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GOP Split on How Dire the Post-Election Straits Are
Older members see perfect ugly storm in '08 loss; youngsters see broader woes
By Gabriel Winant
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Posted Nov 17, 08 10:52 AM CST
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(Newser)
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Successive election disasters have the Republican Party split over its health, Politico reports. Older figures, like Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, say it’s been worse, and the GOP just needs to hold tighter to its core principles. But up-and-comers disagree. Says Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, “The Republican Party is going to need more than just a comb-over.”
Young reformers see real trouble in the party’s weakness among minority groups, especially the fast-growing Latino population. Likewise, Republicans have struggled to reach lower-income voters, and are getting pasted among young voters. “The American people don’t trust us, they don’t believe what we’re going to say,” says a former Nebraska candidate for Senate.