Why the GOP needs an Image Consultant

Every year on my flight from New York City back to Las Vegas, there is a good five minutes worth of mild turbulence that always sends me into a small anxiety attack. In my head, as the plane beings to rattle and shake, I can picture the main pilot look dejectedly at his co-pilot before pressing the button that lights the please-fasten-your-seat-belt sign on the overhead compartment. At that moment, I'm sure that the pilot and the co-pilot know of our pending doom but loses the resolve to inform the unknowing passengers on board.

It is strange and disturbing to know that this anecdote also applies metaphorically to the current situation of the Republican Party. Here I am, riding in the economy class as the supposed leaders of our party look despairingly at one another before strapping themselves in for the inevitable crash.

As I write this article, the Republican Party is literally dying. For years the Republican Party has conceded ground to the Democratic Party without even putting up a fight. We gave away New England, we let them have the entire west coast, we allowed them to pander to the Blacks, the Hispanics, the Asians, the Youth, the Catholics, and the Jews. We continually talk as if a degree from Harvard, Yale, or MIT is a bad thing, and make fools of ourselves as we dismiss social media and new technology as an unreliable gizmo.

If the party continues to progress, or rather, digress like it has done for the past few years and if the Republican Party doesn't understand that it's brand and it's image needs a fresh new start, then the Grand Ole Party is set to splinter and fizzle permanently.

I was recently grabbing cocktails with a group of friends at Veloce Cibo inside the Las Vegas M Resort when I sprung this particular dilemma of our party on the three politically apathetic friends of mine who'd been enjoying conversing about the FIFA World Cup. Suddenly the conversation had changed from Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney to Sarah Palin and John McCain.

Considerably less... contemporary?

My friend Christopher who's finishing up on his Business Administration Marketing Masters explained his perception on the plight of why the Republican Party is having problems selling it's brand.

The party, especially to those who don't follow politics, seems old and stale. Boring with zero sex appeal. The Republican Party is viewed by the general populace as a party of old white folks who are grumpy that the world seems to be leaving them behind. Also it doesn't help the GOP at all when the Democrats do such a great job painting Republicans as anti-intellectuals, as bigots, as racists, and as chauvinistic macho men who hate woman.

In essence the perception is that the Grand Ole Party has lost the Grand and has become just the Ole Party.

And of course there's the new Tea Party factor. If the Republicans and conservatives weren't having enough trouble revamping the image of the party, we now have the Tea Party representing us. The conservative movement now has wall to wall coverage of old people with missing teeth holding smudged home made posters made out of cardboard boxes with either cowboy hats or leather biker chaps with metal studs.

Compare that to Matt Damon laying the smack down on Sarah Palin's "folksy-ness" on CBS News.

Starting to see the picture?

So I asked Chris, Zack, and Maria what could be done to start remaking the party. The three of them came up with a few sensible approaches to rebuilding the GOP brand:

One of the most important things is developing a concise and non policy orientated message about the future direction of the party (IE: Yes we can/Change you can believe in). Something the Republicans can take up as a battle call that says we're brimming with solutions and we want you to be a part of it.

Equally important is finding a leader with the right credentials that's also easy on the eye, sprinkles sentences with words only found on the SATs, and preferably doesn't have an ounce of the Southern drawl. Think Ronald Reagan, David Cameron, or Nicholas Sarkozy.

On the second tier of things that the GOP needs is a "sexy issue" where the GOP stance on the issue is perceived as a positive message. Democrats want the American voters to hug trees and plant grass (cap and tax) because they want to save the world from Armageddon. Democrats want to help the (illegal) impoverished and freedom seeking "undocumented" workers find a place amongst our rich and job filled communities. Democrats want to (pay exuberant amounts of taxes) fix the broken healthcare system so children don't die of cavities.

If you take out the truth given inside the parenthesis, then the average politically apathetic minds will listen to the Democratic message and think: wow, what a positive do-good party. The Republicans have been a little bit too proud for being known as the party of no, or as Sarah Palin puts it, "hell no."

The Republicans need to market the fact that we have golden stars too. How many members of the American public realizes that President George W. Bush was one of the most popular Presidents in Africa for his compassionate foreign policy which tripled and then doubled American aid to Africa putting it roughly near 9 billion dollars?

Probably no one.

And while Democrats raged about President Bush's supposed inaction in ending genocide in Darfur, no Republican stood up and pointed to President Bush's strong record of helping curtail civil war and genocide in the Congo and Liberia.

And of course no Democrat has ever heard of President George W. Bush declaring the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (84 million acres) as a national monument, creating the largest marine reserve to this day.

The GOP has a clear track record of undisputable "positive" policies, yet we don't ever market these events properly because we're so worried about saying "less taxes and stronger national defense," like we have for the last 7 decades.

Last but not least, the Republicans can't concede any more ground to the Democrats. This "how to talk to a liberal, if you must," mentality by Ann Coulter is ridiculous. Not only is it ridiculous but it's anti-American. It's anti-democratic. All those people and groups the GOP have written off because they don't vote or because they don't vote Republican must be sincerely re-engaged and re-introduced into the Republican Party.

That means we have to get people onto colleges and universities, that means we have to get the Republican message into black churches and catholic parishes in Latino communities. That means we have to flier China Town and buy ad space on Youtube, Facebook, and Google.

If the Republicans can revitalize some youth and positive energy into the party and stop talking about taking the country back to the 1700's when the constitution was adopted, then the Grand GOP might get it's groove back.

"Maybe even sex appeal too," Maria adds. "Like that Cristiano Ronaldo."

I laugh as Zack snorts.

"He's wouldn't be a Republican," Zack replies.

"Why not," I ask him,

"Because he's not white and decaying." Zack retorts.

Ouch.

Nevada's GOP Governor Race: Principle or Viability?

Everywhere across the country, incumbent politicians from both parties seem to be dropping like hundred dollars bills from a Goldman Sachs executive's pocket.

Just yesterday, the Associated Press reported that Representative Alan Mollohan, a 14-term incumbent Democrat, was ousted by state Senator Mike Oliverio in West Virginia’s Democratic primary by double digits. And of course who can forget Republican Senator Robert Bennett of Utah who got unceremoniously dumped for being apart of the establishment in Washington a few weeks prior.

With the Tea Party movement sweeping across our nation and Sarah Palin drawing large applause at the 2008 GOP convention for her attack on the good ole boy network, America is seeing the same red the French saw during it's revolution where aristocratic heads rolled off guillotine blades faster than PETA could throw red paint on lavish fur.

This toxic political climate for established Washingtonians have created the perfect brew for those opportunity seekers who've long been sitting on the floor, filtering off the scraps, dreaming of the day where they can sit with the big league at the dinner table and properly eat their slice of cake too.

All across the nation, those seeking political office are lining the ballot of every position possible, seeking a way into government by any means necessary. This leaves primary voters, especially Republicans who occupy the minority, a very serious question.

Is it more about viability or is it solely about principle?

We don't have to look far before we encounter this dilemma. Just analyzing the Republican primary in Nevada alone, there are a slew of candidates who are riding on the coat tail of the political atmosphere trying to make enough of an impression to irk out a primary win.

Just take a look at the Governor's race in Nevada. Even with rising polling numbers, Governor Jim Gibbons is still trying to fill a significant gap with ex-federal judge Brian Sandoval who's campaign calls him "the reason to believe again."

In this race alone, Republicans in Nevada have a dichotomy. Do you go with the incumbent Governor who has the conservative street credit but who is saddled with scandal and a high un-likeability rating with general voters? Or, do you go with the charismatic upstart who's conservative record is all but laughable but polls a bit higher than the incumbent in the general election?

And of course most races have that distant guy in third, in this case Mike Montandon, who brands himself smartly as "the only electable conservative candidate," but has such low polling figures that people question whether voting for him would be a waste of ballot paper.

So where do you go?

If the entire purpose of this current political climate was to keep politicians accountable and honest, then the answer has to be and only can be: principle first, viability second.

When people continue the routine of, "oh I like this guy, but we're going to have to go with him" mentality, then this entire process becomes a giant circle of constant dissatisfaction due to mediocre results by viable yet mediocre candidates.

If we continue down this path, we will forever be burdened with trying to figure out, which of the two is the lesser evil.

Even after all this head chopping, the people, if focusing on viability alone, will end up exactly where they started in the first place.

So if enough people started voting on principle without trying to factor in every ratio and percentage thrown out there, maybe it won't matter whether your the upstart, incumbent, or that guy in distant third.

Maybe, just maybe, for once in our lives we'll vote in a guy who'll do a decent enough of a job.

Obama: One Year Later

My opening speech at the UNLV College Republicans VS Young Democrats Debate titled, "Obama: One Year Later."

In 2009, Americans all across the country embraced for a new era of leadership to sweep across our nation. President Barack Obama rode in on a wave of popular support promising us change that we can believe in. What we got instead was change we didn't expect and change we didn't want.

During his campaign for the Presidency, Barack Obama promised us a translucent government where closed doors would be open, the people would be informed, and the interest of the people would be placed above the corporate lobbyists.

What we got instead was the exact opposite.

From Washington, we've already seen historic amounts of national spending, unprecedented levels of unemployment, and an engorgement of the public sector at the expensive of the private. And this is just after the first year.

We've seen the weakening of our national defense, a blatantly wrong response to matters of national security, and a corruption of relations that have been maintained since the foundation of our grand republic.

When the dust settled in November 2009, the political commentators all promised us a historic presidency that would break the norm in Washington. And they were unfortunately right.

We now have a historic presidency for all the wrong reasons and Americans are already responding to the President's agenda with a resounding no.

Whether it's the gubernatorial mansions in Virginia and New Jersey, or the Kennedy Senate seat in Massachusetts, Americans have begun to mobilize against the socialist agenda of President Obama.

President Obama. Americans want you to stop putting us in debt. Americans want you to stop weakening our national security. Americans want you to stop trying to socialize healthcare, and Americans want you to stop this new era of anti-business policy in Washington.

To simply put it, President Obama, Americans want you to stop.

Impact of America's Veterans

My speech at the “Voices of War,” forum held by the UNLV Student Veterans Organization.

First and foremost, I’d like to begin by thanking the UNLV Student Veterans Organization for putting together such an important forum for students and for the members of our local community. As it has been stated repeatedly throughout the discourse of the evening, the actions of American veterans and the actions of our current men and women in uniform have had a long and lasting impact on the geopolitical history of America and the rest of the world.

Thus, given the subject matter at hand, I can only imagine how your curiosity could be perked by the fact that I am sitting on this panel addressing you this evening. Frankly speaking, while my path in life has never directly crossed with service to our country by means of dedicated military service, my life has been intrinsically impacted by the brave veterans of our country. It is for this matter that I sit here today in an attempt to try to demonstrate how the actions of our brave men and woman in uniform could have drastically influenced your life and the lives of the peers that sit amongst you on this night.

Born in Taejun, South Korea but raised and naturalized in the United States, I am a product of two nations that have been entwined together in history for over the past 65 years. I am a proud Korean-American.

And as a proud Korean-American, I bring you this deeply personal story due to the fact that without the intervention of American soldiers who gave their lives in the defense of a country they’d otherwise probably would have never stepped foot in, it would be nearly impossible for me to be sitting here speaking to this group on this October evening.

Since I sit amongst a group of Americans who undoubtedly love their country, let me take some time to brag about the country of my heritage. In this age, South Korea stands as a member of the developed G-20 nations, currently ranking 15 in the world in terms of GDP. As a full functioning democracy, South Korea has risen to become a global power and a staunch ally of the United States. With a developed free market and a capitalistic society, South Korea has become integrated with the world wide community through means of commerce. It probably wouldn’t be a surprise if many of you in this room had LG or Samsung cell phones, televisions, home appliances or drove cars made by Hyundai and Kia.

But the reflection of South Korea as it stands today would not have entered even the most vivid of imaginations of the many American soldiers who stepped foot in my ancestral homeland at the start of the Korean War in June 25, 1950.

As a product of the Cold War, the Korean peninsula had been divided between the Soviet Union and the United States at the end of World War II, much like Germany and the rest of Europe had been divided between the spheres of Communism and Capitalism.

And while I am not naïve enough to believe that the United States and the United Nations intervened purely out of good will and in their love of the Korean people, it was nevertheless, the fruit born from the bloodshed that occurred over years of fighting back and forth across the peninsula. South Korea today stands as a prime example to the world of what can happen when America leads the free nations of this earth to uphold freedom in the face of tyranny.

Never in the history of the world has any other soldier given so much and asked for so little in return. The American soldier has marched in the defense of freedom to the most remote sectors of the world and I pray that Americans will continue to see her men and women in uniform as liberators and not as occupiers.

To conclude my speech, I’d like to finish by stating that it is my hope that in perhaps thirty years time, my children will also be able to attend an institution of higher learning where they can sit in an open forum and hear a similar story from an Iraqi gentleman or an Afghani lady on how their countries have flourished with democracy and liberty due to the valiant heroism of our American veterans.

A Conservative's Government

My opening address at the debate between the UNLV College Republicans and UNLV Young Democrats.

When we as Americans look at the two opposing schools of political thought in Conservatism and Liberalism, we see that the major divergence in ideology happen in describing what the proper Role of government ought to be. And ironically, it is in this broad and far ranging question that we see the intrinsic and unique qualities of the American democracy in comparison to the rest of the world. It is in this very question in which we find the answer to why so many people from every corner of the world flocks to the land that guarantees the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

To analyze what exactly is so intrinsic about American democracy and its role of government is, it is important to start at the very beginning. At our foundation, our forefathers were able to learn from the examples of what happens when power is consolidated and the sovereignty of the state is able to hold its people accountable to its whim. And so when our government was crafted, our forefathers built us a government in which the separation of powers were evident, and gave us a union where the right of the individual was given greater gravitas than ordinary.

And herein lies the difference. The conservative school of thought believes that the smaller the role of government is, the more free and prosperous our citizenry can be. The opposite can be said of the liberal movement. Their strangely skewed trust in government, which they present as the best solution, leads them to place the government and not the people, first. The conservative movement believes that decisions should be made as closely as possible to the people that are affected by it, and that the ones who make the decisions should be elected as directly as possible by the people affected. The liberal movement in stark contrast to such basic principals, attempts to create an umbrella in which generic standards are set and the people are ordered to fall in line.

As conservatives, we believe in a system in which standards are driven up by choice and competition opposed to a society that is supposed to simply be grateful for what is handed to it.

As Thomas Jefferson once said, “the government that can give you everything is a government that can take everything.” Our movement centers on the ideals of individual responsibility where every citizen is given the opportunity to strive for a better life.

The Art of Eating Meat in Front of a Vegetarian

Recently, as I was reading my University’s student run paper, the Rebel Yell, I found a rather amusing article titled: “From the other side: Veggie delights change social views.” How could anyone avoid reading such a grandiosely titled article? Hopeful to gain an insight as to how vegetables managed to change the perspective of human society and its views, I was left standing aghast by the end of the article. Basically, the author Shane Collins simple trapezes about the article gloriously announcing the delectable tastes of various vegetables and how he was proud that he and his vegetarian brethren are showing compassion and are “reducing [the] suffering,” of animals to quote his words.

Wait, wait, wait a minute. Reduce suffering of animals by becoming vegetarian? This smells like fishy PETA business to me.

I fully understand the concept of vegetarianism for those who follow a faith that calls upon it. I even begrudgingly understand those who are vegetarian for its supposed health benefits. But those who are vegetarian to respect animal rights and end animal suffering? That’s a laughable idea in my book.

Remember that one of the basic lessons in biology taught to us is that we as a human species are supposedly classified as mammals. We are also designed as omnivores. If you look at everything from our digestive organs to the way our teeth are designed, we are clearly built to devour both meat and vegetables.

With this in mind and using this ideology, don’t we as human beings have every right to eat meat from cattle as an endangered cheetah is entitled to hunt antelope? In comparison, the way we slaughter swine for consumption is similar in many respects to wild felines or dogs hunting its prey in the wild.

If the natural cycle that we learned in the movie, the Lion King holds true, why are vegetarians out there propagating this idea that eating meat is a guilty pleasure and that they are above such cruelty to animals. Ask any semi-coherent vegetarian (a possible contradiction), if a lion is able to sustain on a vegetarian diet. That vegetarian should answer you by saying no. You should ask them why not. Its because lions are designed to be carnivores, a beast that only eats other animals.

Then why should humans, a supposed natural creature of this world, be suppressed from living as it’s built to live: as an omnivore? The next time your sitting with a vegetarian friend who’s lecturing you about the barbaric nature of eating meat, remind that person you’re simply doing your part in helping reduce global warming by stopping cattle from releasing methane gas in their flatulence.

Senator McCain, It's been an Honor

As Americans we have seen one of the longest campaigns for America’s presidency come to a close.

With our nation facing an era of uncertainty and overwhelming challenges, the defeat of Senator John S. McCain was a painful and rude awakening for such a staunch supporter of the statesman like me.

Having been a contributor and a backer of Senator McCain since his initial run against President George W. Bush for the Republican nomination in the 2000 race, I was proud to watch one of America’s greatest heroes secure the nomination of my party in 2008.

Like a few of my contemporaries, I stood in silent and lukewarm support of President Bush for the past eight years and endured the verbal onslaught of Democrats who hymned in unison chanting for a need to change.

I could not have agreed more. The Republicans needed a transitional figure. America craved change. That change, I believed with all my heart and soul, was John McCain.

Here stood a man with a track record for reform, a man with enduring qualities and generations of servitude for his country. I have come to respect the man whom with quiet eloquence spoke with integrity, honesty, and simplistic sensibility.

I have come to love a man who was ridiculed by members of his own political party for his bipartisan efforts to end the deadlock of his country and then have him once more lampooned by the opposition party for not having done enough.

Although the pundits had cautiously ruled him out and the polls showed discouraging signs, the vast majority of loyal McCain supporters still held a sense of hopeless optimism.

McCain was America’s comeback kid.

As I watched the election coverage and observed America usher in a new era of Democratic control of the Congress and the White House, I fell into tears. Fused with bitter anger, frustration, and a sense of loss beyond words, I struggled to grasp how my fellow Americans had turned so blind to what I believed was the obvious solution to our countries problems.

When the news stations finally declared the Democratic candidate as the winner of the election, I rambled about giving New England to Canada and raved about returning California to Mexico.

While I craved to turn off the television in utter disgust at what had happened, as a man who enjoys formalities and frivolous traditions, I decided to endure the waves of celebrating people being covered on CNN long enough to watch McCain formally concede the race.

And once again I was astonished at John McCain’s humility, graciousness, and his continued promise to serve the American people with whatever chance may come his way.

As McCain opened his arms to embrace the finality of America’s democracy, I sat feeling subservient and humbled by the pettiness of my previous thoughts. The American people and their collective wisdom had chosen a new man.

Along with McCain, millions of Republicans will now soon hail Barack Obama as President of this great country. We as Americans are continually reminded every election year that while our solutions may be different, our end goal for higher prosperity and security are the same.

President-elect Obama, I give you the benefit of the doubt for having won the trust of America’s majority. I hold you accountable to the promise you have made this nation. And while I give you my respect and admiration freely, you will have to earn my trust.

With that said, I wish our new President-elect strength in his conviction, and luck in his future.

And to Senator John S. McCain, sir, it’s been an honor to fight in your campaign.