WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Young Republicans still stung by Mitt Romney’s defeat in November are looking for a White House candidate with a message they can run with. For some, that means going back to basics – and leaving divisive social issues behind.
Fed up with a Republican Party strongly associated with anti-abortion, anti-gay and anti-environment stances many younger voters do not share, some young Republican groups are shaping their own message.
Concord 51, a new political action committee, bills itself as “the voice of the young, fiscally conservative professional” with a focus on the “three core issues of fiscal responsibility, a strong national defense, and energy advancement.”
Matthew Swift, chairman of the New York City-based PAC, believes an economic message will win young converts.
“I think it’s about embracing the fights we’re already in,” Swift said. “We’re not afraid to disappoint some people and frankly we’re not afraid to tick some people off.”
There’s nothing left to lose – except the White House again.
In the last two presidential elections, Republican candidates lost the youth vote, and the race. As many as 23 million voters under age 30 turned out in 2012, analyses show, and Democratic President Barack Obama could not have been re-elected without them.
The so-called millennial voters, aged 18 to 29, represent an important segment that Republican leaders know they need to cultivate if they hope to ensure victory in 2016.
“The Republican establishment isn’t going to win anymore if they keep writing off the youth vote,” said Celia Bigelow, a 23-year-old conservative columnist from Detroit.
