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Well in order to answer that question, we need to look at who is talking about this re-branding of the GOP, and what type of re-branding they are considering.
I see this as the far left saying the GOP needs a new identity. When I see people like Chris Matthews, Ed Shultze, Rachel Maddow, Juan Rivera, Geraldo Rivera, Allan Colmes, adamantly stating the GOP needs I new identity, I get skeptical. Really, why would these people want to give helpful advice to the opposition party. I smell a rat.
Next, let's see how they suggest the GOP should re-brand; it is almost unanimous that we become more of a big tent party. "Big tent" is the new word for diverse, and by diverse they mean left leaning. This can't happen. The GOP tried this when they nominated John McCain. That nomination got us a loss, and an emergence of his daughter, Meghan, who is also a proponent of the lets get rid of our principles campaign with in the party.
Third, why re-brand? Well, as our re-branding supports believe, to be more "inclusive". That would be sacrificing principles to appeal to more people, but more people to our left. I think that liberals want this because if the GOP moves left, they will get to move farther left. Since they will be keeping the same distance from the GOP, people will not notice the shift.
I may be wrong in my observations, but this political shift has happened more times then a care to discuss. Just look at the progression of the GOP:
1.)Conservatism under Reagan, where the free market ruled, the economy flourished, companies like Apple, Microsoft and Intel pave the way leading into the 21st century;
2.)George H. W. Bush, a more economically relaxed for a conservatism. A little more government intervention into the economy, resulting in a recession, and a Republican who raised taxes to try to get out of it.
3.)Bill Clinton is in office, massive growth of government is possible, especially with Hillary Care, however the Nation checks down on the Clinton's by electing the 1st Republican Congress in 40 years. This check down actually forces a shutdown of the federal government, but this is portrayed in the media as mean, conservatism starts to get weakened and changed to;
4.)"Compassionate conservatism," principled conservatives are voted out, Newt Gingrich, Dick Armey among others and are replaced by more Moderate "Compassionate Conservatives." this leads to the election of;
5.)George W. Bush, compassionate (inclusive) conservatism, racks up a $1 trillion deficit, lost control in House, lost Presidential election, and possibly Senate in 2009.
This is a losing strategy. If the GOP is to re-brand let's re-brand to the right. Let's pick up he Jefferson/Madison mantra that less government is better government. More libertarian issues, like the 2nd Amendment and the 10th Amendment. Let's be the party of strict Constructionists. The party of individual, not collective liberty. The party of equal opportunity, not egalitarianism. The party that sees that the Constitution limits the power of the Central Government, and gives unlimited power to the people. The party of the Judiciary that interprets law, not as judge Sotomayor states "...where policy is made."
This can be done by parading out economists of the Austrian School like Lew Rockwell, Thomas DiLorenzo, and others of the Ludwig von Mises Institute. People like Newt Gingrich who can articulate an issue pretty well, and who have seen the in workings of our government and Ron Paul, who presently is a house member and can start using it as a type of bully pulpit.
The GOP can rise again, but not by being more inclusive of the left, but by including more of those to the right, and reverting back to the Jeffersonian philosophy of government, "that government is best which governs least."