GOP: Run Candidates That Can Communicate
What do I think the GOP really needs? They need candidates that can communicate. When President Bush first hit the scene, I didn’t see his tendency to mangle the English language as a real impediment or reflection on his intelligence. I’m still not convinced that he’s “dumb”, but his communication skills caused considerable harm to his presidency and the conservative cause.
Bush simply didn’t have the skills required to rally people from the bully pulpit of the presidency. The few conservative programs he pushed, like privatizing a portion of your Social Security tax, went down in flames. His inability to communicate meant he was forever at the mercy of the MSM where all things Republican wither and die.
The next Republican standard bearer doesn’t have to be Reagan, but he does need those kind of communication skills. Reagan faced the same MSM bias in an era before talk radio and blogs. However, he overcame them and is now widely regarded as a very successful president. Even liberal academicians, a redundancy I know, consistently rank him in the top 10 for everything he got accomplished.
Republicans don’t need a new philosophy as much as they need someone who can explain it. John McCain’s communication skills weren’t great, but he still captured plenty of electoral votes. It’s an amazing accomplishment when you consider everything arrayed against him–a hostile MSM, Obama’s funding lies and spending advantage, and a bad economy. Amazingly, this election still hinged on a few percentage points here and there.
The GOP needs to start grooming candidates that can communicate and pronounce nuclear. We can’t afford to run more Bushes, Doles, and McCains.
Archived in: Economy, John McCain, Media Bias, politics, Republican Party, Republicans, Talk RadioNovember 9, 2008 at 5:53 pm | Trackback
15 comments
About McCain: He also had against him (1) an inability to prove he was a conservative, (2) RINO baggage, (3) a fear of offending anyone ie: wanting to run a “clean” campaign, (4) a fear of appearing (gulp) RACIST, (5) no focus, (6) and so on and so on….. I voted for SARAH.
In other words you want another Hussein O. All talk (if someone else writes the words) and no action with the ability to vote here, or as I call him a better (maybe worse) educated Je$$ie or $harpton.
Scrap: “In other words you want another Hussein O. ”
I don’t believe being able to communicate precludes you from being intelligent.
However, I do believe the next Republican candidate must be able to communicate much, much better than what we’ve had over the last 2 decades. I believe Reagan was able to bypass the MSM because he was an effective communicator. Not only did it get him into the White House, it helped make him effective once he got there.
I fear it is too late.
Ben Franklin once said we have a republic, if we are smart we can keep it. We wern’t, the republic became a democracy, which in the Greek truth becomes a tyranny, and it is. How do you get back?
I suspect the historical model is the only path, for tyrants cede power reluctantly.
VW:
I would tend to agree that. I wonder if we could, by a combination of fortuitous circumstances win back our liberty and reform the United States (without the drag of the socialists); I think it would be interesting to discuss what measures could be taken in a revitalized Constitution to prevent the emergence of the twin evils of a permanent political class and bureaucracy. Both of which are a major part of what has gone wrong. Another part of the problem is the insufficient restraints on gov’t regulatory authority, especially fedgov;, as well as weak restrictions on taxing, and no real restraint on spending.
Maybe having a ready-made Constitution 2.0 might be something which could help move the debate along.
Years ago when people were trying to characterize Tom Landry, the wonderful Dallas Cowboy coach, he was tagged with the criticism that he couldn’t inspire an arab terrorist. We have since found out that inspiring arab terrorists isn’t enough. President Bush can inspire arabs, he just can’t convey his ideas to a potential constituency very well; no Republican can.
Thalpy, care to try that again. We went from Landry to Bush to Arabs to Cowboys, back to Arabs to Republicans to…?
I think you’re onto something, big time, but don’t throw out the nu-Q-lar waste with the cooling water. Think Sarah. She was totally awesome addressing the Republican Governors Association today. Transcript: http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....02227.html
I agree. Communication in the era of instant communication is imperitive to success. However, while Obama proved an unctuous snake oil slesman can reach the presidency regardless of what is known and unknown about them or what they know or don’t know, there is a force multiplier that is unbeatable; having the words backed by facts and history that can’t be deconstructed by a mediocre press.
Currently their is only ONE Republican that possesses both of these qualities. As of late he has been in the wilderness but he use to be a very effective Speaker of the House.
Additionally it holds within the political world as well as business, teaching , and other endeavors that there is one device, which if employed with alacrity is king … the metaphor.
Making the complex simple and easily understood in a 15 second sound bite. If you can effectively conquer the use of the metaphor he or she will win every time. That is the “art” of commmunicating complex ideas into understandable, easily repeated language. Soon the effective metaphor comes to it’s tipping point and everyone is repeating it.
Once again there is only one politician I know who combines ease of speech, knowledge of history and the ability to create a positivily charged metaphor within the same dialogue. Newt Gingrich.
“The president delivered a sweeping and eloquent defense of free markets”…
Republicans don’t need a new philosophy as much as they need someone who can explain it and be heard over the clatter of the anti-Republican chatterers, writes Optimistic Patriot of New England Republican [via Maggie’s]:When President Bush first hit…
“I suspect the historical model is the only path, for tyrants cede power reluctantly” Vermont Woodchuck………
I do believe you are spot on with that entire observation.
Habu - terrific comments. Come back when you can.
Hotspur,
Thank you. I’ll be back and especially look forward to discussing the tough decisions Obama will make.
Right now I believe the planet is in retrograde economically and it should be interesting to see him attempt implimenting Leninist type New Economic Policies and Stalinist Five Year Plans to correct that motion. Lenin’s NEP and Stalin’s Plans worked but as we know at the cost of tens of millions of human beings. It was disclosed during the campaign that the Bill Ayers types were willing to murder a like number if they didn’t buy into the “reeducation” programs.
We will see.
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