You’ve probably heard that RNC chairman Reince Preibus announced a new report today, identifying ways that the Republican Party needs to reform.

Call me a cynic, but my reading of the report reveals the same old same old: lots of angst about “messaging” and “reaching out to minorities,” and absolutely no awareness that it’s Republican policies that are the problem, not the way they’re “framing” them. Bottom line: the RNC report is a set of recommendations on how to better trick voters into supporting the GOP, even as the GOP continues to work against their interests.

What I found much more revealing was this exchange between Reince Priebus and a reporter who asked about that disgusting outbreak of white supremacism at last weekend’s CPAC: RNC Chair Asked About Chaotic CPAC Race Panel.

“Question about CPAC last week, where a panel on African American voters dissolved into a shouting match with at least one activist saying that — sorry, hard to read the question — talking about voters being systematically disenfranchised. How, given that sort of backdrop in the party, do you plan to overcome those challenges in your role at the RNC?” National Press Club President Angela Greiling Keane asked Priebus at an event on the RNC’s roadmap ahead after the 2012 elections.

Priebus responded to the question by saying the RNC plans to hire hundreds of paid staffers to reach out to minority communities across the country.

“For one thing, you have to show up, right?” he said. “I mean, if you’re going to get the order, you have to ask for the sale. I mean, that’s just sort of basic. Which is why we’re launching this unprecedented effort to bring in — I’m not talking about hiring two or three people down the hallway at the RNC — what we’re talking about is hiring hundreds of paid people across the country this year to make the case in minority communities across America.”

Priebus seems to think the only response needed is to pay people to go out and promote the GOP to “minority communities” — but he completely ignored the question. And there you have the GOP’s problem in a nutshell. They believe they can fix things by just hiring more PR shills, but can’t even be bothered to address a real incident of very real, very ugly racism, at the premier right wing conference.

ON CBS today, Priebus said, “We’ve done a really lousy job of branding and marketing who we are.”

I have to disagree. With “death panels” and “self-deportation” and forced vaginal ultrasounds and insane comments about “legitimate rape” and creationism and climate change denial, the Republican Party has done an absolutely smashing job of demonstrating exactly who they are. The best marketing in the world isn’t going to help you if your product sucks.

For reference, here’s the report they want you to believe is a sincere effort to promote reform:

Scribd Document