Republicans detail plan to embrace diversity

By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans plan to embrace tactics to attract more racial minorities, women, youth and low-income Americans as part of their attempt to rebuild their conservative political party, according to a report released on Monday.

The report, posted by the Republican National Committee on its website, also calls for better efforts to use digital technologies and databases to spread the party's message, register voters and raise money.

Altogether, the party's self-assessment lists 219 recommended changes as it seeks to recover from its losses in the 2012 election that denied it control of the White House and Senate. Republicans also lost some seats in the House of Representatives, but they still hold the majority.

Democratic President Barack Obama, whose two presidential campaigns were noted for their digital savvy and grassroots support, won re-election last year with strong backing by Hispanics and other minorities as well as younger voters.

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, previewing the party's study on CBS on Sunday, said Republicans also want to improve their presidential primary process to select nominees in part by delaying debates and moving up its convention from August to June or July.

Last year's process hurt the party "because there was no way to control it," he told "Face the Nation."

"Our primary process is way too long," Priebus said, noting that the many Republican candidates led to too many debates and too much money spent on fighting each other, rather than against rival Democrats.

Priebus is expected to discuss the report at a speech in Washington at the National Press Club later on Monday.

The report comes on the heels of a three-day Republican gathering known as Conservative Political Action Conference, which generally represents an often younger-than-average party voters and highlights their preferences.

Called the Growth and Opportunity Project, Monday's report plays on the party's other moniker, the Grand Old Party. It calls for greater outreach with a $10 million dollar messaging effort, after focus groups gathered for the study criticized Republicans, Priebus said.

"We have to do a better job relating (issues) to people's lives," he told CBS.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/republicans-detail-plan-embrace-diversity-130452260.html

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