Republican Party Needs To Roll Forward Not Back

By Kayleigh Harvey - Talk Radio News Service

Former Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Holtz-Eakin, senior policy adviser for the 2008 McCain Presidential Campaign; Jim Pinkerton, senior adviser for the 2009 Huckabee Presidential Campaign, former domestic policy aide to Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush, and contributor to Fox News; Reihan Salam, fellow at NAF and author of "Grand New Party: How Conservatives Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream"; and David Gray, director at the Workforce and Family Program at NAF met today to discuss how the Republican Party can move on from their 2008, Presidential, election defeat.

David Gray opened the debate by asking the panel how the Republican Party needed to reflect on their 2008 performance. There was mixed consensus amongst the panel as Douglas Holtz-Eakin focused on the economy as being the downfall for the Party in the election campaign.

Holtz-Eakin said, "Right after the convention we were leading in the polls and then the wall street breakdown occurred. Then people started to look backwards." He claimed that in the election the Republican's lost every age group except the 85 and over, every minority group, working woman and college students.

Jim Pinkerton also blamed the economy, stating he felt the "recovery plan was a bad move," adding that "on competence the Republican Party deserved to lose." Describing how he felt , he said the party should "move forward" from their defeat. Adding, "I would advise the Republicans to fight global warming and fight tax increases to the death." Pinkerton also claimed that national security would have to be an key issue for the Republicans.

Reihan Salam said that concentrating on global issues would hep the Republican Party progress. He said: "the Republicans need to think outside the box purely in carbon price."

Holtz-Eakin further said that the Republican defeat had led some conservatives to believe that a return to the "Reagan handbook" would help the party. "I think the party is at a significant moment and replaying the 1980's handbook would not be useful." Holtz-Eakin insists that the party should move forward instead if looking back. He said, "we need to be more appealing to a wider demographic. We need to have a message for urban areas. We have to restore the integrity."

Holtz-Eakin also blamed mixed messages among the electorate for creating a downturn in Republican support in the election. In order for the Republican party to move forward Holtz-Eakin suggested, "we need to be for education reform...we need to send the message that we are here for the kids of America." He concluded saying, "you have to have a role for government, you have to be proud if it and the Republicans need to define that role."

Young Republicans meet with Sarah Huckabee

The Young Republican National Federation held a luncheon at the Hard Rock Café in Minneapolis to highlight the youth vote. Keynote speaker Sarah Huckabee surprised the crowd with a visit from former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R - AR) as well as Sen. George V. Voinovich (R - OH). Both Huckabee and Voinovich voiced their support for Sen. John McCain (R - AZ). Huckabee said McCain is a "strong leader of substance – not symbolism."

Besides applauding McCain, the speakers focused on the growing importance of the youth vote. By 2016 one-third of the electorate will be young voters, chairwoman of the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) student chapters Lauren Kim said.

Speaking to the Young Republicans in the crowd, Voinovich said, "We have a wonderful opportunity to be successful in this campaign and John McCain may be the only person who could win in this campaign because of who he is."