Anonymous Republican Senator Complains About Conservative Grip on the GOP

Longtime journalist and political insider Roger Simon has a story in The Politico in which he relates a conversation with a Republican Senator who asked to remain anonymous. Here are some of the more interesting takeaways:

“I don’t think we have learned much from the election in terms of what people want to see,” he says. “We have the same gridlock.”

And the Republicans are very, very worried about the Hispanic vote. They see the African-American vote as largely gone, but the Hispanic vote was a possibility in future elections. If only Republicans knew how to appeal to Hispanic voters.

“We have to become much more attuned to the rhetoric and issues that Hispanics care about,” the senator says. “We have to talk about education, family, and moral issues like gay marriage and abortion.”

“The perception among Hispanics is that the Republican Party is the party of the rich,” he says, pausing. “And, in many ways, it is.”

He saw the problem as the presidential campaign advanced. The old labels that the Republicans used to hang on the Democrats did not stick.

“The Democrats talked about middle-class tax cuts! They weren’t the party of the poor anymore! They weren’t the party of gun control anymore! What did Republicans want? Tax cuts for the rich! And small government,” he says.

Small government — the mantra of the Republican Party ever since Ronald Reagan — will not work anymore, the senator says.

“We can’t revive the ghost of Ronald Reagan,” he says. “People want government in times of need.”

This anonymous Senator would be well served to visit Patrick Ruffini's Rebuild The Party, where he can make his concerns known.