Posted on 11/08/2012 4:57:05 AM PST by Kaslin
Nobody likes to lose. But defeats can prove advantageous if used as a learning tool. Newt Gingrich lost his first two congressional campaigns, but won his third. Twenty years after his first defeat, he changed the nation with the Contract With America.
Those who may be disheartened and dismayed over Tuesday's election results might want to consider this: Our nation is strong and resilient, and the results must be used as an opportunity to learn rather than an opportunity to lay blame.
President Obama won. A sitting president always has an advantage, but with a listing economy, high unemployment and Obama's debilitating debate performance, Republican nominee Mitt Romany looked as if he had a real chance -- and he did.
Two short campaign takeaways:
Liberals' feelings beat conservative facts.
Obama's emotional appeal that he cares about people trumps conservative facts. Obama says he cares, and people believe.
Republicans can talk about the 23 million people who are underemployed or unemployed, about the 60 percent rise in debt since Obama took office, about the regulations that are strangling business, but if voters do not believe they are cared about, they can't listen.
Takeaway: If people don't believe you care about them, they can't listen to you and process facts. To test, try this with people you love: Tell them you don't care about them, and then try to have a facts-based conversation. They will focus not on the facts but on why you don't love them.
Republicans are terrible communicators. They busily compile facts but forget to reach out to women and minorities. Then they wonder why those groups won't listen to or accept their facts.
Republicans should include women and minorities in their policy discussions and then ask them how best to communicate to their communities that they do care. Only after that would it help to point out how Republican policies would benefit those groups.
Takeaway: Inclusion is the solution.
Where are we after the elections?
Obama managed to grind out a re-election victory.
The House of Representatives has remained in solid Republican control and will be led by Speaker John Boehner.
The Democrats have retained the Senate and will be led by Majority Leader Harry Reid. Our national government remains split between Republicans and Democrats. This means that, to make progress, the two parties must work with one another.
We have shown as recently as last week that we can do it: The American people responded to Hurricane Sandy by working together and helping people. Our country is more important than either party.
The American people want their political leaders to work together for the good of our nation.
Boehner has control of the House schedule for bills. He has the opportunity to set the tone and agenda. Boehner should schedule a series of small, incremental, nondivisive bills that Republicans and Democrats would both want to vote for. They could be about anything: The color of the carpet on the floor of the House, a special thanks our troops. The purpose of the bills would be to create an environment where Republicans and Democrats would work together to pass bills that help America.
The passage of these bills should include photo ops for both sides that tout Americans working together for our future.
Boehner would then be able to go to Obama as a speaker who is willing to work with Democrats. This would force Obama to begin to work with Republicans.
The public would become used to a Congress working together, and would wonder why the Senate and president were not able to place our country first.
With a narrow victory this election, Obama does not have a mandate, but hehas an opportunity to carry out the high ideals of his victory speech.
"You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours," Obama said Tuesday night. "And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together. Reducing our deficit. Reforming our tax code. Fixing our immigration system. Freeing ourselves from foreign oil. We've got more work to do."
Work to do indeed. With a slim win this election, Obama has the opportunity to go beyond flowery rhetoric. He can return to Washington, reach out to Boehner and begin the real work of putting country
Just two years ago we had big wins.
The primaries are killing us. Social issues hurt us with hint voters and single women. Demographics are shifting.
“Boehner would then be able to go to Obama as a speaker who is willing to work with Democrats. This would force Obama to begin to work with Republicans.”
Put down the crack pipe. Whoever wrote this is out of touch with reality.
.Republicans....."LEAVE US ALONE, WE CAN DO IT BY OURSELVES".
Hey Jackie....what is more CARING than telling people you can get them JOBS???????
“Boehner would then be able to go to Obama as a speaker who is willing to work with Democrats. This would force Obama to begin to work with Republicans.”
This is hysterical. Boehner is already talking about raising taxes to appease “The Won”.
The GOP/RNC republican party does not CARE about conservatives, so we say GFY GOP! They've LOST 5 out of 6 times.
What has to happen for rinos to understand they are LOSERS nationally?
In other words, we are increasingly a population of overgrown children who do not care about anything but our personal feelings, needs, and egos. I have said again and again: liberals do not reach full adulthood psychologically. Indeed many people don’t unless there is someone to set an example and show the way. It used to be that there was a great deal of literature out there for the young to absorb that gave them this guidance. Children’s books were about how to attain a certain level of virtue. They aren’t about that anymore. The Age of Reason is OVER. We are now in the Age of Emotion.
I don't agree with this. Republicans have done PLENTY of outreach to women and minorities, particularly Hispanics. It didn't help them.
Then, the problem is not with the Republicans.
It is with the populace at large.
Be more inclusive to minorities and women you say.
What was Condoleeza Rice? a white male?
What was Gonzalez?
Marco Rubio?
Clarence Thomas?
The people who spoke at the Republican convention?
What is the definition of inclusion of women?
Paying for birth control and abortion on demand?
This isn’t going to work. 94% of blacks voted for Obama.
88% of Blacks voted for Kerry. Does that mean those percentages of blacks are liberal? It sounds like it is true. Republicans should stop feeling guilty about CONSERVATISM. Start explaining conservatism and trying to challenge both Hispanics and Blacks about the way they vote and the consequences. Both groups will suffer more and longer under the Democcrats.
it’s how the message is conveyed. We’ve lost the media wars — conservatives among blacks, asians, hispanics who share our social values are being misled to believeing the GOP is a milder version of the KKK. We need to tell the truth
I know it sounds harsh but I will NEVER willingly send money to help people who live in democrat strongholds. Let their fellow “compassionate” liberals help out.
Unless you are a struggling conservative, don’t be knocking on my door for help.
I felt a little better after seeing who is up for reelection in the Senate in 2014....wow. repubs could do quite well if the conservatives in those states decide who they want their candidate to be and the elites in dc stay far away. Plus I think a lot of those up in 2016 r going to b hesitant to go along with anything to radical.
” Put down the crack pipe. Whoever wrote this is out of touch with reality.”
Beware women with three names.
Now, if she were suggesting we take the lemon we were handed and make lemon daiquiris...heavy on the rum...she might have a point. Don’t worry, be happy.
BTTT
[Just two years ago we had big wins.]
Two years from now we will have big wins.
The GOP keeps running non conservative RINOs and they wonder what happened. Bizarre.
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