WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THAT GOP REBRANDING EFFORT?…. Seeing Jeb Bush pop up earlier reminds me, wasn’t he one of the leaders of some Republican rebranding effort? Indeed, weren’t there a variety of GOP factions with grand ideas about rebranding the entire party?
Whatever happened to that?
In the spring, this was a pretty big deal in Republican circles. The National Council for a New America, in particular, enjoyed the support of leading GOP voices — Cantor, Romney, McCain, Bush, Gingrich, Palin, Jindal, and Barbour — and even managed to organize an outside-the-Beltway event, which just happened to be inside the Beltway.
But since then, nothing. Nothing in the news, and nothing on the NCNA’s website. Future events haven’t been scheduled, and I can’t find anyone in a position of power or authority talking about Republican rebranding at all anymore.
It’s possible these talks have been redirected to behind-the-scenes strategizing, but it seems more likely GOP leaders just gave up on the whole superficial endeavor. It’s just as well. I’m not a marketing expert, but I’m under the impression that rebranding efforts generally involve offering something new and fresh. Republicans had a debate amongst themselves over whether Reagan should be the template for GOP rebranding.
It was a big hint that the party is not yet in a “change” frame of mind.
