Reclaiming Republicanism

It is an exciting day for Republicans who are fed up with their floundering party. After years of watching the Bush administration smear the face of Republicanism, a few notable leaders within the party are addressing its major issues. Former governors Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney, along with the Republican Whip from Virginia, Eric Cantor, are launching the National Council for a New America. The goal of the convention is to reunify a party that has been overtaken by social conservatives.
NBC's Chuck Todd addresses the issue spot-on in his article, 'Yes, it's that bad for the GOP- Debates inside the party highlight the real problem: What is their vision?' His opinion of the failing GOP is not one of gloating or Republican bashing-- it is more an attitude of disappointment, because against the Democratic party, the Republican party is progressively less competitive.
I agree with this article. The Republican party is waning in support. I also agree that it has something to do with the confusion about what it means to be a Republican. Right now, it seems to be the haven of the ultra-conservative, fundamentalist Christians. In order to be a viable political party, the Republican platform needs to be broader than this one particular social agenda.
There are a couple of things Republicans seem to contradict themselves on- and Todd mentions them in his article. Firstly, the size of government: it increased dramatically under Republican rule, when it should have gone the other way. Secondly, the right to personal freedoms: that only seems to be the case if you want to carry a gun (and maybe a Bible)... If you want to smoke a joint, or abort an unintended pregnancy, or marry your same-sex partner, the Republicans assume the government knows better than you. It is time for the party to examine what it means to be Republican, and it is my hope that their platform can be relevant to a changing world, and that it grows to be inclusive of social and ethnic minorities.