[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Today I humbly submit an open letter to the Republican Party with only the most helpful of intentions as Republicans prepare to embark on their 2016 run for the White House. It should be noted that even the most helpful advice can sometimes come across as harsh criticism — or, in my case, biting sarcasm — but I would ask that Republicans look past all that.

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I will begin my missive with a comparison of the current strategies being employed by Republicans to those of the oft-quoted Homer Simpson, who once famously struggled to attain a wedge of cheese only to be denied his goal with electrical shocks. Rather then change his strategy, Homer continued to do the exact same thing over and over, to no avail. One cannot deny the dedication and tenacity that Homer so valiantly displayed in his failed efforts, but at the end of the day he failed.

With this in mind, I offer up my observations of the actions of Republicans in the 2012 presidential election and make a few suggestions to improve their chances at attaining that delectable wedge of presidential cheese. While it’s easy to point the finger at Mitt Romney for his crushing loss to President Barack Obama in 2012, the truth of the matter is his failures as a candidate were an example of the collective failure of the Republican Party. Romney achieved his previous political success as governor of Massachusetts, but he did so as a Republican with moderated views. His willingness to bend party views on abortion and other sensitive issues allowed him to capture undecided and independent voters who would have otherwise voted for a Democrat.

Romney learned a valuable lesson in his failed 2008 attempt to win the Republican nomination where he was criticized for his partial support of abortion and accused of being too moderate for most conservative voters. Like any wise child who has endured a humiliating and painful spanking, Romney learned his lesson and quickly adapted his views to be far more conservative, which allowed him to win the 2012 Republican nomination. While employing the strategy of becoming a staunch radical conservative may have won him the nomination, it did little to sway independent and undecided voters, as Romney was soundly beaten by President Obama just as McCain was in 2008. This is why the Homer Simpson comparison is so appropriate — the results of the last two presidential elections clearly show that the strategy of moving even farther to the right is not getting the Republicans any closer to the White House.

The first thing I would suggest to avoid a future beatdown is to ignore the wants and desires of their conservative base because they are going to vote Republican no matter what. They definitively proved that in 2012 as the largely evangelical Christian base swallowed their distaste for Mitt Romney’s Mormonism and voted for him anyway. Compared to Obama, voting for Romney was clearly the lesser evil.

The second suggestion I’m offering is that Republicans need to concede that the battle for traditional marriage has been lost, despite the fact the state of Alabama continues to fight against the Supreme Court’s ruling on marriage equality. Republicans should back off traditional marriage rhetoric and be willing to alienate their base for the greater good.

Finally, Republicans must have a game plan for winning the confidence of undecided and independent voters. Republicans’ inconsistence in pandering to radical conservatives rather than expanding their influence to attracting moderate voters is what cost them in 2008 and 2012. Using a similar strategy in 2016 will almost certainly leave them as empty-handed as Homer Simpson.

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