It’s way too early in the year for “Festivus”, but College Republicans had an “airing of the grievances” anyway:

The College Republicans National Committee, an independent, section 527 political organization, has criticized the GOP for its lack of leadership, inability to communicate its party identity and its difficulty attracting the youth vote in a 95-page in-depth report cultivated from a huge focus group study.

Targeting their ambivalence about the youth vote, the College Republicans letter pointed out that George W. Bush lost young voters by only 2 points in 2000. Conversely, he lost senior citizens by 4 points. They also, once and for all, point out the importance of engaging with voters on social media, a method of communication primarily taken advantage of by Democrats in recent years.

“The common theme that unites these findings is that even as our ability to broadcast a message far and wide is increasing, politics still remains deeply personal. Using any of the aforementioned platforms to talk at young people with messaging that fails to be personally relevant is not useful at all.”

They go on to cite a “technology deficit” in the GOP, encouraging better polling data and advertising. They also touch on the hot-button social issues that the GOP are either ill-equipped to handle or seem to ignore entirely.

“On the ‘open-minded’ issue … [w]e will face serious difficulty so long as the issue of gay marriage remains on the table.” Also: “Latino voters … tend to think the GOP couldn’t care less about them.” When respondents were asked to describe the GOP, “The responses were brutal: closed-minded, racist, rigid, old-fashioned.”

They also addressed something they called a “brand challenge,” criticizing the GOP of turning a blind eye to gaffe-worthy candidates while the media excoriates them non-stop.

“Whether the infamous ’47%’ remarks made by Romney or the ‘legitimate rape’ comments made by Rep. Todd Akin in his Senate campaign, there were numerous examples of Republican leaders making statements that were terribly out of step with where voters – particularly young voters – stand.”