In a conversation with the College Republicans Wednesday, former Sen. Norm Coleman discussed the causes of and solutions to the country’s current political problems and how the Republicans will fare during the elections this November.
Coleman was a senator from Minnesota from 2002 to 2008. He lost his 2008 reelection to comedian and former Saturday Night Live cast member Al Franken, a Democrat.
Coleman blamed the Obama administration for greatly increasing the economic deficit, stating that “any of the money [they] get from raising taxes goes into more programs,” as opposed to combating the debt. Coleman even went as far as to predict, “this will be a one-term president,” due to the fact that “[the Republicans] have the right vision.”
In terms of who will be able to steal the presidency, “the question will be who with that right vision will be able to energize a large enough base,” Coleman said.
Coleman has a strong belief that the future for the Republican Party is bright.
“This year the public has got it,” he said. “The problem is spending and we are the only party talking about spending.”
He added that he thinks that the voters’ understanding of the current issues will help the Republican Party take control of the House of Representatives.
“It is our time, the issues of the moment are our issues . . . Nancy Pelosi is going to lose her gavel in January and she deserves to,” Coleman said.
Coleman said he sees only good coming to the party. “Those people who thought the election of 2008 was the beginning of Republicans being lost in the wilderness . . . were dead wrong,” he said. The Republicans, Coleman stressed, must “take advantage of the opportunity.”
In order to fully monopolize on the Democrats’ weakness coming in to the election, Coleman said that Republicans must do a better job communicating the impact of the Obama administration’s policies “to the young people” who seem to be a big part the equation in the upcoming election.
Overall, Coleman emphasized that the Republican Party is the “right choice” when it comes to voting, as they are the party currently able to do the most good for the country.
Sinead Casey, the director of public relations for the College Republicans, said she thinks the event went very well.
“[Coleman] really hit on pat the Republican strategy and what we need to do to win in November,” Casey said. “I think he set a great focus going on the campaign trail.”
