The Republican Party – my party – has just been delivered a well-earned knockout punch. Reliable “red” States in the west and south have been taken by Democrats. Here in New England, there is not a single Republican Congressman and only one Governor left. And in New Hampshire, once a Yankee Republican bastion, you can count on the fingers of one hand the number of state or federal Republican figures left.Republicans did not lose simply because of large numbers of young people and African-Americans voted. In fact, as a percentage of the total electorate, African-Americans and young people made up almost precisely the same percentage of the electorate as they did four years ago. No, Republicans lost because average Americans from all walks of life, especially self-described moderates and independents, and even some lifelong Republicans, turned to the Democrats.
Where did the GOP go wrong? And what must we do to rebuild?
The party needs a clear philosophy and vision. An entire generation of new voters came to the polls believing that the Bush administration represented Republican ideals. Republicans spent eight years defending sickening deficits, exploding budgets, and “big-government” programs that they would have railed against had they been proposed by a Democratic Administration. We were inexcusably silent as America, the great hope of the world, became represented by images of torture and Guantanamo Bay. Republicans should have been outraged…but instead, we defended “our guy” in the white house, and earned the public’s disdain. They grew tired of the Bush administration’s vision of America.
We must articulate in clear terms positive, pro-active solutions for the problems and concerns that the American people have. Access to health care and secure retirement provisions are national concerns: We cannot simply be ‘against’ universal health care or social security, we must present clear, pragmatic, appealing alternatives.
As these proposals are formulated, we must be careful not to fall prey to the idea that we must choose to side with either the “moderates” or the “conservatives” within the Party. A lukewarm, “me-too” version of the Democrats is not a solution, but neither is cliché-ridden pandering to a shrill religious right. Rather, Republicans must forge a new path, a path that is consistent with both the Republican philosophy and the American spirit, and which resonates with voters of all stripes: we must combine fiscal responsibility and social tolerance. The Republican Party claims to be the party of small government and maximum personal freedom. It’s about time we reclaimed that heritage in a consistent manner.
As we present our alternatives, we must eradicate the mean-spiritedness, the innuendos, the mud-slinging, and the anger from our speech. We must offer vision, hope, and a future to all. If we want young people, minorities, and immigrants in the party, then we need to really want them, not just tolerate them and accept their contributions.
In 1980, Ronald Reagan articulated a clear vision, and spoke in positive terms of hope and freedom for all. Americans responded, as disaffected Democrats and independents swelled Republican ranks. In 2008, Barack Obama rode to victory on those Reaganesque concepts. It should serve as a wake-up call to the party to reclaim its heritage of individual liberty and prosperity for all, delivered with clarity and compassion.
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9 comments:
Hey Thom, I moved to AL from NH. How in the world could McCain and Hillary win NH in the primary yet Obama win in the general?? Too many MA liberals fleeing their state due to taxes and housing prices.
You are so correct. The GOP needs to capture the vision that brought about the Reagan Revolution. They need to have the vision that Obama was able to articulate to the voters.
The Republicans have got to be seen as the party that includes and not excludes. The Republicans have been better known by the vitriol and hatred of the extreme Right.
African Americans and the young may have voted in the same proportions, but they voted overwhelmingly for Obama as did Hispanics and women. The Republican party has a lot of catching up to do after 8 years of pandering to the extreme right wing of the party; in order to be considered anywhere near as 'inclusive' as the vote for Obama would seem. And just to throw out a little question - has the Republican party ever in the last century been the party of inclusion? Reagan had a vision for America that was right for the time, but it was not necessarily 'inclusive'
Thom, the social issues are at the heart of the Republican Party. The branches of Conservatism all came together in Reagan.
The Republican party will make its gains by again proclaiming fiscal, social, and foreign policy Conservatism, not by embracing immorality.
"we must combine fiscal responsibility and social tolerance."
If you want those attributes feel free to come on over to the Democrats. We not only hold those values dearly, we live by them and are competent at executing them. Or you could wait indefinitely for your own party to come around.
Sand, the Democrtas have *never* been fiscally responsible. When the Dems decide to eliminate the progressive income tax in favor of a flat tax, and reduce or eliminate business taxes and capital gains taxes; when they decide to reduce federal regulation and reduce federal agencies that are nothing more then candy stores for special interets; when they allow us to replace social security with privatized investment accounts; when they stop pushing for publicly-funded elections; when they stop giving public education a free ride by creating obstacles for alternative and private schools and vouchers and school choice....THEN I'll believe that Democats are fiscally responsible.
Until then, I'll fight for tolerance within the GOP, which knows darn well that its shrill, intolerant "base" is a shrinking dinosaur ayway,,,,
"The highest standard of living for elderly in the world" is provided by the current social security system. But you want to break what works and make it like the broken health care system. If social security has been successful enough for you to boast about it, why do you want to change it?
Oh that's right, to you it's socialism and not competent governance, something your party doesn't understand. If you did, you wouldn't spout this nonsense: "Bush's fiscal policies and Obama's are EXACTLY the SAME."
It's somewhat dismaying to see you talk about the need for more tolerance then delete my post. I reread my copy of it to make sure there was nothing offensive to warrant censorship. Then I realized it was infused with truth and logic and even quoted the Constitution of the United States of America. Plenty enough to warrant Republican censorship. It's ironic that the first words of your blog are "A passion for liberty drives this blog." Well you better go ahead and delete this post ASAP since it identifies your blatant hypocrisy.
Good luck getting the Republican party to become the pinnacle of tolerance that you seem to be.
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