Call Me GOP

Tim Pawlenty fought the good fight while Jim DeMint didn’t even have a chance. The people have spoken, and it’s Eric Cantor vs. Mitt Romney in the championship round. Well, Romney was probably a given, but are you at all surprised by the wild-card candidate facing him in the final?

You’ll have a few days to vote on these two guys, and then we’ll finally be done with this tournament. Next week, I’ll announce whom you’ve chosen as the voice of the G.O.P. That’s when the work really picks up. Together, we’ll be putting the G.O.P. through a series of exercises we use on our clients to help them identify and tell their stories. Let’s see if we can fix this thing!

So get your votes in over the weekend, and tune in Monday to find out what happens.

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The Final Four ends tomorrow. This tournament has dragged on long enough; I think it’s distracted us from our original goal. By its sheer nature, a contest like this polarizes people more than it brings them together.

Yes, there are many different points of view even within the G.O.P. itself, but a few principles hold it together. One that’s been identified here time and time again is the idea of personal freedom, which is a huge part of the party’s belief system. But if it’s true that those that yell the loudest are the ones that get the most attention, the message of personal freedom and self-determination seems to be somewhat lost in the din. How can the G.O.P. promote this idea and unite over it more effectively?

Tomorrow we’ll find out which two Republicans will face off in the championship round. While Eric Cantor and Tim Pawlenty battle it out, Mitt Romney has a commanding lead. What is different about his message and the way he gets it across?

And hey, who knows? Maybe one of these underdogs will steal the title away. I just want to step back and hear what you guys have to say. So vote on the Final Four while you can and tune in tomorrow for the results.

Obama’s approval rating has plummeted. Almost 50% of voters think that America’s best days are in the past.  According to another Rasmussen Report, 61% believe we’re going in the wrong direction while only 34% of voters think we’re on the right track. Where do you think our country is heading? If you think we’re heading down the wrong path, what will it take to get us back on track?

Tim Pawlenty took a shot at Mitt Romney attacking Massachusetts’ health-care program. Maybe he heard about our tournament? More likely he’s thinking about bigger things, like the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, for which both are strong contenders.

There’s been a lot of noise about Romney here but not as much enthusiasm for Tim Pawlenty, who’s in a fierce race to beat Eric Cantor in the Final Four. Why would or wouldn’t Pawlenty be an appropriate voice for the G.O.P.? What qualities does he posses (or lack) that would affect your support of him, and why?

It’s not just the G.O.P. that’s split. The Hill reports that issues of health care are furthering the divide between liberals and moderates in the Democratic Party. Are there key issues that cause this interna tension  in both parties, and if so, what are they?

Following Tuesday’s announcement that Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning would not seek re-election, Rand Paul — Ron’s son of course — has indicated that he might be interested in the seat, running as a Republican.What does he have that separates him as an emerging leader in the party?

Many of you were disappointed that Ron Paul lost by a mere vote to Joe Scarborough in our Sweet Sixteen tournament. Frankly, I also don’t know why Scarborough was able to pull ahead. What are your thoughts about this? Would Rand have fared better than his father?

What is a Republican? As we’ve also noted, the party has many so many voices and opinions competing to be heard. But when it’s all said and done, who will be the one to rise above the din and united the party? The New York Times examines the competing brands of Republicans.

So who do you think should speak for the G.O.P., and what should its message be?

To quote one of our Final Four contestants, Eric Cantor:

“Reaching out to the Muslim world may help in creating an environment for peace in the Middle East, but we must insist as Americans that our policies be firmly grounded in the beliefs of the Judeo-Christian tradition upon which this country was founded.”

Does religion have any place in politics? Why is it constantly a subject touched upon — by both parties? And what gives one religion more weight than another?

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Tim Pawlenty was elected vice-chairman of the Republican Governors Association, giving him a position that could help advance presidential ambitions. So why is he losing out to Eric Cantor in our Final Four?