Following President Obama’s victory on Tuesday Night, the GOP now finds itself trying to pick up the pieces. Over the next few weeks, much will be said about the Republican party’s inept approach to courting Latino voters and the changing demographics.
As Alex and the panel discussed on Thursday, the Republican party is slowly realizing that in order to remain competitive in national elections, they must rethink their relationships with minority voting blocks. One demographic in particular that the GOP lost significantly is the youth vote, ages 18 to 29. According to Tufts University’s analysis, the youth vote comprised about 19 percent of the electorate vote, with President Obama capturing 67%. The statistic is striking since the GOP has argued for the past three years that the enthusiasm of the youth vote wouldn’t return in 2012.
Going forward, the Republican party needs to seriously reevaluate their approach to issues important to the younger generation, such as education cuts, women’s rights, marriage equality, and the economy. While Tuesday’s election was a wakeup call for Republicans, it’s more than just courting the voters. It’s about the policies.