The new vision is still an open question though.
Some, like Chip Saltsman see an inclusive future for the Republican Party.
"I know in the future for our party, lots of voices need to be heard, and there's lots of opportunities for us to grow," Saltsman said recently, at a debate among the hopefuls vying to be the next Chair of the Republican Party. Another hopeful, Katon Dawson, is talking about relevance.
"I think our party understands that what we have to say is going to have to matter for the next four years-that what we do as Republicans is going to have to matter," Dawson said at the same debate. Others are more pointed with their vision.
"My plan for a Conservative resurgence advocates a shareholder revolt. It advocates an entire new way of the RNC doing business," said Ken Blackwell. So who has the future vision-and what will it look like?
"There are religious conservatives who are economic conservatives, and of course there are economic conservatives who are religious conservatives. But there are people in each camp who share none of the other's values," said Rice University Political Scientist Paul Brace, who also said John McCain's Presidential Campaign really foreshadowed the issue Republicans are wrestling with right now.
"On the one hand, you had (Vice-Presidential Candidate) Sarah Palin who I think plays to the so called social base, and you have another contingent that is more interested in fiscal matters," Brace said. But while the eco0nomy could mean a resurgence for social conservatism, Brace said popular opinion could just as easily move in the opposite direction.
"That message might not resonate any better than Barry Goldwater's did in 1964-which is to say, they might have a point, but people aren't going to really care, because they're worried about their jobs, they're worried about their 401K-and big government might mitigate some of those problems for them," Brace said.
The GOP is set to vote on its next Chair on January 28th.
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