Hey you!

Yeah you, the one who used to vote Republican but doesn’t anymore, I want to ask you something:

What would the GOP have to do to get your vote back?

Would you want them to:

- Permanently disassociate itself from the Tea Party?

- Criticize Barack Obama only for his policies, not his religion or origins?

- Stop pandering to the Christian right at every turn?

- Stop treating homosexuals as non equals?

- Stop treating people whose skin isn’t white as non equals?

- Publicly denounce figures like Glenn Beck, Pamela Geller, Andrew Breitbart and Rush Limbaugh?

- Develop solid policy goals and a plan to achieve them rather than just screaming “socalism!” at every bill the Democrats try to pass and having no real plan of their own?

- Compromise with Democrats a little more and end the hardline partisan BS that’s taken over Washington?

I’ve often wondered if the Republicans have lost or gained more supporters since Obama took office. I read an AP story the other day that said the Democrats are going to push an election message that basically goes “Yeah we know you don’t like us but Republicans are worse.”

I’ve also wondered about the people, some who were hardcore Republicans for 10, 20, 40 years that that have been driven away by the current form of the GOP and I can’t help but ask myself: What would make them come back?

Or are they gone for good?