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Young Conservatives Push for Innovative Policy Agenda in Face of Trump

New group offers answers for GOP’s 2012 loss, and policy message for future success

Capitol
AP
May 6, 2016

The Republican Party’s failure to appeal to voters with a broad range of economic concerns precipitated the party’s last presidential loss, according to new group of young conservatives convened to develop and push an "innovative" policy agenda for the future.

ReNew, an independent project of the Conservative Reform Network spearheaded by young professionals, on Thursday unveiled a report that lays out policy proposals and messages that candidates can use to appeal to Americans "outside traditional Republican constituencies." The document seeks to build on the assessments of the Republican National Committee’s 2012 autopsy.

At ReNew’s debut event in Washington, D.C., Thursday, its leaders emphasized the importance of pushing for an innovative agenda that can appeal to a wider swath of voters given Donald Trump’s presumptive nomination this week. The party’s failure in 2012, they argued, gave way to Trump’s rise.

"Our message did not connect with voters who are concerned about economic security more than economic opportunity," Adam Klein, a former House staffer and clerk for the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who is spearheading the project, said.

"Unfortunately, since then, the party has not done enough to change that. Of course, today, we’re seeing a populist revolt on the left, on the right, so what’s our answer?" Klein continued, referring to the way in which Trump and Democratic socialist Bernie Sanders have caught fire with frustrated voters in the current election.

"It can’t be to abandon our fundamental principles, but we need to finally realize that there are many Americans who are more fearful of moving down the economic ladder than they are hopeful of moving up. We need to have a message for them."

ReNew’s report outlines policy solutions to encourage and bolster free markets, promote limited and effective government, and provide support to families and communities. It calls for reforms in a broad range of areas, such as health care, tax policy, and education. ReNew also presents new ways to effectively address divisive issues such as income inequality, criminal justice, and religious liberty.

"America is in a great position for the future—if our government changes course. We still have the world’s best companies, vast natural resources, and a workforce full of energy and potential. Unfortunately, under the Obama administration, we’ve chosen policies that stifle these advantages instead of unleashing them," the report argues.

"It is past time for the Republican Party and the conservative movement to adopt a bold reform agenda to address the economic and cultural headwinds facing the working class. Today, this challenge is more urgent than ever. Donald Trump’s success in the presidential primary campaign suggests that the institutional Republican Party and the conservative intellectual class have lost the allegiance of these voters. There is little time left to win it back."

The report was produced by more than 150 young professionals in finance, business, media, politics, and other sectors. ReNew’s leaders believe that the document provides a blueprint for lawmakers and candidates to better address voters’ concerns and appeal to them in the future.

"We really wanted to bring together a positive message and serve as a resource for those in the legislature that are running for reelection as well as whoever is going to be taking over the executive branch," Christian Hoehner, one of Renew’s leaders and a director of policy for the trade association Data Coalition, said Thursday.

Hoehner encouraged interested parties to "engage" with the policy document. The group intends to start an online forum where readers can offer ideas and will host monthly programs in partnership with the Conservative Reform Network to discuss policy topics.

"This is a tough moment for the conservative and libertarian intellectual movements. There’s no getting around that," Klein said Thursday. "So, our answer is a positive one. We’re trying to plant a seed for the future. If we grow these ideas, their time will come."