The Republican National Committee's focus, four months after losing the 2012 campaign:
When the RNC on Monday releases the findings of its "Growth and Opportunity Project" -- the report ordered by Chairman Reince Priebus on the party's losses in the 2012 campaign -- it will emphasize closing the GOP's widely-reported technological gap versus Democrats.RNC chief of staff Mike Shields, whom Priebus recently hired to help shepherd the RNC's modernization, said he is working on "fundamentally restructuring the way the RNC works so it is centered around the technology department."
The Republican National Committee's focus, four months after losing the 2008 campaign:
"It will be avant garde, technically," [RNC Chairman Michael Steele said of his party's post-election rebuilding strategy]. "It will come to table with things that will surprise everyone -- off the hook."Does that mean cutting-edge? "I don't do 'cutting-edge,'" he said. "That's what Democrats are doing. We're going beyond cutting-edge."
Four years ago, the RNC said it would get back on track with a restructured digital strategy. Now, the RNC says it'll get back on track with a restructured digital strategy.
This is not to suggest Republicans have always trailed Democrats when it comes to technology. In the 1970s, Richard Viguerie pioneered direct-mail programs for Republicans to great effect -- and at the time, this was considered (ahem) cutting edge.
But over the last couple of decades, the GOP has clearly fallen behind. The party is now committed to closing the technology gap with its rivals, but they've said this before.