Rasmussen on the GOP base becoming 'more palatable

Scott Rasmussen, founder of Rasmussen Reports, writes today on the split within the Republican Party. He says for both its base and its establishment, " there's plenty of learning to go around":

To end the party's civil war, both sides need to change. The Republican base needs to make its message of limited government more palatable to more Americans. Bigger fixes are necessary for the party establishment. Right now, it acts as if only cosmetic changes are needed. ...

As for the GOP base, sincere talk about limited government clearly doesn't work. Not enough voters care about limited government as a goal unto itself. People care about the kind of society a limited government can create. Too often when Democrats propose an idea that sounds good and addresses a perceived need, Republicans say it's not what the Founders would have wanted. From a messaging perspective, voters want to hear positive solutions rather than theoretical objections.