Posted by In almost every media clip, press conference and Twitter post, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) is taking a swing at the Obama Administration. With Democrats in the White House and holding a majority in Congress, Republicans are desperately struggling to create their own identity that is separate and unique from the Democrats.
The fact is that they are working too hard to find it. America has changed over the last decade and we’ve moved more towards the center in our beliefs, so party lines have pretty much blurred. The abortion issue however is still the key differentiator among the two leading parties, but both sides have realized that this issue will continue to be split.
Right, wrong or indifferent, the Iraq War has divided our Country. Barack Obama was elected on the “change” ticket and to reunite America with itself and the rest of the world. It’s about working together towards a common goal, not the separatism that the Republications seem to be practicing so much of lately. Any Republican brand strategist should realize that this strategy is actually severely hurting the party. The 2008 presidential election was all about inclusion. We elected an African-American president! Need I say more?
The only way Republicans are going to find their identity is to start by collaborating with the Democrats. It’s ok to disagree, and debate policy, but it can be done with “tempered collaboration” and not the hard line strategy currently pursued. Once this is attained, the Republican Party then can begin to identify themselves more clearly as the American public will be able to better hear their message.