Well, well, well. It seems like Governor Chris Sununu of New Hampshire is now the head honcho of the Republican club in the US. With recent departures from the club by Maryland’s Larry Hogan and Massachusetts’s Charlie Baker, Sununu’s views carry more weight than usual. He’s now the go-to guy for advice on how to appeal to voters outside the Republican base. I mean, who else is there?
And let me tell you, Sununu didn’t hold back when speaking to Republican donors at a recent event. He gave them some much-needed tough love and told them to stop revolving around the never-ending drama of Donald Trump and his supporters. Instead, they need to branch out. Okay, Chris, we’re listening…
But, surprise, surprise, there’s a problem that’s hobbling the party’s ability to broaden its base, and Sununu doesn’t shy away from telling it like it is. He’s not wrong with his advice on evolving the party’s message, but he reminds the donors that, in 2022, they got their “rear ends” kicked. If they run ’24 like they ran ’22, they’ll lose again. No matter how many times they try to justify the loss or play it cool, we’ll all be sitting here going, “Oh, why did we lose?” Because they simply didn’t have the guts to shake things up and be different.
Chris has always been critical of the Trumpian style of politics – the constant lashing out at enemies regardless of party and the gloves-off attacks on anyone in sight. And he doesn’t hold back in telling the donors that no one wants to be on a team where they’re always getting yelled at. Hello, this is America! We want to be inspired.
But wait, Chris, don’t just give us problems – give us solutions. Sununu explains that Republicans need to start thinking long-term and focus on appealing to independents. Okay, okay, sounds good so far. He highlights the things that bring them together – let’s be pro-business, about individual liberties, and have local control and low taxes. Got it.
But here’s the thing, folks. His advice is iffy when we think about appealing to younger voters, who care about climate change, gun control, and LGBTQ issues far more than older voters. Sure, they care about low taxes, but it’s not a priority for them like it is for older generations. I mean, who likes taxes in general, right? But there are bigger fish to fry here. And while he’s not wrong about expanding the party’s base, let’s be honest, they haven’t done much in that regard since 2015.
It’s clear that the party needs to change things up, but it’s not just about “local control” or appealing to independents. What about the “weirdos” or “freaks” that the party keeps nominating? Sununu knows they’re not going to cut it, either. It’s time for the party to stop talking to itself, to step out of the echo chamber, and actually connect with the younger voters who are passionate about certain issues. Sorry, Fox News, but it’s not always about having four people agree with each other.
All in all, Chris Sununu has some valid points, but he still needs to work on his pitch if he wants to grow the team. Maybe he can join a Fox News panel that’ll help him figure things out. (Sorry, had to throw that in there.) Younger voters want to be inspired, they want to connect with individual candidates, and they want to know that their voices matter. Fair game, Chris, but let’s make sure we’re hitting the right notes.

Serious News: washingtonpost