Posted by
Patrick Henry on Sunday, November 16, 2008 5:31:45 PM
In a crushing repudiation of Republicans, Americans flocked to the polls in record
numbers to hand the Democrats control of the White House, House of Representatives
and Senate -- the dreaded "supermajority." While such an electoral move is unwise,
virtually eliminating checks and balances from the legislative and governance processes
and paving the way for near certain abuse of power, it is, sadly, also not surprising.
The current unprincipled crop of Republicans in Washington are without direction,
fresh ideas or meaningful leadership. The two-term incumbent president is leaving office
in near disgrace, his legacy being a too-costly, low-benefit war, a cratering economy,
worldwide ill will and Usama bin Laden still free as a bird. It would seem that the only way
forward for the GOP is up. Unfortunately, such an ascent will not happen simply because
Republicans wish it to. Hard work and a great deal of soul-searching will be involved.
The party has to decide what it stands for and precisely where it wishes to position itself
on the political spectrum. It is unlikely that an electorate, lulled by promises of national
security and small government, but handed a war costing over 4,000 American lives and
an enormous fiscal deficit fueled by out-of-control congressional spemding will again
be persuaded to issue the GOP a blank check based on trust. In practice, this means that
a simple re-stating of conservative principles is not enough -- not by a long shot. Such
principles must address relevant issues such as the economy, the environment, energy
self-sufficiency and national security, and then be formulated into specific step-by-step
program proposals that clearly map the road to success. The greatest failing of both
recent presidential campaigns was their aversion to specifics that would have allowed
the electorate a real chance to evaluate their prospects for success. In the absence of
such content, the presidential election was nothing but a personality contest, which
suited the Democrats just fine.
Before defining principles, policies and programs, Republicans must decide where
the party is best positioned going forward. It would seem that the current foray into
moderation was an abject failure, given the fact that too few independents were persuaded.
And but for Sarah Palin, the conservative base would have been content to sit the election
out -- such was their lack of enthusiasm about the McCain candidacy.
Facing facts, some truisms emerge. Republicans cannot continue to move away from
the conservative base. To do so leaves too small a choice between them and moderate
Democrats and invites the almost inevitable rise of a powerful and vocal third
(conservative) party that would fatally erode the GOP's electoral hopes. Further,
Republicans cannot win on a platform dominated by pro-life and anti-gay positions --
not because they're wrong, but because national surveys show that most Americans
are now pro-choice and, while not ready to re-define marriage, do have a wide
tolerance for gay rights. These are battles, not strategies, and to become bogged down
in them will only deter the party from identifying and clarifying issues that will strike
fire with a majority of voters. Consider that Barack Obama did not win the presidency
by running on a gay rights or pro-abortion message. Rather, he won on the themes of
change, hope and the economy. About to be in power, he will now be able to bring
about changes in those other areas that are known to matter to him. A Republican
resurgence could put them in a position to do the same.
Before considering everything lost, consider that Obama won on historically flawed
policies that have met with failure after monumental failure. It is thus likely that
they will fail again, and sooner rather than later in a teetering economy. These failures,
along with the many needs that will be unaddressed by the Democratic administration
will provide the clues to Republican strategists and policy developers that will lead
to an evolution of ideas that can build a better America, fill a national void and have
an honest opportunity to persuade American voters who, after all, only want a better
life for themselves and their children.