There's more Republicans have to do than just market themselves better. A lot more. But on the day when President Obama will deliver his latest State of the Union address, we already know that it will be steeped in themes that reflect how Democrats view this nation.
That presents a good opportunity for Republicans to draw a distinction between how Democrats see America and how they see it. There are crucial differences in the way the two parties think, and isolating them in clear ways helps to define the path forward in the contests coming this year and in 2016.
I'm borrowing some of this from work that others have done, but taking from that and adding my own thinking to it, I'd say the four major distinctions are these:
1. Role of Government. Democrats believe see government as the solution to problems. Republicans see government as functioning best when it's minimal so people can solve their own problems.
2. Unity. Democrats divide Americans into groups and offer different outcomes and benefits for each group. Republicans see everyone simply as Americans, and also as individuals, each of whom can pursue the outcomes they desire. Democrats divide. Republicans unite.
3. Wealth. Democrats want to confiscate wealth and redistribute it. Republicans want to see the wealth pie grow so that there is more to go around, and leave people with the freedom to pursue their goals without the government stepping in and telling them how much they can have or what they have to give to someone else. Democrats believe the amount of wealth that can exist is limited so government has to decide who can have how much. Republicans believe the amount of wealth that can exist is unlimited because it only depends on the tenacity of Americans to go out and produce it.
4. World leadership. Democrats embrace the United Nations view that no one nation is any better than any other, and as such America should "lead from behind" by essentially giving over its global leadership role to the UN. Republicans believe America is the exceptional nation, and must lead.
I believe that if Republicans successfully establish that these are the key difference between them and Democrats, they will find that the vast majority of Americans agree with them on all four.
Now, as I said at the start, you have to do more than market and position yourself. You have to actually lead. And Republicans in Congress need to let go of the excuse that because they don't control the White House, there is nothing they can do to lead. That's not true. Leaders lead not because of the position they hold, but because they are leaders.
If Republicans lead according to these principles, they will create a distinction between them and Democrats that will make the Republican Party the choice of Americans once again.
