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Republicans need to worry less about Obama, more about themselves
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It has been one week since Republicans, in what may have been the worst consecutive election losses in their history, gave up a substantial number of seats in the House and Senate. A vocal GOP contingent, however, continues to bark like an angry Chihuahua facing down his owner’s new boyfriend – loud and determined, but with little realization that in a few minutes, he is going to be locked in the bathroom, while his owner and the new beau play “find the liberal.”
Strangely, these politicos seem not at all fazed by the fact that they did not win the election.
In today’s CNN.com, Mark Sanford, the Republican governor of South Carolina, posited that the election was not a repudiation of Republican ideals, but “a rejection of Republicans' failure to live up to those principles.” With that hypothesis in mind, he refights the election and argues that President-elect Obama’s ideas are doomed to failure and completely opposite what Americans want.
Once Republicans get back to the basics of conservatism – lower taxes, smaller government, and individual freedoms -- Governor Sanford sees a return to prominence, or electoral favor as he calls it, for the GOP. By extension, one can infer that a return of the White House to Republican hands in 2012 would be in order, so long as Obama follows through on his promises, and the governor and members of his party work “to change this kind of change.”
He is right with regards to the Senate and House races. Republicans who won, like Miami’s Ross-Lehiten and the Diaz-Balart brothers, did so because they delivered what their constituency demanded (and their opposition was, for the most part, somewhat weak); those who lost, likely did so because Republican voters weren’t happy with the direction of the country or the party.
As to President-elect Obama however, the governor’s argument conveniently ignores the substantial margin by which Obama won, and perhaps more importantly, that there was another candidate, HIS candidate, who was offering the American public exactly what Sanford claims they want.
Senator McCain lambasted Bush’s policies and swore that he would return to fiscal conservatism. Further, McCain, did all he could to paint Obama, not merely as a “tax-and-spend-Liberal” but as an outright Socialist.
It didn’t work.
There are various reasons why: Free-thinking Americans did not buy the notion that the U.S. would become a Communist, God-hating, terrorist-loving country if Obama were to win the White House. They understand that Obama will listen to both sides and work to put forth the plan that is best for America. Just as importantly, however, many Americans did not believe that McCain’s “back to conservatism” shtick was really all it was cracked up to be.
Think of all the corporate CEO’s who have walked away with tens of millions in severance pay and options packages while their corporations slowly sunk into bankruptcy, dragging pension plans and retirees into the abyss. Is there any one who will cry if they pay an extra 3% of their ill-gotten income?
Think of all the auto workers currently wondering when, not if, their plant will shut down, or their job will be “downsized.” Are they really going to be worried about a smaller government or the right to carry a gun?
Obama won because he connected with those people that the GOP has ignored and taken for granted. IF Obama is able to push through most of what he has promised (and it is doubtful that he, as ANY President finds, is able to accomplish all he hopes,) Americans will benefit and will show their appreciation at the polls in 4 years.
Governor Sanford goes on to say that his party must “take time for introspection as Republicans on where we go next as a party.” Again, he is right, however, he needs to keep something in mind as he contemplates quietly: You LOST.
It wasn’t the landslide that Democrats hoped for, but America nonetheless spoke loudly and clearly. The end result is that Republicans are doing something wrong. It has less to do with “getting back” to conservatism, and more to do with the highly-partisan, negative, and attacking way that Republicans have defined the last 10 years.
Where Republicans SHOULD go as a party is to the new land of cooperation. Work with Obama to fine-tune his proposals, but don’t filibuster, don’t grandstand, and don’t play politics. Work on behalf of Americans and NOT on behalf of your party.
Doing so may mean that a President Obama breezes through a 2012 election, but so will a lot of Republican Senators and Representatives. And more importantly to the GOP, in 2016, one of those new-style Republicans may find him or herself on a successful presidential campaign trail.
Maybe then would be a better time to claim that Republicans know what America wants.
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