On Monday, the Republican National Committee released the results of a new study intended to describe public opinion of the party. Commissioned by the party chairman, the study called the “Growth & Opportunity Project” [PDF] features suggestions on how to reform the party’s image before the 2014 midterm elections and the 2016 presidential elections.
The study, which featured in-person interviews as well as thousands of online surveys, found that people consider the party to be “scary,” “narrow-minded” and “out of touch,” as well as the party of “stuffy old men.” Then it details recommendations on how to gain more support such as increasing social media output, updating its technology and reframe its arguments to appeal to a women and minorities.
The study suggests [PDF] that the GOP take a more tolerant look at immigration to appeal to Latinos, establish a database of African-American leaders, and prepare for interviews with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert to gain youth popularity. The study also suggests that the RNC must find a way to respond to the War on Women and highlight how the GOP supported the women’s rights movement. Despite citing a study by the Center for American Progress that the number 2 issue for women voters was “a candidate who will fight for them,” the study makes no mention of the party’s stance towards birth control or abortion.
