# Will The Republicans ever figure out why they lost? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 26, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224 "2012-12-26T21:33:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 57
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224/1121 "2013-07-06T12:24:10Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The easiest way to exploit racism is to be racist. Democrats did that. Republicans didn’t, so Democrats had to say it was a “coded racial appeal”. Sometimes it actually was a “coded racial appeal”. These things actually exist. > [@](#): > > Conservatives always opposed welfare queens, affirmative action(except narrowly tailored), and being soft on crime. And public opinion in general, not just white public opinion, has always been behind the right on these issues. “Welfare queens” were a mostly made-up problem. Yes, they opposed affirmative action, and like Helms, sometimes exploited racial fears about the program for political gain. It’s just not credible to pretend that Republicans and conservatives _never_ exploited racial fears and tensions. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224/1122 "2013-07-06T13:26:43Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > And the Republicans are not racist. **If they have to figure out they are racist, which seems to be the #1 theory on this thread, then they aren’t racist.** Without making any assertions about individual Republicans or the Republican party, I can’t believe you’re claiming the bolded part. IME, the most virulent racists are often clueless about being racist. > [@adaher](#): > > Ah, so he wasn’t Hitler incarnate. Seems to be a thing with Republicans, liberals hate them with passion when they are in office, then rehabilitate them as an example of reasonableness when they retire. You mean like Republicans do (e.g., GHWB in 1992) with Harry Truman? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224/1123 "2013-07-06T13:44:25Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The Southern Strategy was not racist What was/is it, then? :dubious: What was the attraction the GOP offered/offers that particularly resounds among Southern whites, and what was/is different about white views in that region? Really now. > [@](#): > > That’s the problem, it’s Democrats who explicitly mention race, and they apparently have to explain to people that things are racist. “No, YOU’RE the real racists!” is hardly a winning argument. It’s reassurance for people who are already on your side, not a way to convince anyone else - in fact, it repels them, which is the opposite of what you guys need to do. So what else ya got? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224/1124 "2013-07-06T14:48:04Z")
So basically, the GOP supported civil rights, fought for civil rights, and then just said, “Eh, now we don’t believe in this anymore” as soon as they got the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed. Let’s imagine a future where the politics of abortion have changed so drastically that Roe is overturned and Congress passes a ban on abortion, with equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans in support. Pro-choicers would feel pretty betrayed by the Democratic Party, wouldn’t they? So would pro-choicers then become Republicans? Some would, but not because Republicans had suddenly gone soft on abortion. They’d switch because with abortion off the table, those who cared a lot about reproductive rights would have to vote based on other things. The same thing happened with civil rights. The South was Democratic ONLY because of racism. Once race was taken off the table, southerners recognized that their true home was the GOP. ---
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224/1125 "2013-07-06T14:58:24Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The same thing happened with civil rights. The South was Democratic ONLY because of racism. Once race was taken off the table, southerners recognized that their true home was the GOP. That’s funny, I thought that the GOP changed a few of their views on small things like states rights. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224/1126 "2013-07-06T14:59:44Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The same thing happened with civil rights. The South was Democratic ONLY because of racism. Once race was taken off the table, southerners recognized that their true home was the GOP. Race was not taken off the table. The political references to race just became less overt. “Welfare queens” is coded language, even if you refuse to admit it. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224/1127 "2013-07-06T15:02:49Z")
When did the GOP favor welfare? Never. It was an existing GOP position. So was support for the 10th amendment. Now if you’re saying that the Republicans found a way to appeal to white resentment, sure they did. And Democrats have been benefitting from minority resentment, and appealing to it much more explicitly, ever since. Heck, deciding who and is not an authentic person of color is a mainstream Democratic thing. Democrats are free to use racial slurs at will against conservatives of color. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224/1128 "2013-07-06T15:10:09Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Now if you’re saying that the Republicans found a way to appeal to white resentment, sure they did. He admits it! Stop the presses! > [@](#): > > And Democrats have been benefitting from minority resentment, and appealing to it much more explicitly, ever since. Those dastardly Democrats, benefiting from bad memories and disapproval of trivialities like segregation, Jim Crow, lynching, and slavery. > [@](#): > > Heck, deciding who and is not an authentic person of color is a mainstream Democratic thing. Democrats are free to use racial slurs at will against conservatives of color. If by “free” you mean “harshly criticized by senior party members”, then perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224/1129 "2013-07-06T15:14:28Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > Oh, darn. You got me. And it was easy, too! ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224/1130 "2013-07-06T15:14:36Z")
Who criticized Bill Richardson for saying that Ted Cruz wasn’t really Hispanic? And how come the media didn’t make a big issue out of it, given that a third of Latinos vote Republican? ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224/1131 "2013-07-06T17:13:11Z")
“Atwater, being a political axeman, had an already distorted view of politics.” Waaay too glib and dismissive. If this is the best you’ve got, might as well admit you’ve lost the debate. Atwater was The Guy for Republican political strategy for years, and the party followed him because he won elections for them. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224/1132 "2013-07-06T18:56:29Z")
During the election, **adaher** was the poster child of Republican truthiness on these boards - everything he said was _right,_ regardless of whatever eggheaded studies/statistics/articles/news items you could find. Turns out he was almost 100% wrong about everything. And he did the smart thing by staying away for 3 or 4 months, so we wouldn’t rub it in so much. Now, the OP asks: Will the Republicans ever figure out why they lost? And our poster boy of Republican truthiness comes out of the woodwork to argue that everything we think/know/can see with our own eyes is liberal idiocy and that Republicans aren’t racist and yadda yadda. So, to the OP: No, the Republicans will never figure out why they lost. They’re petulant children who have such a narrowed view of the world that anything that exists outside their tunnel of view doesn’t actually exist and is only liberal hallucinations. If they have to “rig” elections to still get voted in, that’s only because the American people don’t know what’s best for them. If 67% of Texans don’t approve of more abortion legislation, well back in the day 67% supported Jim Crow too and we should be on the right side of history for once, regardless of how we do it. Giving him cites is useless. He doesn’t deserve cites, he’ll never read them, never accept them, and never argue in good faith. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224/1133 "2013-07-06T19:53:02Z")
> [@ZebraShaSha](#): > > So, to the OP: No, the Republicans will never figure out why they lost. Well, **some** Republicans are working very hard at figuring out why they lost. See [here](http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/17/magazine/can-the-republicans-be-saved-from-obsolescence.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&). Their problem is that they’re all under-40 technogeeks and the GOP is run hierarchically and the senior generation apparently won’t listen to them. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224/1134 "2013-07-06T20:51:51Z")
Of course the senior generation of the GOP won’t listen to the younger members. And it won’t matter what facts they ring to the table or how elegant and well-thought-out their arguments are; the senior GOP is like **adaher** and **OMGABC** : they know they are right and nothing will dissuade them; they are impervious to facts and logic. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224/1135 "2013-07-06T21:29:40Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Of course the senior generation of the GOP won’t listen to the younger members. And it won’t matter what facts they ring to the table or how elegant and well-thought-out their arguments are; the senior GOP is like **adaher** and **OMGABC** : they know they are right and nothing will dissuade them; they are impervious to facts and logic. It’s not just that they know they are right, the younger generation is coming to them and telling them “You and everything you believe is in is the problem”. That is obviously not going to go over well. ---
**Author:** ![Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omg_a_Black_Conservative)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224/1136 "2013-07-06T22:59:46Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I have no idea why you typed all that. You could have had the same effect and net result if you had just typed something like /handwave or #disbelieve. This has nothing to do with hand waving away things I don’t like. If your own cite starts out with, “While (s)he never mentioned race…”, and then continues with “…but this is what (s)he really meant!”, that is a good sign that your cite isn’t as “unbiased” as you would like to believe, and is merely inserting meaning into someone else’s words to prove to itself that someone else is what they want that someone else to be. The fact that you don’t understand this is _startling_, to put it mildly. > [@](#): > > The fact is that you didn’t ask for examples of racism, you asked (and this is a direct quote, not a paraphrase) “What Republican came out and said, essentially, “Hey, White people! Vote for us 'cuz those darn Democrats are out to get you!”?” > > I provided, via compilations of such incidents, more than a dozen highly noted examples that were all big media headlines when they occurred. Dude, you did no such thing. Seriously. Go back and look at the cites you provided. The claims of racism don’t hold up to scrutiny. Look at the Bachman quote; she never mentioned race, only religion. Look at the Gingrich quote; he never mentioned race, only the poor. Look at the Romney quote; he never mentioned race, only Obama. So the question is if they never mentioned race, then how are those quotes racist? This is the most aggravating thing about liberals/Democrats. You claim racism, and to support your claims of racism, you bring up race when race was never an issue. You win for winning and win for losing. Yet when confronted with actual quotes which are racist (or designed to enflame racial tensions), you either flat out ignore them or claim that they’re “true”. > [@](#): > > Your response amounted to “nuh uh”. Nuh-uh. > [@](#): > > I also will acknowledge that I erred in attributing remarks to Colin Powell that were actually made by his former chief of staff, retired Army Col. Lawrence Wilkerson. > > So, why do you think your opinion differs from Col. Wilkerson’s? I don’t know, nor is it really pertinent. > [@Snowboarder Bo](#): > > Of course the senior generation of the GOP won’t listen to the younger members. And it won’t matter what facts they ring to the table or how elegant and well-thought-out their arguments are; the senior GOP is like adaher and OMGABC: they know they are right and nothing will dissuade them; they are impervious to facts and logic. You do know how old I am, correct? And that Romney won among White voters under 30? And that Romney actually did a bit better with Blacks under 30 than he did with Blacks over 30? Granted, it’s little consolation, but still. > [@DigitalC](#): > > It’s not just that they know they are right, the younger generation is coming to them and telling them “You and everything you believe is in is the problem”. That is obviously not going to go over well. I’m younger than most of the posters here -\_- ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224/1137 "2013-07-06T23:06:50Z")
From the article linked to by **BrainGlutton** : > [@10 20-something men](#): > > The session with the young men was equally jarring. None of them expressed great enthusiasm for Obama. But their depiction of Republicans was even more lacerating than the women’s had been. “Racist,” “out of touch” and “hateful” made the list — “and put ‘1950s’ on there too!” one called out. You can continue to argue whether or not Republicans are actually racist - what you can’t (or shouldn’t) argue is that they are perceived as racist. Fix that or give up on winning national elections. Blame Democrats if you want, we don’t give a shit. Fact is the label is now there and you are going to have to take active steps to remove it. Calling Democrats race-baiters doesn’t count as a “fix”, it’s just juvenile whining. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224/1138 "2013-07-06T23:09:50Z")
"I’m younger than most of the posters here -\_- " Are you old enough to have seen the Willie Horton ad? Have you ever seen it? If not, you might want to take a peek. ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224/1139 "2013-07-06T23:17:20Z")
Quote: **OMGABC** > [@](#): > > Look at the Bachman quote; she never mentioned race, only religion. Look at the Gingrich quote; he never mentioned race, only the poor. Look at the Romney quote; he never mentioned race, only Obama. So the question is if they never mentioned race, then how are those quotes racist? This is the most aggravating thing about liberals/Democrats. You claim racism, and to support your claims of racism, you bring up race when race was never an issue. Well, color me convinced. Bachmann (correct spelling BTW): Not racist, just violently anti-muslim Gingrich: Not racist, just hates disadvantaged Americans Romney: Not racist, not at all. Just anti-intellectual I’ve apparantly misjudged republicans badly and hereby promise to begin anew by labeling them bigots instead of racists. SS ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224/1140 "2013-07-06T23:32:27Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Now if you’re saying that the Republicans found a way to appeal to white resentment, sure they did. Could you expound on that point, please? How did they do it, and why? And how are your bland \*denials \*that they have been appealing to racism consistent with the explanation you are about to give? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224.md?page=56) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-republicans-ever-figure-out-why-they-lost/645224.md?page=58)