Opinion

Obama won by saying yes to more Americans The GOP alienated women, Hispanics by telling them no

President Barack Obama's victory was secured by a politics of yes. Telling voters yes is essential to victory since most voters do not like to be told no. The key to political victory is figuring out how to tell the most people yes and the fewest people no. The president secured a second term by successfully employing this strategy.

There are two groups of voters that gave the president a second term: women and Hispanic voters. Women voters do not want to be told no when it comes to their bodies. What put women voters in the president's camp were social issues like abortion rights. As long as abortion is put in terms of women's health and rights, Republicans will not be able to capture a large enough portion of independent women voters in swing states to win the White House.

The Republicans have three options: (1) adopt a pro-choice stance, (2) let the issue fade into the background so that it no longer plays a pivotal role, or (3) reframe the debate over abortion from a woman's health issue to a fetal health issue. The first option will not, and perhaps should not, happen. Option No. 3 will be a difficult maneuver and may prove too nuanced to change anyone's mind. This leaves option two as the only viable choice for capturing the votes of the women who supported President Obama because of the Republican stance on abortion. At a minimum, though, Republicans need to do a better job keeping people like Richard Mourdock of Indiana and Todd Akin of Missouri from making inane comments on the topic.

Hispanic voters, either in fact or in rhetoric, were told yes by Democrats and no by Republicans. Whether it was Arizona's controversial immigration law, SB 1070, or Mitt Romney's support for the policy of self-deportation, Hispanic voters saw the Republican Party telling them no, we don't want you here and we don't want you to take part in the American dream. Rick Perry was crushed by the right during the primary season for his decision as Texas governor to support a bill that would offer in-state tuition to some undocumented students. In other words, when a Republican tried to say yes to the Hispanic community, the base of the Republican Party turned against him. This is no way to convince voters to vote for your party.

Regardless of one's stance on immigration, one needs to recognize that to win a national election a party cannot tell the fastest growing segment of the population that it does not want policies that group favors. Republicans cannot expect to win consistently on the national stage by telling Hispanic voters no. Just as with women voters, Republicans need to find a way to appeal to Hispanic voters by either changing their stance on controversial issues, emphasizing new issues that may appeal to Hispanic voters or reframing the existing debate. The most effective and consistent strategy would be for Republicans to find issues where their ideas align with the growing Hispanic population and push those to the center of the debate.

The evidence is clear. Colorado voters wanted to be told yes, they may smoke what they want, while Maine and Maryland voters wanted to be told yes, they may marry whomever they choose. Victory in 2012 went to the party that told more people yes and fewer people no. Barack Obama and the Democratic Party were able to tell auto workers, women and Hispanic voters yes while only telling the 1 percent no.

The point is not which party has policies that are better for the country, but it is about which party makes voters feel like they are being told yes.

Scott teaches American politics and constitutional law at the University of Houston. His email address is kyle.a.scott@hotmail.com.