This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Tea party darling Jason Chaffez recently said the Republican Party needs to work on it's "coolness" ("GOP's future: Change or die," Tribune, Nov. 11). For once, I agree with the extreme right-wing member of Congress from Utah County.
It is not cool to deny a woman's right to make decisions about her own body. It is not cool to treat gays, minorities and women like second-class citizens and deny them rights.
It is not cool to sign Grover Norquist's pledge promising to not raise taxes and not to compromise. It is not cool to destroy the poor and the middle class and reward the richest 1 percent with another tax cut they do not need. It is not cool to treat 47 percent of the country as freeloaders who want to live off the government.
Indeed, Republicans do need to work on their "coolness." Until they do, they will continue to lose election after election.
James D. Peterson
Bountiful