How to reform the GOP
Romney was a diligent warrior. Next time, Republicans need a more likable one.
And one who tilts toward the libertarian side of the Republican Party’s fusion of social and laissez-faire conservatism. Most voters already favor less punitive immigration policies than the ones angrily advocated by clenched-fist Republicans unwilling to acknowledge that immigrating — risking uncertainty for personal and family betterment — is an entrepreneurial act. The speed with which civil unions and same-sex marriage have become debatable topics and even mainstream policies is astonishing. As is conservatives’ failure to recognize this: They need not endorse such policies, but neither need they despise those, such as young people, who favor them. And it is strange for conservatives to turn a stony face toward any reconsideration of drug policies, particularly concerning marijuana, which confirm conservatism’s warnings about government persistence in the teeth of evidence.
With much work — the most painful sort: thinking — to be done, conservatives should squander no energy on recriminations. Romney ran a gallant campaign. Imitation is the sincerest form of politics, and Republicans should emulate Democrats’ tactics for locating and energizing their voters.
Blowback
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Before you know it George will be sportin’ a leather jacket and black jeans.
Dongemaharu on November 10, 2012 at 10:10 AM
not bad advice, but it better be coupled with the utmost respect for people with religious devotion who oppose many of the ideas he is saying we should ignore.
rob verdi on November 10, 2012 at 10:11 AM
I just had the most absurd image of George Will singing Legalize it.
Mord on November 10, 2012 at 10:12 AM
Dead wrong , he ran the nice guy routine.
the_nile on November 10, 2012 at 10:14 AM
I tend to agree with Will here. Rand Paul is starting to seem like the logical choice. I can’t believe I’m already talking about 2016.
The Count on November 10, 2012 at 10:15 AM
ORCA?!
the_nile on November 10, 2012 at 10:17 AM
Then I guess bank robbery is an entrepreneurial act too. Wow, this reformation really opens endless opportunities…
Valkyriepundit on November 10, 2012 at 10:20 AM
He would probably be the one who could reach out to the white working and middle class voters who sat home Tuesday instead of choosing the lesser of the two evils. It’s probably going to come down between Rand and Marco come ’16.
I can hardly wait to go through another soul-crushing campaign again!
Punchenko on November 10, 2012 at 10:20 AM
Don’t remember him being too nice at the debates.
He didn’t play the nice guy, he just didn’t make it personal, and didn’t join Obama in the gutter.
blatantblue on November 10, 2012 at 10:21 AM
Here is Jack Hunter’s perspective (WARNING: warmongers may be offended)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XD-uwTTP67s
antifederalist on November 10, 2012 at 10:23 AM
Since the Oval Office seems to be located in the gutter, that might actually have been a good idea!
Valkyriepundit on November 10, 2012 at 10:23 AM
Conservatives don’t care if hard working people come here and become citizens. The issues most of us have with immigration are:
1) We don’t want felons, terrorists or gang members to be able to sneak across our border.
2) We don’t want non citizens voting because we don’t know that they have the best interests of the United States at heart.
3) We want those who do become citizens to have respect for our languange, history, and culture.
Apparantly we live in bizzaro world now where holding these opinions means we are racist xenophobes who hate the poor and/or whatever. That’s fine. Tuesday night confirmed once and for all that we’re living in an Orwellian “utopia” now so I doubt a lot of talk is going to fix anything.
Kataklysmic on November 10, 2012 at 10:25 AM
I, too, find myself on the Rand Paul 2016 train.
Jeddite on November 10, 2012 at 10:25 AM
But he wasn’t perceived that way by a lot of voters. I think what Will means is that we need to run someone who’s hard to demonize. Dubya was roundly mocked and trashed by the left, but up until the last couple years of his Presidency, he was still liked by many Americans. That likeability is what helped him beat Gore and Kerry by slim margins.
And before anyone brings up Palin, she’s a good and decent politician, person, and patriot, but she was a virtual unknown when McCain picked her. That allowed the left to caricature her and effectively drive down her favorables permanently. Our next nominee needs to be a known quantity to enough of the country to prevent that from happening.
Doughboy on November 10, 2012 at 10:30 AM
Amnesty will turn Texas and other red states blue, the GOP would never win again, and that would be the end of America as a constitutional republic.
Rebar on November 10, 2012 at 10:36 AM
Rid the party of dem enablers?…
Gohawgs on November 10, 2012 at 10:37 AM
Unstarched and uncreased??? Nahhhhhhh…
Gohawgs on November 10, 2012 at 10:40 AM
I think we can write off the next election too, if half of Republicans are just going to be Libertarians.
Dongemaharu on November 10, 2012 at 10:42 AM
He didnt attack Obama the way he attacked in the primary or how Obama attacked him.
Team Romney failed in many ways.
It was not a “gallant” campaign.
Yes, they should have learned how and why Palin was attacked the way she was.
But they were too smug not to take that lesson because they thought Palin was stupid.
And they failed, spectacularly.
the_nile on November 10, 2012 at 10:45 AM
Both Ron and Rand Paul are pro life.
the_nile on November 10, 2012 at 10:47 AM
ALERT ALERT ALERT!!!
America as a constitutional republic ceased at least 80 years (since the FDR administration). The purpose of a constitution is to limit the powers of government. The US Federal government, for all intents and purposes, has unlimited power. It can do whatever it wants to do. All it has to do is to invoke the commerce clause, “general welfare,” or defense and it can justify any law and/or regulation that it imposes. For example, in the Wickard v/s Filburn case the Federal government was able declare that the commerce clause permitted it to regulate production of wheat by an individual who grew wheat for his own consumption. So please don’t believe that the US as a constitutional republic ended when Obama was inaugurated.
antifederalist on November 10, 2012 at 10:48 AM
Bizarro reference to ‘Chelle noted.
CorporatePiggy on November 10, 2012 at 10:58 AM
http://www.redstate.com/2012/11/09/campaign-sources-the-romney-campaign-was-a-consultant-con-job/
the_nile on November 10, 2012 at 11:19 AM
Fixed it for you George.
I completely understand why someone would like to come here for a better life, that’s why my ancestors came here. BUT, they came here the legal way and they had to work their asses off to succeed and to become Americans. My grandmother came off the boat in the 20′s from Germany. When WWII broke out, she was married to my gandfather and had two kids who she did NOT teach German to and she did NOT wave the German flag. Many of her family were still in Germany at the time but she was a staunch American who worked to see America kick Germany’s ass in the war. Now if someone else wants to come here to acomplish the same thing then I’m all for it, no matter where they’re coming from.
jnelchef on November 10, 2012 at 11:20 AM
http://www.redstate.com/2012/11/09/campaign-sources-the-romney-campaign-was-a-consultant-con-job/
the_nile on November 10, 2012 at 11:21 AM
It’s one thing to be the party that defends religious liberty. It’s quite another to be a party that–correctly or not–gives off a message of “people who are not white evangelical Protestant young-earth creationist anti-gay Christians need not apply”. That’s the stereotype the Left and their media allies have successfully sold to this country.
JimLennon on November 10, 2012 at 12:12 PM
Will’s advice become dem lite doesn’t work Dole McCain Mitt how many times do these no nothings have to see thier prescriptions of how to win go down in flames before they understand how wrong they are.
pro-life
pro-freedom
pro law and order
pro militay
anti murder
anti big government and stupid laws and regulation
anti-choas and crime
anti war anti pacification (carry a big stick so you dont have to use it)
throw in some family values soem reglion and round it all out with tax policy designed to promote the middle class not the rich nor poor. and you win landslides
unseen on November 10, 2012 at 12:38 PM
WRONG!!! It was an INCOMPETENT campaign:
1. I received 1-2 mailings per day from the Romney campaign (and I’ll bet you did, too)!! This was an exceptionally stupid waste of money!!! They already had my (mostly anti-Obama) vote. Any more than one mailing per week to the same person at the same address just shows that nobody was coordinating mailings to make sure mail solicitations were cost effective.
2. There was no effective central message communicated in the campaign. Alternatives to Obama administration were neither presented clearly nor illustrated in a consistent and understandable manner.
3. Anybody who spends a Billion dollars and ends up with fewer votes than McCain got in 2008 is, by definition, incompetent!!!
landlines on November 10, 2012 at 12:47 PM
Romney wasn’t aggressive at all with the media and their Obama cheer leading. Put the media in a defensive position. Force them to do a better job.
The Republican has to realize that the Republican always has two opponents, the Democrat and the media.
Moesart on November 10, 2012 at 12:50 PM
This is true. Romney made vague pronouncements and that’s it.
Everyone knows what Obama wants to do. Turn America into West France.
Moesart on November 10, 2012 at 12:54 PM