Party, not message, needs reinvented

There has been much talk lately of the Republican Party's effort to rebrand itself. It's coming from the “young guns,” Karl Rove, and now Jonah Goldberg. The problem is not that they need to reinvent the message, but the party.

The “young guns” would have us believe that just not saying anything stupid and putting a black, brown or female face on the messenger would solve the problem.

Rove's idea is to silence those who dare expose the real ideas or agendas. Goldberg thinks that if only they are more adept at persuading voters that the Republicans are what's best for the country, they are home free. Good luck with that.

Their real problem is that what they say to get elected is not what they'll do when given the opportunity. Voters are seeing through the smoke screen. They're tired of the relentless effort to make legal abortions impossible, create and protect separate classes, expand corporate welfare, privatize everything, kill unions, rig elections, and to shrink government (but not their favorite part).

They must realize they can't put enough lipstick on that pig.

David Kyllingstad

Iowa City