(CNN) - The Republican Party needs to change - at least when it comes to its use of technology, Meghan McCain says.
In a column on the Daily Beast Web site, the daughter of Sen. John McCain says the GOP is likely to continue its decline in power unless members vastly improve their tech fluency.
"This has been a source of personal frustration for me for a very long time," said McCain of the party's seeming disconnect with technology. "Unless the GOP evolves as the party that can successfully utilize the Web, we'll continue to lose influence"
McCain, who authored a popular blog on her father's Web site while he was running for president, also recounts early pushback from Republican strategists when she first sought to establish the Web site.
"Many of the established Republican strategists told me that young people would not visit my web site," she wrote. "I used to categorize many of the advisors in my father's campaign into one of two groups: those that 'respected' the Internet and those who didn't. It was a running line between me and my friends who worked on my site."
McCain also suggested the party's lack of online savvy greatly contributed to her father's defeat last November.
"The Obama administration understands that my generation spends most of its day on a laptop or a BlackBerry, and that using the Web is easy way to communicate their ideas to their constituents," she said. "Until the Republican Party joins the twenty-first century and learns how to use the Internet, its members will keep getting older and the youth of America will just keep logging on to the other side."
Several Republicans appear to have gotten the message. According to TweetCongress.org, more Republicans are now on the popular social networking site Twitter than are Democrats. And the recent election for the Republican Party Chairman heavily revolved around who was best positioned to modernize the party's use of technology.
From CNN Politics
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
Just like her mama.....dumb.
If only that was the Republican Party's only problem.
You didnt vote for Clinton's stimulus package in '93. You dont need to go high-tech. Stick to chipping on stones!!
It's not just young people who spend most of their day on the Internet, but so do many old people, people John McCain's age, myself included. I don't think the Internet would have helped McCain, because the problem wasn't the medium–it was the message, and the message from McCain was: I am a flake; I make bad decisions; I have bad judgment; and if you think George Bush was terrible, wait until I get my hands into power!
Meghan McCain, you are the best of your Dad, you should have run with him on the ticket.. You gave interview after interview without ever being devisive.. Many of us were impressed by you every time..
Perhaps she should start off teaching her own father how to use the net. However, that's not their problem. They're still stuck in the 50's.
While I respect and honor Senator McCain as a national hero, I was not a supporter of his failed attempt to become President but I will admit that his daughter, Meghan, is right about the Republican Party not being Tech Savvy and they are not a party of the 21st century. Until they do this they will just be the annoying sound of a bee in the election process. It is not how outspoken one is as much as it is how many you reach that listen to what you have to say.
The Republican Party would do itself a service by listening to more Meghan McCain’s and other young new comers to their party least the Republican Party's parties will all be over by11PM.
Republicans are right on this one. The new-fangled interweb thingy is just a temporary fad that will never catch on. Republicans will be much better off if they follow Newt Gingrich's lead and blast-fax their messages to the general public...the tried-and-true fax machine is the wave of the political future, GOP! Don't listen to what these kids have to say!
Wasn't it her father, John McCain, that took credit of inventing the Blackberry? Now that is what I call a Republicans use of technology. Lie about it and it is true.
So the only reason McCain lost because he isn't tech savvy? And all this time I thought it was because he had no new economic plan, no new educational plan, and basically wanted to stay the course in Iraq and just about everything else the Bush administration was doing.
Wow, if he had just used the internet more, he'd be President!
Ding-dong!
She needs to speak to her father.
GOP embrace tech? Unlikely, when they were more obsessed this past election with the personality of sarah palin rather than her principles. Besides, who needs the internet and technology when there's moose to kill?
It's not the technology; it's the ideology.
Welcome to the party of carbon paper, slide rules and test tube television.
All of the technology in the world can't fix the GOP if their position doesn't appeal to or help the majority of the country.
Technology CANNOT save the republicans! They need to develop a heart and get a soul. They don't care about the average working family it is all about their rich friends!
Where are your christian values?
Technology is a product of science and they don't like science.
Meghan may be the only Republican in the public eye who actually makes sense... without needing to put down the other side.. who can just look at herself, her party, and admit to where the shortfalls are.
Both parties have areas left wanting.. but neither side seems to want to acknowledge them.
A smart McCain that can actually admit mistakes! Go figure...
Being "tech savvy" will not help. Work on the unprofessional disposition within your party.
a little bit toooooooooooooooooooooooo late
Lol, who cares what she thinks? I wish the McCain/Palin family would just go away...they LOST
I was wondering why John lost. Know we know its becuase they wheren't tech savy, not because he had no vision, no ideas, an airhead for a running mate. So glad that was cleared up.
No matter where the GOP tries to sell it's lack of ideas. They're not appealling