OPINION:
Reporter Ralph Z. Hallow’s story on the GOP’s branding woes was right on the money (“Just 25 percent self-ID as Republican; independents soar to record 42 percent,” Web, Jan. 8). Not only does the GOP need to return to the core, traditional American values that separate Republicans from Democrats, it also needs to get serious about clarifying its messaging.
There’s a great little e-book on Amazon by Walker Johanson that would help solve the GOP’s branding problems. “The ’Everyman’s’ Guide … to knowing which way to vote” compares the two parties on 50 major issues in a 20-minute read that’s both simple and powerful, and gives voters the ammunition and the language they need in order to speak up.
The distinguishing issues are explained so clearly in this mini-book that it is a must-read for both regular voters and party leaders alike. Perhaps it will even give the GOP some long-needed direction in clarifying the party’s own positions. It’s unfortunate that the Republican Party needs such outside common-sense help to get its act together.
ROGER LEWIS
Martinsburg, W.Va.
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