The hard part is creating a party platform that will attract voters. After the disaster of Nov 2012, Republicans have been doing a lot of soul searching. Practicing Republicans (selectmen, school board, State reps, party officials, party workers) want the party to stand for jobs, tax cuts, spending cuts, and improving the economy. They don't want to get mixed up in the wedge issues (abortion, contraception and gay marriage), cause they know these issues are losers. They drive away more young voters, than the elderly voters they appeal too. If the practical Republicans had their druthers, no Republican would ever mention a wedge issue, especially in primary elections.
Trouble is the abortion issue is huge and it really motivates a lot of voters. Used to be the country was split 50-50 on it. Recent polling suggests that the pro abortion sentiment is now ahead maybe 55 to 45 percent. That's huge. Means every time the issue comes up, Republicans loose by 10 percent. In American elections 10 percent is a landslide.
Guess which party the 45 percent anti abortion voters join? I'll give you a clue, it ain't the democrats.
So here we are with a load of gung ho anti abortion voters in the party. It's a democratic party, we cannot kick them out or brainwash them. And they vote in primaries. So the Republicans have a LOT of wedge issue voters that won't go away. And Republican candidates have to come to the best terms they can make with them.
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