(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
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Ahahaha, anyone notice how the solution to Republican's political problems is to just copy what the Democrats are doing? Nevermind that their political philosophy is completely opposed to minorities/the poor; we'll just trick them by getting on facebook!
Meghan is correct, but it's too little too late. "Wow, if he had just used the internet more, he'd be President!" – right on Denise!
Join our side Meghan !!!!
Meghan McCain should understand that the GOP doesn't believe in evolution, so "how can the GOP evolve as a party that can successfully utilize the web." It can't be done, the GOP is dusty, and death is around the corner. The smell is in the air.
Why is this here? She's not in office. This is not news.
I disagree with her. The internet is a fad.
BTW Im not George from Alabama
Or perhaps just become human????
"he party's lack of online savvy greatly contributed to her father's defeat last November"
It was your father's disconnect with the American public and his ideas that would lead the country astray that caused your his defeat. simply put.
can anyone say "sore loser"????
Nice try but there are more issues hurting the GOP other than lack of technology. They don't get it!!!
I am better than you cuz I am on the internet talking smack and you STILL want my vote.
The GOP`s lack of high tech saavy is not why your father did not get elected. He ran a dirty & highly critical campaign, & he`s just too old to be the president. Also, his choice for a vice president is what really sank him!! This country needed someone younger & fresher that wasn`t filled with spite & greed, & we got it. O`Bama also ran a masterful campaign & focused on the issues, quite unlike your father. I also noticed signs of the beginning of dementia when he would speak, & kept saying the same things over & over.
I agree in part. The "Grand Old Party" is just becoming the "Old Party" and until they can get with the times and be forward-thinking instead of backward-thinking, they're going to continue losing ground. I honestly don't think that was a contributing factor in McCain's loss, though. When John Kerry was battling GW Bush in the previous election, Kerry (at the time) had the record in donations thanks to his internet savvy campaigning. He still lost.
Republicans don't even believe in science that has been well accepted for over a 100 years or the kind of economics that's taught in an introductory level at any major university.
Giving them high-tech tools seems dangerous. As it is, they cause enough problems with the Faux New Network and non-stop hate radio.
I agree with her and applaud her for saying so. However, I don't think that's the GOP's only problem. And when Mr. Steele says the things he does it doesn't help. Off the Hook and Hip Hop? Really?
They threw Sarah at us to replace Hillary and now this guy thinking he replaces Obama.
They didn't get it then and they don't now.
Well Dear...all the technology in the world could not sell us on your Dad's campaign.
They are, they have the ABBUCUS, The GOP is run by OLD WASHINGTON STATUS QUO that will not change, The DEM's are nothing but TAX Raising, Government run DICTATORS and Race Mongers, thats why I will be voting Independent from now on.
perhaps meghan should be the the head of the GOP party
she apparently seems more savvy
As technology moves along you have to move along with it
one has to give this young woman credit!
she could start with daddy....
They can get as tech savvy as they want, but as long as their outdated ideas and policy stridency remain the same, they will forever be the party of luddites and also rans.
The Republicans need more than the Internet to come into the 21st century. They will have to retool their entire ideology.
Anyone else find it ironic that she is telling the Republicans to "evolve"?
If the GOP thinks that becoming "tech savy" is going to help them WIN in 2010 and 2012, they are really a LOST CAUSE.
The GOP is self-destructing because they continue to HOLD onto the failed conservative ideology that is NOT in sync with the 21st Century. YOU have those in the Bible belt states that wave their bibles at everyone else but themselves, you have those in the south, that are still living in the "segregation mentality", have other that don't have a clue where they stand on any given policy unless it IMPACTS them, otherwise, it's the "let's screw everyone else except the wealthy and the elitists amongst them!"!!!!
This a NOT the party of the future, the GOP is beginning to look and sound like the party of "SEGREGATION" at its finest!!!"
Her father and all GOP needs Tech!, not being upset with Pres "O"!
Ummm....hello GOP....did you forget about Ron Paul. He had the highest rate of military contribution for 2008 and donations coming from individuals aided significantly by an online presence and very active campaigning by supporters who organized moneybomb fundraisers netting millions over several months. He did set the record for the biggest online fundraising day on record, Dec 16 2007. Maybe the GOP should look at why this happened...its not about the GOP embracing technology...its the ideas of our founding fathers embraced by millions that made this happen. To put it simply, its the ideas, not the technology that will free us from this socialistic ideas now forced upon the American people.
It is only because the other party used it to the fullest. We Republicans have the know how which was shown to me by the thousands of emails I received over the months. Many of them referred to other links that were very well done but when you have a candidate that you can't be excited about or cranked up over, it is hard to be enthused. We did NOT DO OUR BEST. Millions of Republicans are computer savvy whether on the young side or the older side. The party is far from being disconnected. A very uninformed statement.