Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus says the GOP has an image problem. “We’ve done a really lousy job of branding and marketing who we are,” Priebus said on CBS. Most have an image of the GOP as a room full of “stuffy old guys” but the “reality is we have a very young party,” he added. Priebus went on CBS to talk about the long-anticipated RNC report that will be released Monday and will detail just how the GOP can reverse its fortunes after the November defeats.
Priebus, who calls the review “unprecedented,” outlined to CBS’ Bob Schieffer the three main recommendations for the next presidential election: Fewer debates, an earlier convention, and a shorter primary process. “I believe that our primary process is way too long,” he said. “I think our calendar needs to be looked at.” The primary process ultimately hurt the party and its eventual nominee because “while we were playing footsie” the Democrats “were spending potentially hundreds of millions of dollars on data, technology, voter outreach.” He said 23 debates is a “ridiculous” number and he’d cut it down to “maybe 7 or 8.” To improve its image, the party will spend $10 million as part of an outreach program that will send people to all corners of the country, with a particular focus on hiring new political directors to reach out to minority voting blocs.
