The man who helped President Obama win his White House bid through a groundbreaking Internet mobilization effort offered some advice to the Republican Party on Monday during remarks at the Personal Democracy Forum's annual conference in New York City. To rebound in 2012, the GOP needs new leaders who not only understand technology but also can embrace "the wants, needs and desires of regular people across the country," new media strategist Joe Rospars said. "It will not only help them electorally but will also drag the leadership back toward the middle." During an exchange with Mark McKinnon, who advised Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., on the campaign trail, Rospars argued the GOP has veered too far right and despite making some technological progress in recent years is still stuck in the pre-Web world.
"We got millions of people to do stuff... in a substantive way," Rospars said of the Obama campaign. "You have to capture something both at an emotional level and at a this-matters-to-me level." McKinnon agreed, saying the future of conservatism hinges on connecting with people in new ways. Republicans have to get "leaner, tougher and smarter" while using emerging online tools to spread the message that they understand what the American people care about. McKinnon said his party is suffering from a "leadership deficit" similar to the one Democrats experienced a decade ago. But he believes the GOP can regain its footing as voters begin to feel disenfranchised by the party in power. "I hope President Obama is an extraordinary success for the sake of our country [but] the hard stuff is just beginning," he said.
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