Degrassi and Republicans

By De’Von Weatherspoon

If there is one show that I would recommend people to watch it would be Degrassi: The Next Generation. This is a show that attempts to show the trials and tribulations of the modern teenager and of the modern family, and in its attempts the show succeeds. You may ask why on earth I would bring up a show geared towards teenager and young adults, but I have good reason. Ultimately the GOP must attract the young if it wants to succeed in the future.

At the moment, the GOP does not need to change at all, it doesn’t need to reach out for votes, or reach out for minorities. However, if the GOP wants to win anywhere but the South then it will have to take a new route. Especially now, the GOP must tread carefully. The fight to change the perception of the GOP from a white, evangelical, and out of touch party will be even harder now that the south and the voters attached to the south were virtually the only ones to vote for McCain or the GOP. All that said, lets get back to Degrassi.

I personally love Degrassi. Every character has a story and a history. Many of my generation grew up with Degrassi, and we remember it. From the Time Marco came out the closet, to when Jimmy was shot. I am sure that the main reason why Degrassi is so popular is that it does not offer any generalizations. Every episode is complex and complicated which reflects the complex and complicated lives of the young characters. So once again we are at “Why are we talking about Degrassi?” We are talking about it because the GOP’s effort to attract youth and minority voters has been a policy of over-generalization and lackluster effort. All the GOP has to do is reach out in a significant way and connect with youth and minority voters for victories.

While it is true that most blacks are at least somewhat socially conservative, they often fail to vote so, well with the exception of the blacks in California who teamed up with the Mormons, simply because the most important things to blacks are economic empowerment and urban issues. Most blacks live in urban or close to urban areas that come with a whole different set of problems than the suburbia and rural areas that republicans put most of their resources. Also, the fact that republicans tend to severely punish those in the party that do not share the exact same sentiments on certain issues has led to a brain and talent drain on the party which does not allow the GOP to come up with new ideas for new solutions for new problems. It is quite obvious that the same solutions for problems in the countryside will not work in the city.

So with all of this said and known, what exactly is the problem? Well I read recently somewhere that when the problem is always the rats and not the ship, something has gone horribly wrong. I have a question to ask, If rats are leaving your ship for another ship how can you still think that it is purely the rat’s fault? The GOP has a long way to go to attract new urban voters, but my first suggestion would be to not necessarily always be anti-government, but promise more efficient government. My second suggestion would be to focus back on the city; no civilization can survive if it has given up on its cities. My third suggestion would be for a more inclusive party, if by having moderates in the party you can regain the Northeast and have the uber conservatives hold the south, then you’re building coalitions and victories.

My fourth suggestion would be to reach out to minority youth. When I say minorities, I mean Latinos and Blacks as the GOP tends to just focus on Latinos. My fifth suggestion is for the party to be consistent. If you are for the government getting out of private lives then have that view all the time. Do not believe in it when it comes to taxes and government, but not believe in it when it comes to gay marriage and abortion rights. My last suggestion is simply for the party to tone down on the semi-revolutionist rhetoric; many blacks would happily join the GOP, but every now and then one of the Republican Congressmen or Senators slips.If the GOP does this, it will be able to function, just like Degrassi as one unit of people with different views and tastes, but still in it together.

De’Von “Van” Weatherspoon is a high school student and contributor to HipHopRepublican.com. He is from the great state of Michigan and describes himself as a "Hamilton-Rockefeller Republican".