I disagree, but then I don't think the Republican Party has to go back so far to the right. Here is how I see this election year.
1. McCain ran a terrible campaign. One of the worst I have seen in a long time. I think he did better on the issues than Obama, but he didn't talk about them enough.
2. Obama ran a great campaign. He had a lot of help with that with the MSM because they would not look into some serious issues they should have, but still, I have to give him credit, he did run a great campaign.
3. Many people are still pissed at President Bush. At least some of the votes Obama got were not for him, nor were they against McCain, they were against Bush.
4. The economy tanked at the perfect time for Obama, and McCain made one bad decision there. He didn't look presidential while the situation floundered. The MSM made Obama look presidential with their spin instead of pointing out that what Obama did do was back away and let mommy and daddy handle it, in other words voting present on the solution. Because McCain didn't handle it well, he couldn't use it as an issue to beat him with.
Notice, none of these 4 points talks about Republican or Democrat values. And, even with the first 3 point, McCain was still ahead until point number 4 happened.
Do we need to get back to basics and get back to our values? Heck yes, but not in an exclusionary way. To try to fit all Republicans in a cookie cutter way really would be the death of the party.
We really are in a good position. All the pressure to perform is on the Democrats. They can no longer claim "well we wanted to fix it but the Republicans stopped us". I don't know about you, but the reason I AM a Republican is because I don't believe the policies of the Democrats work. I don't believe they have it right. We will now see. As a Republican, here are my predictions for the next 2 years:
1. The economy is going to get worse. I think we will see an increase in unemployment, an increase in inflation, and a stifling of the GDP. We will be in worse shape in October 2010 than we were in October 2008.
2. Our dependence on foreign oil will still be there. We will have moved very little on this issue from where we are now. We will still be "hoping" for someone to come up with a way for us to "change" this situation.
3. There will be some issues that will be passed, or attempted to be passed that are so far left that all moderates will be pissed about, including blue dogs. I think there is a lot of buyers regret going on now.
The Democrats have to perform now. If they don't, they have nothing to point to, to blame it on. And I don't think they can truly perform more than a circus side show, with lots of good phrases, lots of feel goods - nothing that will put food on the table or get anyone a job.
It's a real simple game plan to win in 2010. Take every Congressperson in office now (especially Democrats), show how they voted, and ask the folks "do you agree with this decision?". In 2010, we should stay completely away from saying good or bad, just this is what they did, do you agree? It's so simple I'm thinking of doing it here. Same way Obama was able to say "McCain voted 90% with George Bush" we will get to say "X voted 90% with Nancy Pelosi".
We believe what we believe. The people don't have a problem with our differences. They do have a problem when our candidates appear dishonest, and practice more Democratic values than Republican.
I agree with much of what you've said, but will add a couple of things.
1) First, this was going to be a bad year for Republicans no matter who ran. It is very rare for a party to hold the White House 3 terms in a row. The last time was Reagan-Reagan-Bush I. McCain came closer than I think any of the Republican field would have, and at 52-48, Obama did very well, but he did not give McCain a Mondale-style shellacking. Half the country did not want Barack Obama to be our next president, and of the half that voted for him, half of
those voters were tepid in their support, pulling the lever on a wing and a prayer, and can be turned on a dime if the Obama presidency becomes the disaster it is so very likely to be.
2) Americans are good, decent people. Many voted for Barack Obama to close the book on America's racial strife, and they believe that in electing him that is what they have done. They gave a man with zero experience, zero track record, and some troubling ideas a chance, like it or not, because he's black and it offered a sense of national racial healing. The race hustlers like Jesse Jackson won't like it, and they'll try to bring the issue of race back again and again, but they have been put out to pasture. America's days of hand-wringing and self-flagellation for the sins of slavery, Jim Crow, so-called "institutionalized racism," etc., are behind her. This is one of those unintended consequences we often hear about, because Barack Obama got a lot of votes playing the race card, but that won't happen again. His election has forever and ever taken race and white guilt off the table. America has proven herself to be as near a color-blind society as the Western World has ever seen. In fact, now we get to say "Where are Europe's minority presidents? When will Europe finally confront its awful racist past? Why can't Europe be more like
the United States!"
3) I think President Obama and his democrat Congress will attempt MAJOR legislative changes in his first 2 years, because 2 years is probably all they're going to have before Congress is lost to the Republicans or at least before their huge majority is lost. I expect in the next 2 years: Universal health care; amnesty for 20 million or so illegals coupled with fast track citizenship (they MUST be able to vote by 2010!); massive, massive tax increases on all wage earners, from 40% at the bottom to 60% or more at the top (and the Obama media will produce fraudulent polls showing that the majority of Americans "wanted" these tax increases to "help their country"); massive tax increases on savings, 401K's, capital gains, etc.; some kind of forced "citizen corps" service, which will wind up in the Supreme Court; massive "green" and global warming taxation that will gut the manufacturing sector; the censorship (they call it "fairness") doctrine and federal "hate speech" laws which will essentially outlaw conservative talk radio all together, also headed to the Supreme Court; Card Check legislation which will allow labor unions to basically beat the crap out of anyone who doesn't vote to implement a union in her/her workplace; and some kind of national voter registration plan, probably tied to the Social Security Administration, so the democrats will have millions upon millions of more registrants to cast illegal ballots for in the future. In short, his legislative agenda in the first 2 years will be largely about securing a win in future elections for himself and other democrats, and raising taxes. That should make him very easy to beat.
3) So what are Republicans to do? I say frame every single political discussion around Civil Liberties. Take the Civil Liberties issue away from the left, which doesn't really believe in Civil Liberties at all (I mean, is there anything more oxymoronic than the ACLU?). On abortion, for example, let go of the religious arguments. Fight for viable late-term babies on Civil Liberties grounds. Fight Obama's forced "citizen corps" on Civil Liberties grounds. Fight the censorship doctrine (and please, please ALWAYS call it that as that is what it is) on Civil Liberties grounds. Fight universal health care on Civil Liberties grounds, that we want to pick our own doctors, hospitals, treatments, etc. Obama's presidency is going to be all about strengthening government control and
limiting Civil Liberties. And dare I say it (oh, heads will explode)? Consider gay marriage as a Civil Liberties issue. Let the voters decide. The Republican Party has got to be about FREEDOM and keeping government OUT of people's lives. Freedom and individual liberty have ALWAYS been winners in the political arena. If the Republican Party can grab this issue, develop it, stay with it consistently, then the American people will come back to them as naturally as a dog off its leash runs as fast as it can away from its owner. If the Republicans can convince voters that they will be the democrat party's slaves (and if Harry, Nancy, and Obama have their way, they will be), and that the Republicans will set them free, then we win.
I couldn't believe it but, yet I shouldn't be surprised. She has invitations to one of the balls. She said, she knows I'm not a democrat (that's an understatement) but, "it's a historical occaision."
She's sure DH wants to go. I know he could care less..and I'd rather have a "do-it-yourself" root canal...while, having my toenails pulled out...one by one. I told her we had vacation plans the week before...it would be hard to be gone that long. This is sad but, I can't and won't go. The inauguration is not something I can celebrate. I hate hurting her feelings but, geesh....she should know better.
...so I get most of my news from the radio, and I listen to a lot of talk radio.
WTH does he want?!
