Republicans Scheme to Avoid More Todd Akins

Will the new GOP strategy work?

In 2012, GOP leaders learned a key lesson: if you don't intervene in the vetting process, local parties can pick candidates like Todd Akin. So the 2014 mid-term elections may see a new GOP strategy: work with local organizations to carefully choose electable candidates.

The common-sense approach may not be as easy as it sounds. As Politico reports, established Republicans will still have to work with tea party activists who enjoy upsetting established Republicans.

Additionally, the GOP will need to combat Democratic attempts to muscle easily-defeatable Republican candidates through primaries.

To accomplish this, Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), who'll head the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has tapped the Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) for grassroots outreach in the hope of attracting the trust of base voters.

Any candidate will also need good coaching to prevent Akin-esque blowups, Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) tells Politico: "There's a reason why most politicians talk in sanitized sound bites: Once you get out of that, you're opening yourself up to get attacked."

Via Politico

What major steps should Republicans take to win? Tell us in our poll here!

[MarkJM]

A real simple solution, DON'T TALK ABOUT SOCIAL ISSUES. And if they come up, REMAIN NEUTRAL ON SOCIAL ISSUES. The GOP should focus on the economy and taxes.

[RobertJHarsh]

Not completely. You must talk about issues like STOPPING ILLEGAL immigration. A few will be on the table. But the GOP must kick out the Xitain Fundies and Neocons. The only message the Republicans should have about gays and lesbians is "Welcome to the Republican Party...we saw your expensive houses on HGTV...we want to help you keep them and pay less in taxes!".

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

Our fiscal issues are driven by our social issues. You can't fix the fiscal without fixing the social. I don't want some watered down spineless conservative who is afraid to speak on behalf of hard work, family values, and the importance of God in one's life. When America was driven by the traditional family and going to church every Sunday, we had a lot less problem people in our society and a whole lot less welfare and other entitlement programs, and most importantly, a whole lot less debt.

Fix the social then you automatically fix the fiscal. Republicans won't win on being Democrat-lites. We must be conservative and proud!

[CommonSense]

@RobertJHarsh
Unless you mean stopping illegal immigration by making it so easy for non-criminal immigrants to legally immigrate that they wouldn't even consider illegal immigration you can kiss Texas' votes and the Republican's chances of ever winning the presidency again GOODBYE!

[Jean]

Republicans should stick to what has historically been their platform! not to do so will split their base. they have been running moderates.....and i must ask...how is that working for you? The Republican party thinks they are going to obtain the hispanic vote through the "freebies"....Hispan ics are faith filled people as a whole and can be appealed to if you stick to your platform...... turn your back on God at your own risk. quit letting the media and the Democratic party define who and what the Republican platform is. Stand up for what you believe in and quit being politically correct.

[wild_turkey6]

Really? Historically the Republican party has been about small government, individual responsibility, and civil liberties. How does the current platform reconcile these positions? It doesn't. It focuses on social issues (big government telling people how to live). The reason why the GOP lost has more to do with extremists and less to do freebies. I get no type if handout from the government, but I voted for Johnson because of the way the GOP treats personal choices.

[mudzangandoro]

Lets see... Stop protecting the top earners top 2%, drop all anti-immigration laws that make them look racist, stop championing a southern stratergy that caters the whites, drop republicans like Rush Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Donald Trump (makes them look stupid), basically go after the black, latino, asian vote.

[ACTSmom]

Butttt....that would make them liberals. And btw, I'm offended that you use the term "southern strategy that caters [to] the whites". There are blacks, latinos, and asians within the Republican party. And those who speak up make a heck of a lot more sense than those on the far left. There never was a war on women. There never was a war against minorities. The left started all those lies because Obama had nothing else to stand on. And over 50% of this nation has been dumbed down enough to believe it.

[crusader]

@ACTSmom I support immigration as does the Republican part but am against illegal immigration and pandering to illegal immigrants. Also how is it racist if the immigration laws effect people of all races, despite the fact that most illegals are from Mexico (due to proximity) some are from other countries and yes I would also deport those white illegal immigrants as well. Nobody is protecting the top 2% tehy are trying to protect small business to protect the jobs that they provide to the other 98%, how hard is that to understand? You can not further tax the wealthy businesses owners without it costing jobs for those that they employ and passing on the costs onto the consumer.

[Cheenoguy]

@crusader
To your point on can't tax the wealthy business owners or it will destroy jobs... Have you examined this in a historical context at all?
1950s saw an effective tax rate of 70% on the wealthiest.
2000s have so far seen 35% or less.
1950s had low unemployment and a well off middle class.
2000s> What middle class?
And if lower taxes on the wealthy create jobs why are there no jobs since taxes on the wealthy are the lowest they have been since WW2?

[Cheenoguy]

@crusader
If you want to argue that you don't think it's fair to tax the wealthiest Americans more that is a discussion to be had (I disagree, but that's okay), but it is a matter of historic fact that raising taxes on the wealthy does not cost jobs. A few might throw a tantrum and fire everybody and move on, but most will just try to make more money and will invest in that rather then spend the money on taxes.
What we really need to do is quit pretending that capital gains are any different then real income and tax it as such. This would likely bring in considerable enough income to not need to raise income taxes on the wealthy.

[mudzangandoro]

@ACTSmom Actually there are more blacks and hispanics that identify themselves as Democrate more than Republican, Colorado a swing state for example; 2008 elections 93% blacks voted Demo vs 6% blacks that voted Rep, 71% hispanics voted Demo vs 27% that voted Rep, 73% asians voted Demo vs 26% that voted Rep...Well the difference is 39% WHITES voted Demo vs 59% that voted Rep...Check your stats! U must be living in your own world if you think the Republican party ain't a White party...lol

[KevinC]

They should do nothing. They should embrace the likes of Akin and Murddock. The GOP's views on women's issues, Hispanics, marriage equality, and the 99 percent are on the right track and my party will win everytime as they did in this election.

[DerivePI]

Be honest and fully answer the questions asked in an open and forthright manner recognizing the intelligence and respect the average american ... nevermind. I guess we could demagogue, deceive, and deter the citizens but I think those positions are already taken in the White House and Senate.

[Zoe2012]

Like Team Obama?

[Zoe2012]

Start voter fraud? Appeal to the entitlement folks? Bow down to the unions? Appeal to the people without a high school diploma? Not!

[Zazziness]

Oh, the GOP has PLENTY of people without a diploma, that's evident by their inability to understand scientific method. "Bow down to Unions." Funny. It used to be the Republicans honored the working class and respected labor. I wonder how demonizing Unions worked out for them when they decided to be The Rich Person's Party? Oh, yeah... Welcome,.Mr. Obama. See, the GOP can never reform if they keep telling their base myths about why they lost. It had nothing to do with fraud or entitlement. It did have to do with a lack of respect for the middle class, which you've shown here. And it did have to do with the GOP's oppressive and outdated social policies.

[Rocker]

Common Sense might work.

[jessejaymes]

The last 3 Republican Presidents have deficit spent to then record levels each. The GOP has become as bad of spenders as the Dems. That was their only populist advantage prior to Reagan. They need to deal less with trying to funnel money (pretty blatantly in fact) to the ultra rich and actually do something for the middle class. Everything else is smoke. When the GOP talks about expanding Military spending when we spend more than the next 9 military spending countries combined, that plays well with the low information, low education right but now with anyone else. When the GOP openly wants to destroy Social Security and Medicare while increasing Military Spending they are alienating the largest voting bloc in America. This is no rocket science. The Seniors and the Moderates (46@%of voters identify as being moderate, a larger percentage than those identifying themselves as liberal or conservative) can carry any election. Seems pretty obvious to me.

[PNWest]

Be true to your core. Don't try to get rid of the Todd Akins and Richard Mourdocks. You need to recruit more of them. Bring back Sarah Palin and that cute little witch girl from Delaware. Donate to Rick Santorum. Buy some Godfather's pizza and help Herman Cain. These people are the hope of the GOP. Heck - judging from a lot of the right wing posters on Politix the GOP could start recruiting candidates right here!

[wild_turkey6]

@Neo_NtheMatrix in 2016?

[mimi57]

The country has changed, what was good is now bad, what was bad is now good and so
we have a country that is flipped. Saying that, it is possible with so many younger people
( not all ) who have no core beliefs or values and find anything "traditional", ie. marriage,
any religion, hard work, sacrifice, etc., to be a joke and so not "cool" today...Republicans
may indeed have to change their platform and embrace such things as, witch craft, any
kinds of marriage, same sex, any number of people, even those who want to "marry" an animal, throw out all religion, take and depend on government entitlements, smoke pot ,
and legalize all other drugs, bleed the government for all it can...and hey, everyone can
can go on welfare.But, how will that work?... because even parasites have an instinct and
know that their continued survival depends on keeping their "host" alive...Personally, I
don't think Conservatives should give in, because , as crazy as it sounds, children still need "adults" running the 'house', because without that...well, things are just up for 'grabs'. Kinda like where we are now..,

[Zazziness]

Your list of what must be allowed is ridiculous.

[twinertia]

Regressives have no business winning anything. They've been dinosaurs from the outset, and dinosaurs they'll stay. If you have to "scheme", you're being dishonest (and that'll show).

[Zazziness]

They're in a pickle. They've spend decades wooing religious extremists and anarchists from the fringe. Now they've decided those folks aren't helpful and want to cut them off from nominating their brand of candidate. Can they do it? It's hard to put the genii back in the bottle...

[Denizen_Kate]

"Any candidate will also need good coaching to prevent Akin-esque blowups ..." Coaching shouldn't be necessary. Anyone running for congress, House or Senate, should be intelligent enough to not require coaching.

[MaxPain]

Hahahahhaha way to go Dummy's that will solve your Problems.jup Jupupup

[harold]

The problem is the tea party. They're like a kid who found out that being obnoxious is fun.

[CAUCASIAN]

But why? He represents the republican's beliefs so well. Here's an idea, why don't all the people crying secesion and the GOP party go and hunker down in the almost deserted state of Arizona and make it their own country. We then make Puerto Rico the 50th stato so we do not have to change the flag and gain awsome beaches and piña coladas.
The complainers/obstructors, bigots, racists, two faced, religious fanatics, homophobics, goody two shoes will all be happy there and the nation will progress without their nays.

[1adam2]

try actually doing what, congress has consistantly failed to do. make some serious attempts, to balance the budget. and show some actual progress, in this most treacherous and critical area.