Matt Lewis
Time for Republicans to do some soul-searching
The first instinct of some will be to blame the voters — to say they just don’t “get” it — or to imply the “takers” simply outnumber the “makers.”
After all, Americans should have been outraged by what happened in Benghazi. Americans should have been outraged by the increasing debt — and by the fact that the unemployment rate actually rose during Obama’s first term.
But it is the job of politicians and parties and movements to persuade Americans to buy into their vision. And they clearly aren’t buying what Republicans are selling. It’s time for the GOP to do some serious soul searching.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages: 1 2 Next »
The libfreeordie voter strikes again.
Also, wonders what food stamps / welfare can do for getting out the vote.
CW on November 7, 2012 at 8:03 AM
It was wonderful seeing Tokyo Rove completely melt down on national TV last night. He put himself on a limb early in the night and he held on to that damn thing until Obama cut his limb from the tree!
What a fall! What a SLAM DUNKING AND REPUDIATION OF TOKYO ROVE AND AMERICAN CROSSROADS.
Hey Carl – how much money did you spend on Snottie Brown? How many millions did you blow on him just to watch a fake Indian kick his ASS!!
HondaV65 on November 7, 2012 at 8:07 AM
Look, if Marco Rubio wants to run for President in 2016 and wins the nomination, I’ll support him in any way I can. But I don’t think he should be the nominee just because he’s Hispanic. Identity politics is pandering at its worst and I refuse to succumb to that just because the Dems engage in it.
Secondly, spare me the fresh ideas crap. Romney/Ryan ran a campaign of ideas. For chrissakes, they put Medicare reform on the table! And actually won that issue based on the polls which is unheard of in Presidential politics. The GOP lost because Obama and the Dems devised a strategery of running on small issues(or technically non-issues in the case of contraception) and appealed to low information voters. And unfortunately it worked.
I do think a lot of work needs to be done in terms of Senate candidates. But Romney ran a good campaign and it’s unfair to pin this on him of the party platform. This is one the 51% of the nation that decided for whatever reason or reasons they believed Barack Obama deserved to be our President for another 4 years.
Doughboy on November 7, 2012 at 8:07 AM
The dems have created a dependent majority over decades of legislation. Repubs blindly went along “reaching across the aisle” so not to appear partisan. The game is now over and the Repubs have become nothing more then a sounding board. Freedom died yesterday and nothing can change the trajectory we are know on short of civil war. It is a sad day for freedom, government of the people, and personal responsibility.
trs on November 7, 2012 at 8:09 AM
know = now
tears got in the way.
trs on November 7, 2012 at 8:09 AM
Well it does not HELP when the media is in thier pockets too.
Lets put it this way, if the media gave half the stuff attention like they did Bush, Obama would have been lucky to get 40% of the vote.
Instead no, they played the “ITS ALL BUSH FAULT” again and again… and the voters of course bought into it because they still trust the media to be fair and balanced.
watertown on November 7, 2012 at 8:10 AM
It’s a victory for the media more than anything else.
Romney had two opponents. Obama and the media.
Moesart on November 7, 2012 at 8:12 AM
This.
You can’t plan a national strategy on the people who ignore the first 20 months of campaigning and can’t even name the candidates until Thursday before the election, even though the fate of the nation depends on their tiny distractable minds. There were such HUGE issue divides in this choice that blaming it on an ad or lack of one is just as sad as the loss itself.
Quisp on November 7, 2012 at 8:13 AM
“Takers” are a lot more than welfare, food stamp, medicaid, etc. recipients. It also includes looters, rent-seekers, crony capitalists, union thugs, companies that survive on government contracts or subsidies, federal and state government workers, bureaucrats, etc.
I’m not saying all these people are bad or evil. But they are going to vote/advocate for their own best interest$. It makes no difference to them if we’re broke and printing money at a furious pace.
Humans, especially rabidly secular folks it seems, are selfish by nature. That’s why Big Government fails over time. You eventually run out of other people’s money.
visions on November 7, 2012 at 8:13 AM
The Republicans won’t do any soul searching any more than they did after the Dole disaster, the H. W. Bush disaster, or the McCain disaster.
They will march against the Democrats in the same old way and get slaughtered in the same old way. Defeat is what they are comfortable with and an actual victory would probably make Boehner cry again and who wants to see that?
sharrukin on November 7, 2012 at 8:14 AM
There was a lot of talk back in the summer about how helpless and useless the traditional media felt. It was all in the hands of the internet now.
Well, the traditional media just dragged Obama over the finish line. Again. They are not very helpless or useless.
Moesart on November 7, 2012 at 8:15 AM
Soul searching …
1. GOP lost the election but they, for the most part – held on to a solid red core in the South. There’s a huge section of the nation that agrees with you.
2. Stop running Willy McDole candidates. Your strength is in the South – pick a Southern candidate.
3. Tell the Ayatollahs like Tokyo Rove, Mitch McConnell, John Crybaby Boehner, John Cornyn, and the others to GTF off the stage. They had their chance – now the GOP needs NEW leadership. EXIT POLLS – 53% of Americans still blame GW Bush for the economy. FIRE THE BA$TARDS THAT SANK THIS PARTY AND THE NATION!!
4. BE A REAL OPPOSITION PARTY. Have the balls to impeach the CINC who covered up Benghazi and who sold arms to Mexican drug cartels.
5. Get off the social issues – quit dying on that hill.
6. Look to Texas! Find a way to make a comprehensive solution to the illegal problem. Working Mexicans should be valued more than native Americans who collect welfare. Fastest growing demographic – you need their votes.
7. Don’t leave the country – MOVE TO THE SOUTH. Pick a southern state and make it MORE RED. Enclave Conservatives and Libertarians and then fight from a states rights perspective!
8. When the debt ceiling comes up – SHUT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT.
What are you afraid of? Losing elections? You’ve tried it all and lost – now try BOLD AND DECISIVE MEASURES LIKE YOUR FOREFATHERS DID. Are you worthy of that legacy?
A tale of two campaigns. Romney sh1t on his base and went for indies. Obama sh1t on indies and went for his base. Can you conclude now that HIS was the more valid strategy?
THE BASE … IS EVERYTHING!
HondaV65 on November 7, 2012 at 8:16 AM
Sorry, yes this IS the voters fault… The TAKERS outnumber the MAKERS… The Republicans sold an entirely rationale and intellectual campaign… and the voters went with the Democrats because they were scared of the boogey-man.
Of course, to survive that means the GOP must now pander to the lowest common denominator… That doesn’t make it a good thing.
Or, to wit: “I’ve upped my standards… now up yours.”
Skywise on November 7, 2012 at 8:18 AM
Fixed.
HondaV65 on November 7, 2012 at 8:18 AM
He did. His one big mistake was not fighting back against the media as hard as they fought against him.
Any Republican that runs for President will have to do this now, if they want to win. The fact of the matter is that the Republican will always have two opponents, and the Dem will only have one.
Moesart on November 7, 2012 at 8:18 AM
If this finally helps Republicans she the socon crap, then I can look at Obama for a while longer.
Moesart on November 7, 2012 at 8:20 AM
mittens was an awful candidate and is an awful untrustworthy person…gop lost because they dissed sarah palin…end of story
Pragmatic on November 7, 2012 at 8:21 AM
shed
Moesart on November 7, 2012 at 8:21 AM
He did – he ran a very good … LOSING campaign.
I had a nice looking car once – ran like sh1t. Guess how good it was to me?
HondaV65 on November 7, 2012 at 8:22 AM
Romney ran a good campaign?
He lost.
He lost again Kennedy.
He lost against McCain.
He was detested in the primaries and voters frantically searched for anyone but Romney.
He then went on to lose against Obama.
By what bizarre definition was this a good campaign when he couldn’t even match John McCain’s numbers from 2008?
Did John McCain run a wonderful campaign because he beat Romney’s numbers?
sharrukin on November 7, 2012 at 8:26 AM
Whatever Matt Lewis. I think I will keep my principles and see how the next four years go.
magicbeans on November 7, 2012 at 8:27 AM
Soul searching my ass. What the Republicans need to do is figure out how to control the media and places of learning as well as the left do. That’s what won this election. Soul searching…. Oh, please.
princetrumpet on November 7, 2012 at 8:29 AM
This is so right. The media has a lot to answer for. They are not the *news*, they are a partisan group.
LilyBart on November 7, 2012 at 8:30 AM
You go into hiding for months because it looks like Romney might actually win only to come on here and play political analyst when he doesn’t. You and your advice are worthless.
The Count on November 7, 2012 at 8:31 AM
We live in a country where people are all upset about “climate change”, but don’t care about $16 trillion in debt.
Hurricane Sandy? Won’t even compare to Hurricane Debt.
LilyBart on November 7, 2012 at 8:32 AM
Remember how they won: they called Romney a felon, said they knew some guy at Bain who said he never paid taxes, claimed he abused his dog, and got the media to treat everything he said as a “gaffe” while ignoring the Benghazi cover-up.
TallDave on November 7, 2012 at 8:35 AM
Yes. No whining, Republicans–be the party of personal responsibility and take responsibility for this bloodbath. We need a viable, respectable alternative to the Democrats, and the only way we get that is for Republicans to take a long, hard look in the mirror.
Alpha_Male on November 7, 2012 at 8:35 AM
Yep, they dragged their SCOAMF across the finish line. We need to build up a oomparable media apparatus.
TallDave on November 7, 2012 at 8:37 AM
So many things to respond, but first up:
Obama may not get total votes equal to McCain in 2008, but it is serious soul searching time?
Second, we see why Dems in MO put money on Akin in the Republican primary race. Strong conservatives do need to run, but gaffe-prone candidates that the media can easily draw horns and a bifurcated tail on have cost us the Senate twice.
Third, speaking of the media, the old MSM is dying, but it will not go out with a fight. Rubio (he still has pros and cons) seems to be a viable candidate for 2016, but the media is going to try to paint him as the “house Latino” of the Republican party. Mitt with all his flaws would have won if he was just running against Obama. Hasten the demise of the old media.
mwbri on November 7, 2012 at 8:40 AM
“But it is the job of politicians and parties and movements to persuade Americans to buy into their vision. And they clearly aren’t buying what Republicans are selling.”
The problem is the Republican vision involves sacrifice. The democrat vision involves waiting for your gift.
Zaggs on November 7, 2012 at 8:41 AM
Ouch. +1.
This really was the Republican party’s last gasp, wasn’t it?
MelonCollie on November 7, 2012 at 8:42 AM
It’s not like Romney lost Mondale-style, anyway.
He lost by just enough to lose. Considering how hard the media campaigned against Romney, it’s remarkable that 52M people voted for him.
I am surprised by the loss of voters though. Is this year doesn’t motivate you to vote, what does?
We have been told repeatedly by poll analysis that enthusiasm was way up high.
Moesart on November 7, 2012 at 8:42 AM
I wouldn’t read too much into the Senate losses.
Lots of in-state politicking and self-inflicted wounds there.
Moesart on November 7, 2012 at 8:44 AM
Only if we are lucky.
sharrukin on November 7, 2012 at 8:46 AM
There’s nothing in the article about abandoning principles.
Dreadnought on November 7, 2012 at 8:46 AM
That’s what they said in ’92, also.
The pendulum will swing back eventually. It always does.
Moesart on November 7, 2012 at 8:46 AM
That would be foolish.
Dreadnought on November 7, 2012 at 8:48 AM
Why don’t you just switch parties? What exactly should change? Abortion? Gay marrige? Fiscal sanity? Maybe we should all be for amnesty for welfare sucking illegals?
magicbeans on November 7, 2012 at 8:49 AM
Then what does this mean?
magicbeans on November 7, 2012 at 8:52 AM
Thanks for this.
Romney’s boosters spend months telling us how everybody else in the primaries and a good portion of the Republicans running for the Senate are garbage and need to be driven from the race, then keep cheerleading for Romney for being the only guy who can win against the worst president in U.S. history, and howling at everybody else about how people simply have a duty to vote for Romney because the only selling point that should be necessary to get somebody to pull the lever for Romney is that his name is not Barack Obama — and then when Romney loses, they’re back here telling us that it’s just the voters’ fault because Romney’s campaign was perfect and flawless — even though Romney’s perfect and flawless campaign FAILED.
Epic fail. The last of my patience for the pro-Romney spin has just fizzled out.
Aitch748 on November 7, 2012 at 8:54 AM
California is turning itself into Greece, and much of the rest of the U.S. (including the fed gov’t) is following CA’s path. Americans will wake up when economic crisis is imminent, but not before.
Scrutineer on November 7, 2012 at 8:54 AM
Why don’t you getalife?
“It’s the economy, STUPID.”
Is that simple enough for you, Beano?
MelonCollie on November 7, 2012 at 8:55 AM
Ummm… Almost everything he said was spot-on. Your personal attack does not change that and frankly confuses me.
Irritable Pundit on November 7, 2012 at 8:58 AM
Except for the fact he is 100% correct…funny how weak minded so many “conservatives” are that they simply cannot fathom any other solution outside of voting for the worthless GOP and to “pray” for this country.
ClassicCon on November 7, 2012 at 9:03 AM
Its like the last dying gasp of some strange cult.
sharrukin on November 7, 2012 at 9:06 AM
My soul is prepared how’s yours?
bgibbs1000 on November 7, 2012 at 9:16 AM
Time for the Republicans to realize that the power of the purse is far more absolute than the power of the president, and absolutely in the hands of the Republican House.
Of course, they may not feel that saving the country is worth being criticised for unladylike behavior. They haven’t yet.
PersonFromPorlock on November 7, 2012 at 9:19 AM
The post I was responding to was not talking about the economy. It was talking about the shedding of “socon crap.”
And you are rude.
magicbeans on November 7, 2012 at 9:19 AM
I can’t say I see the point of this. The red states for the most part already went “more red”.
Romney didn’t lose because Georgia was R+8% instead of R+12%. He lost because seven large swing states were D+ 50,000 votes.
I would say the answer is to take the dark red states and sprinkle them into the states we need to get those last quarter-million electoral-winning votes, but every election the Dems are just going to shore up the urban centers more, and I just don’t think there are enough red votes to go around without endangering some of these other areas.
The Schaef on November 7, 2012 at 9:24 AM
Amen.
MelonCollie on November 7, 2012 at 9:25 AM
Comment pages: 1 2 Next »