After one of the biggest losses in history for Republicans, many in the party are wondering if there is any hope left for the GOP. I am here to say that there is not only hope, but also a strong chance for the Republicans to be the majority party again. To solve the problem of poor elections, I give you two words: social media.
You may be reading this and wondering how social media could change an election. It’s simple: Users for social media are typically young. If Republicans had been able to sway their vote, then they very well could have won the last two elections.
Social media seems like a no-brainer for someone to use and embrace during an election. Yet Republicans seem to ignore it as if it is just a fad. For the young voter, social media is not a fad; it is the future, and Republicans need to embrace it. Obama outspent Romney seven to one in social media. The Internet is a key to unlock the demographic of young voters. If Romney spent more money in this sector, then we would have seen a whole different race.
By investing more money in social media, Romney could have attracted a much younger base and, in turn, have created a whole new image of his campaign. Instead he chose, like McCain, to underestimate the difference it would make and hold fast to old methods of campaigning. Though I will not sit here and say social media would have won these races for the Republican Party, I do believe it would have changed the dynamic of the race.
Social media is murky water for the party, as many elected Republicans are older and do not use computers for social media. Nevertheless, they must act now to win younger voters to the side of Republicans if they want to have a future as a party. The Republicans are well behind the Democrats in the new age of computer science. Obama played a huge role in leading the charge for the Democrats. His social media tactics are going to be legendary one day simply because they changed the game. The rules of elections have evolved and if we as Republicans want a shot at the future, we must change in order to keep up with the times.
To my fellow young Republicans: I feel like it is our job not only to help by using social media, but also to teach the older generation its value to society. If we continue to be outspent in this arena, then Republicans will have a very hard time wining major elections. Social media is not a fad; it is the future of how elections in America will work. It can reach more people than TV ads and is more reliable than email. Social media has to be the top priority of Republicans in the next few years. If it isn’t, Democrats will continue to beat us up and down the ballot.
Regan Williams is a junior majoring in political science and communication studies. His column runs biweekly on Thursdays.
