing-in ceremonies, being a part of the community on an ongoing basis, paid for by the Republican National Committee, to make the case for our party and our candidates.”
The RNC conducted a poll of more than 50,000 people, concluding that the party’s reputation needed to focus on marketing and branding year-around, versus just during an election year. As such, RNC members will hit historically Black colleges to encourage students to side with Republicans.
“We have to win the math war, which we do a good job of. But we’re going to have to learn how to win the heart war,” Preibus said. “And that’s what, in presidential elections, what is plaguing our party.”
In addition to the diversity push, Preibus, is spearheading a proposal to shorten the nominating calendar for the 2016 presidential election. He’s also looking to have moderators chosen as soon as June, to give them a head start in the forthcoming election. “Mitt Romney was a sitting duck for two months over the summer,” he added.
Preibus put faith in popular Republican party members, like House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan— who ran alongside Romney for vice president—Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, to help the cause. However, only two of the aforementioned figures are minorities. Rubio is Hispanic, while Haley comes from an Indian Sikh family, and was born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa.
Post-election polls revealed that President Obama lead among minorities, including grabbing the pivotal Hispanic vote. Following the loss, Romney alleged that the commander in chief’s win, was a result of offering “gifts” to minority voters, in the form of his policies.
Changing the perception of the Republican Party as it relates to people of color, remains a big issue within the party, and was the motivation behind a “Tired of Being Calls A Racist?” seminar held at the CPAC conference Friday (March 15). The event erupted into a screaming match after a White attendee suggested that former slave Frederick Douglass thank his slave masters for providing him “food and shelter.”
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Photo: AP
