Posted on 11/08/2012 6:33:38 AM PST by brother_humility
For the last two days I've been hearing conservatives decry "the death of the conservative movement" or "the end of the Republican Party," as well as a lot of other hyperbolic nonsense. Believe me: this happens every time a Democrat gets elected. And it happens every time a Republican gets elected on the other side. Passion is a great thing, but don't buy into all the crap. You lost an election; it happens and it's part of politics.
What you should be thinking about is *how* you lost the election and how to win the next one. To figure that out, I suggest looking at all of the successful campaigns by Republicans.
People on the left love to demonize Bush, just like they did Reagan. It's understandable; conservatives do the same thing to Obama and Clinton. That doesn't mean you should buy into the idea that Bush was a bad Republican. On the contrary, he won two terms for the Republican party!
How did Bush win two terms? In my opinion, he won them with the two most important qualities that Romney lacks: empathy and humility.
Empathy! There's that word again. Ever since Obama said it, the Republicans have been jumping on it. And while I agree that empathy is not a necessary quality of a judge, it is certainly vital to a president. Every successful president of my lifetime (Reagan, Clinton, Bush and Obama) had it. Clinton said, "I feel your pain." Bush made a point of being a "compassionate conservative." And Obama never makes a speech without saying, "I know how hard it is."
Same goes for humility. Bush made a point that he wanted America to be a "humble nation" with a "humble foreign policy." He applied this to all aspects of his life. You would never in a million years hear Bush, a man of *considerable* faith, say a word against Islam-- let alone go around "Muslim-baiting" his opponent. He knew that if he were arrogant, and saw himself as better than a Muslim, it would turn people away from a message that, honestly, speaks for itself in the way one acts, not what one says.
That's why white, Christian Republicans need to take another look at the political drawing board. Don't be so god damn cynical. You don't need to change your policies to appeal to blacks and Latinos. You just need to change your POLITICS.
If you want what you believe to be the ideals of America to endure, you've got to be okay with them enduring in a minority white country. And if you don't think they could, then while I do not name-call, you are, by definition, a racist person. Black people today have a considerable deal more in common with the Republican Party today than they have in a long time. They're moving out of the cities and into affluent, traditionally-white suburban communities. The proof of the American Dream lives in black America. Not only that, but they are Christians who tend to be much more socially conservative than the Democratic base.
So why can't the GOP reach them? Because there are a lot of extremists in your party and you haven't done a good enough job of distancing them. There are still too many Republicans who believe black people are "addicted to entitlements" and have no problem saying that. Bush was very good at distancing himself from those people, while Romney's people have fueled that kind of discourse.
So how does the GOP win in 2016? With compassion, humility and respect-- values that are universal and do not conflict with GOP policies, only GOP politics. I know they might be tough pills to swallow right now, but they'll sure be easier than that humble pie.
Welcome to the FR. I guess.
IBTZ?
Thanks for the worthless vanity.
“There are still too many Republicans who believe black people are “addicted to entitlements” and have no problem saying that.”
Not all black people but obviously 93% are addicted to entitlements.
Why not. It worked for Obama. LOL
If carbonite can handle all my files and folders, why can't some agency tap into (and control) everything we, or agencies, do on internet connected computers?
Could it be that the election results were tampered with?
You carry the stink of a Retread/DU Troll.
IBTZ.
Here, I think you're going to need this feedback form very soon.
39% of welfare recipients are black although they are just 12% of the population.
38% of the recipients are white.
Take your empathy, humility, and respect and shove it.
They don’t have to be taking entitlements to be addicted to them because after all, they just want to help a brother out, with other people’s money.
What? Why me?
Interesting first post, welcome to FR.
Oh, and “Facebood” to yoooooooooou!
Oh give me a break. Obama didn’t win because he has any of those things you mention, because he doesn’t. He won because he promised to give people stuff that belongs to other people.
Blacks voted for Obama because they are racist. Hispanics voted for him because there sure he has know problem making America another Mexico. Single women voted for him because they are stupid and think other people should pay for them to have sex. White people voted for him so they can pat themselves on the back about how giving and non-racist they are.
Conservatives are really the compassionate ones. We’re the ones who think you will always do better and feel better if you take care of yourself.
People want what is easier for them.
The author, not you.
The author, not you.
You wrote: You just need to change your POLITICS.
I think you mean that Republicans need to change the rhetoric, and I would agree with that. The fact is, conservative policies work better for EVERYONE. GOP candidates should do a better job explaining why.
You also wrote: There are still too many Republicans who believe black people are "addicted to entitlements" and have no problem saying that. Bush was very good at distancing himself from those people, while Romney's people have fueled that kind of discourse.
I'm not sure why you think Romney's campaign fueled that kind of discourse. Not in my opinion.
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