Which question should be the official RebuildTheParty.com question presented to the candidates for RNC Chair? (Poll Closed)

One of the important goals is to inspire and engage a younger broad based participation in the party. A national comprehensive effort at the College and University level would be beneficial

We need to revamp the entire system and the best way to do that is to run a full slate. Get people who are not concerned over what is in if for them but what is best for the country. NOW, is the best opportunity to say to these people, start listening to us or you to can be unemployed, and we are not kidding. I am in Congressman Pitts district and he said it is hard when he emphatically says no to bailouts or anything else and is rolled over by other members.

They need to listen to us or be gone. It is like we are kids and these guys are bullies on the play ground. One burly man can not get them to stop but let the entire party take them out, they will listen or they can collect unemployment also. (Oh that's right they do not put into it so they can not collect it., whoops wrong again taxpayers are always paying for others that do not do their fair share) Let's clean house people. We have a great opportunity with a new Chairman - Let's Rock Washington!!!!!

With all due respect to these efforts, what is the rationale for voting on only this selection of questions?

Why not set something up on UserVoice where people can write in their questions and others can vote on them, much like what ATR is doing?

You guys need to walk the walk.

We need at least two or three exciting, knowledgeable, intelligent, experienced candidates with charm and personality who will win the hearts and minds of America. These candidates should be identified and groomed for the next presidential election. We also need a diverse, organized party ready well before 2012-- in all 50 states. We must start now, 2011 is way too late. We simply cannot afford to fail again.

This Question: What's the #1 thing you would change about how the Republican Party currently runs its campaigns?

This is critical to the success of growing the Rep Party. I had once run a campaign for a person in a "Conressional District" that was mostly Black (African American for the PC crowd). What I noticed is that I was told not to spend a lot of time in some areas because they were mostly Dem's (Black).

With that kind of thinking we were never able to get our message out to the very group we were trying to win over. I feel as though a very well spoken message "that hits home" with people (no matter black, white or whatever) will be recieved very well by all "right thinking people" (not right as in Right or Left ) but as in Correct Thinking. One change (of many) I would engourage is to leave no community untouched... the black community thinks the Reps are not for them because they never come to their neighborhoods to talk to them... They think Reps feel about them the way the media shows it...

We need to do it for ourselves.... not allow the media to do it.... this will help our Campaign efforts..

Thank you,

Brian Martin (Black Man) :-)

As a former moderate Republican who departed to Independent in 2002, I would suggest that the GOP abandon ideology of the Bush era, face reality and quite valuing loyalty over competence (as happened in the past 8 years).

The ATF should also face reality after three GOP Presidents have each doubled the national debt. Taxes need to be progressive. Widening the income gap has resulted in too many Americans being unable to save and still spend enough to make up the 65% of GDP that consumers are expected to make up. We see now, the result of that lack of spendable funds within the population at large. The multi-million dollar earners will not be able to make up the gap.

Either this is a country for all citizens or it will become a second rate power, too poor to pay its way and keep its citizens whole and healthy.

Ideologues have killed the GOP, especially the "tax reformers" who looked only out for the wealthy.
When is enough enough??

The scope of these questions is very limited and the bulk of them presuppose that in order to be successful, Republicans need to copy the Barack Obama model in one way or another. Why don't we look at replicating the type of campaign Ron Paul ran in 2007/8? His supporters rallied behind him with grassroots activism from the bottom up, not because he implemented online programs as the above questions seem to suggest as a way ahead. The RNC needs to wake up and realize that the message of personal freedom and limited government (and therefore lower government spending and taxes) alone will carry a candidate who is able to express those ideas to Americans at large. It's a shame that Congressman Paul, the only Republican candidate with the economic understanding to provide leadership in these tough financial times, was relegated to the sidelines because he did not support unprovoked and unjust war. It's not too late for the RNC to embrace Ron Paul Republicans...though it may be soon...
Semper Libertas!
-MarineForLiberty

"What will the conservative movement unite behind to build a similar grassroots movement?" has got 30% of the votes, but it is a bad idea. The Democrats were not especially united by opposition to the war (Hillary voted for it -- Obama has retained Bush's SecDef. The public had forgotted the war by election day. We need a broad slate of candidates accross 50 states and 435 districts -- each candidate campaigning on issues that will win in their districts. The winning candidates' issues will become the PARTY'S WINNING ISSUES. The party needs a variety of proven election-winning issues. Diversity, not unity will win elections.

The question should be: Will you educate the electorate? Newt Gingrich did with the "Contrat With America." "Harry and Louise" did about the healthcare takeover. A *HUGE* majority who voted for Obama thought Republicans were in control of both sides of Congress. The obvious has to be told to the public since they do not pay attention to politics, otherwise the "drive-by media" wins the day. You can call this "Andrea's strategy." I believe it will work since the truth usually wins in the long run if the people hear it.
Additionally, I want to hear that the RNC chair will beat the drums over what the Republican party platform is (if he knows it, that is. It seems those in D.C. forget).

I like this question -
Democrats were united over opposition to the Iraq war, fueling the movement that eventually elected Obama. What will the conservative movement unite behind to build a similar grassroots movement? 33% (297 votes)

however, why does it necessarily have to be described as the "conservative movement"? Isn't it Republicans in general? The Democrats did have at least one party voice and didn't split among their liberal, moderate and conservative ranks as much when promoting their message....Republicans need to know how to work amongst our own in order to promote a specific message....

The majority are voting for the question that got us killed in the last 2 cycles. We can't be a one issue party. We need to get a new Contract With America and bring in new ideas and new people. We are never going to build a majority with one issue; there will always be many opposed to that issue. We need a broad range of common sense ideas, with solutions, and educate the masses directly as the media will fight us every step of the way.

These items are all too limited or narrowly-focused. The GOP needs to (re)build broad appeal amongst all age and racial demographics. The ideas are there, they're just not coherent and marketed well. Focusing solely on a question about "How are you doing to do what Obama did" or "How are you going to use Facebook right" is a losing question and a waste of this opportunity.

I agree 100% with the commenters who find all these questions too limiting and almost beside the point. This site has captured the interest of intelligent Republicans and the national media because it presupposes that something has gone fundamentally wrong with the GOP and it is time to fix it. I have read countless comments from dunderheads in the Party leadership to the effect of "problem? what problem?" We cannot, therefore, race ahead of ourselves with these people. KEEP IT SIMPLE: What, in your opinion, has gone wrong in the last two elections and how would you fix it?