Call Me GOP

What are the unique characteristics that define the Republican party?

Since our real goal here is to find the voice of the G.O.P. by identifying the core values he/she should uphold and the characteristics he/she should embody, maybe it’s time to stop in our tracks and determine exactly what those are.

As a Democrat with a staunch Republican father and many Republican friends, I often pose the question, “What is it that makes you a Republican?” In doing so, I always find that there’s flawless consistency in these three answers:

• High taxes suck.
• No one’s going to tell me I can’t own a gun.
• My dad (or mom) is a Republican.

And that’s where the consistency ends. As a fiscally conservative Democrat, I usually offer that:

• I also hate, nay, loathe, high taxes (although I do have very un-Republican feelings about where my tax dollars should go when they inevitably leave me).
• I absolutely agree that people should be able to carry guns, (which stems from my first-hand exposure to my dad’s near-death at the hands of someone who could have easily been stopped with the help of such a defense mechanism) but that there should be stronger barriers of entry.
• My dad is also a Republican.

So, since these are the three most consistent answers I’ve come across in my (admittedly informal) research, and I can claim all three as a Democrat, what are the unique characteristics that define the Republican party? What is it that the Republican Party offers that the Democratic party doesn’t? And of those things, which do the majority of Republicans claim most consistently?

Americans think “unfavorable” when they hear the words, “Republican Party.” “Conservative,” “lost their way,” and “catering to the rich” also come to mind, as we learn in this video. Well, is it fair? What words come to your mind when you think about the G.O.P.?

Is the G.O.P. poised for a comeback? Although its popularity rating is a near-record lows, the Republican Party has pulled it off before. This New York Times article covers what it will take, but can the G.O.P. (as it stands today) actually turn it around again?

So we’ve been at this for a week now. And there seems to be a general feeling that there are too many different groups within the Republican Party that can’t seem to compromise — or agree to disagree. (This goes back to the idea that unity isn’t the same as unanimity.) You think that all the bickering further divides the party, which would be stronger if it could focus on the things that do unite Republicans. As a party (and country) that is growing more demographically complex, it needs to change, and yet there’s a fear that adapting will take it away from its conservative tradition. But some of you think that’s an old-fashioned sentiment.

Republicans stand for less-government involvement and more personal freedom. If the party could unite over that, it would at least be a good starting point. In fact, one of you quoted “rising star” Paul Ryan: “If you believe in freedom, liberty, self-determination, free enterprise, I don’t care if you’re a Muslim, Jewish, Agnostic, Christian, gay, straight, Latino, black, white, Irish, whatever. Join us.”

That’s why we are having this tournament (this is still the original bracket, which I’ll be updating soon). We need to find out whose ideas speak to this new vision. Check out our new nominees (yes, we listen!), vote, and don’t forget to tell us what that person stands for that matters most to you.

This article was brought to my attention in the comments. It’s an interesting piece in The Washington Post about the breakdown of the Republican Party and what it plans to do.

Like the makeover?

You guys have delivered more than 200 comments so far, and we’re just beginning. But among other insights, it’s become clear we’re confusing some people: Some commenters think we ARE the Republican Party, trying to rebrand itself. And while it’s flattering to see the extent to which our sincerity resonates with you guys, it’s just not the case. We’re just a group of forward-thinking storytellers from Story Worldwide who started this experiment to see if the tools we use for our clients every day can help the G.O.P. find its way again, and maybe rebalance the political landscape. We’d like if the G.O.P. called us — note the title of this site — but as of this moment they haven’t. Yet.

But in an effort to reduce confusion, we decided to redesign the site to make more like us and clear the air about the matter.

I can’t stress this enough: this is a nonpartisan effort here. We don’t care whether you’re Republican, Democrat, or Know-Nothing. What we need from you is constructive comments and suggestions for making the Republican brand better. We need your insights, and the experiment’s just beginning.

I’m Jim. I also work at Story Worldwide. What Andrea didn’t say is we’re quite famous for telling the stories for many of the world’s leading brands. To be completely transparent, I didn’t vote for Obama — and I’m not a “card carrying Republican” never have felt the need to join a party. My conservative view of what I’m looking for from government, leads me to cheering for the G.O.P. team most every time. I do work with a number of “smart people” who often disagree with my view (they did vote for Obama) and that’s okay. However, we do share this — it’s never a good thing for America when one political voice drowns out the other. Unfortunately, that’s now the case in our country. The Democrats have found their story over the past eighteen months and the G.O.P. has not. Thus, the purpose of Call Me, G.O.P. is to assist the Republicans do just that — HELP THEM FIND THEIR STORY. It’s what we do and we do it well. I ask all who agree with my conservative view of politics – and even those who don’t, to get involved in the discussion that will take place over the next few weeks. We’ll try to make it fun and worth your time.

We’re going to kick things off tomorrow with a “tournament” called — THE VOICE OF THE GOP — where we’re asking your assistance in picking what Republican best represents the GOP going forward.  We’ve seeded 16 Republicans and have placed them in a tournament bracket similar to the NCAA’s March Madness.  In Round 1 we have match-ups pitting Rush Limbaugh vs. Rudy Giuliani, Sean Hannity vs. Michael Steele, and…well, you have to come back tomorrow to see the whole lineup. It’ll be fun, and lively, we promise. So get out and Vote for the Republican who has the best ideas for the G.O.P.!

The helpful guys in our art department put together a bumper sticker to kick off this project:

Ha, ha, ha. Fun…strong…but maybe not exactly the direction the G.O.P. should go in. That’s for us to figure out, starting right now. What do YOU think the Republican Party really stands for? What SHOULD it stand for? Comments below…let’s get this Party started!