GOP "pissing off" fastest growing voter groups

In 2010 the Republicans enjoyed a brief rally of support in the form of the Tea Party movement. That movement sported a flag, a strange throwback to the “Don’t Tread On Me” snake of the American Revolution. Rather than a coiled snake, a more appropriate one for the Republicans in the 2012 elections would be one devouring its own tail. At every turn the GOP leadership has pursued an agenda that actually serves to further isolate and alienate the largest voting demographics; Hispanics, women, and young people. A recent blog article from Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor under the Clinton administration, discusses why.

According to Reich, “Republicans can’t help pissing off Hispanics, women, and young people.” In fact, falling in line with the GOP political agenda means actively pursuing policies that hurt or hinder these groups of voters. Reich elaborates on some of the more specific examples.

• Anti-Immigration legislation: States including Alabama, Arizona, and California have strong Republican contingents pushing anti-immigration legislation. Voter ID laws and “self-deportation” laws are designed to make life so unbearable for illegal immigrants that they voluntarily leave. Arizona and Alabama both have some some of the desired effect, but Hispanic-american citizens are making the Republican drafters and supporters of these laws pay at the polls. By the determination of a recent Pew poll Obama is favored by Hispanics over Romney by more than two to one.
• Reproductive Rights: By Reich’s count, there are more than 400 republican-sponsored bills that are waiting in state legislatures around the country attacking women’s reproductive rights. These bills limit the accessibility or affordability of abortions by mandating invasive tests or time limits for the development of a fetus. The recent congressional fight over insurance-covered contraception from religious institutions put a very public face to this argument, and had a dramatic effect on the backing of various GOP candidates by women voters. It’s worth mentioning that women are the fastest growing demographic of voters in primarily Republican held areas.
• Student Loans and For-Profit Colleges: Republicans say that there is $6 billion available to keep down student loans, even temporarily, one of the most common (The Stafford Loan) is set to double its interest rate on July 1^st. The Paul Ryan budget, which was passed unanimously in the Republican controlled House and endorsed by Mitt Romney, allows this interest rate to double, which would add as much as $1,000 to their yearly debt. Student loan debt is the highest form of debt now and, most economists agree, is one of the major drags on economic recovery. Furthermore, For-Profit Colleges have been shown to cost more and leave more students in higher debt with fewer job prospects upon graduation. Yet, Republicans have aggressively fought attempts to regulate them.

Combine these aspects of Republican policy-making with the fact that public approval of Congress is at an all-time low and many Republicans, including several endorsed by Romney, have since been recalled in special elections, and it doesn’t look good for Republicans in 2012. There’s little defense for any of these, either, which means that we’re likely to see an emphasis from Republican candidates on attack ads seeking to misdirect voters. If Democrats are wise, they should stay on the issues continue to emphasize the GOP record. Let the elephants sling the mud.