Posted on 11/06/2008 8:24:37 PM PST by Publius804
What the Election Should Teach the Republicans
Thursday, November 6, 2008 6:24 PM
By: Christopher Ruddy
The 2008 election is not yet a distant memory, and there are important lessons to be learned.
A good accounting of what happened will help Republicans make a comeback.
Here’s my take:
Republicans need a candidate who’s unafraid of being a Republican. For a 72-year-old, John McCain gave an impressive campaign performance, but he lost. Why? Because he failed to articulate exactly how his opponent was such a danger to our economy, national security, and American values.
The vice president counts. Sarah Palin gave McCain a huge boost and helped propel him to front-runner status by mid-September. She soon became a media target. After a stream of negative articles that went unchallenged, her favorability ratings declined among swing voters. Still, Palin did a remarkable job of bringing charisma to the ticket and raising money.
The media bias was simply unbelievable. With the exception of Fox News, Newsmax, talk radio and a handful of outlets, the major media worked overtime to elect Barack Obama. Despite all the talk of a profusion of media with cable and the Internet, the media continues to be the same old media.
Money can buy an election. Obama raised a record-breaking $650 million to win the White House. Compare that to what McCain received — $85 million — from federal financing. If Obama did not have such a huge money advantage, it is doubtful that he would have snatched the nomination from Hillary Clinton, let alone the White House from McCain.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
I actually sprayed a mouthful of water on the monitor. Best laugh I've had all day.
Think about how McCain came from the cellar in the primaries. Everyone was talking Rudy, Thompson, Romney, etc. and then low and behold, aided by ‘open’ primaries, McCain emerges as the nominee. He was suddenly thrust into a position he originally had no realistic expectation of attaining. The dems and the media got exactly the Republican candidate they wanted. This is one reason that the primaries should all occur on the same day.
I never got to vote in the primary - it was all decided already.
However, I wanted Fred and I now think that he wouldn’t have had the energy - great ideas though. My next choice was Romney and probably he would have been massacred - too many position changes and somewhat plastic. There was pro-choice Rudy with his wife problem - I personally can’t handle what they call pro-choice which I think is really murdering someone because you find them inconvenient.
Seems that my only candidate in this was Sarah - sensational superwoman Sarah!
Acorn should be prosecuted and hung out to dry.
Yet they jumped all over Palin for the wardrobe costs. The hypocrisy is breathtaking.
Kyrie Eleison!
I fear we have accept the sad fact that men like Ronald Reagan come along only once in a century or so.
I am convinced that although the majority of Americans have left God out of their lives there's enough of us left who believe in Him and trust in Him that He hasn't written us off just yet. How else could you explain a Ronald Reagan?
Even though I know it's just begging for flames I will add Newt to the list of people whom I think God sent along at a particularly critical time. I know the great disdain with which he is held here ‘bouts, but he was the last taste of true success on a large basis that we conservatives have enjoyed in a long time.
We should not forget that most of the people chosen by God to lead, or save, His people for thousands of years have been men and women who had pasts much less stellar than Newt's. Moses was a murderer who directly disobeyed God. Peter was a turncoat who cursed and fled association with Jesus at a very critical time. Paul had been directly involved the stoning death of an early Christian. The list goes on.
Good point, well taken. Thanks for bringing me back to reality!
FWIW, I think the ‘Pubbies have soiled their suits so badly that they aren’t likely to be a major force in politics for quite some time to come. As a lifelong Republican, those words don’t come easily to me, but here are my reasons for writing them:
1) Republicans abandoned their conservative roots. Their 12 years of “mostly” controlling both houses of Congress say it all. They became drunk with power and went on a spending spree the likes of which we haven’t seen in this country in generations.
2) “Country Club” Republicans. If ANY GROUP ever deserved that name, the current crop of Republicans in Congress certainly do. They won’t get their hands dirty nor will they upset the apple cart by taking the fight back to the Democrats. They cave and turn into Democrat doormats to avoid missing “social hour” in Washington.
3) Lack of party leadership. Perhaps the biggest betrayal we conservatives have had to deal with is the complete and total lack of leadership from George Bush 43. We worked tirelessly to get him elected in 2000 and again in 2004. We busted our hump to give him an all-Republican Congress, and look what it got us - president-elect Obama. It isn’t just George’s fault, it is the entire Republican Party’s fault that we are where we are today. And, cynically thrusting Mel Martinez on us the the Chairman of the RNC was just another of George’s slaps in the face to conservatives.
4) “Moderates” and “RINOS”. More than any political group I have seen, so-called “moderates” and “RINOS” have wrecked the party and the charade of party unity. When we compare ‘Pubbies with Democrats, the differences are distinct. Democrats tend to march in lockstep with the commands of the party leadership and not abandon the party line very often. By comparison, the “moderates” and “RINOs” sell the party down the river with great regularity. All this does is damage conservatism. Also, look at the differences between Congressional leaders. When Dems run the Congress, they rule with an iron fist (something the current crop of country club Republicans are too stupid to notice). When the ‘Pubbies run Congress, they can’t wait to share leadershp with the Dems and compromise with them, including returning to their groveling, doormat role.
What the Republican Party needs to survive is fewer country clubbers and more rock-solid Reagan conservative street fighters who aren’t afraid to take the fight back to the Dems. McCain proved what all the compromising and “crossing the aisle” gets. He got clobbered and thought it was all Palin’s fault (there’s a news flash in his future!). The Dems knew his weaknesses and exploited them and McCain, the country clubber, wouldn’t fight back.
We need more “pit bulls with lipstick” and fewer country club gentlemen afraid to spill their drinks.
I wonder how much money Obama made on these “experiments.” I’m sure he took all those Daffy Duck contributions and laughed all the way to the bank.
Probably negligible, compared to the flood of illegal and corrupt donations from his long-time backers, but I don’t like to think of giving him a dime. That’s why I would never buy one of his books, even for opposition research.
More importantly, we should focus on the future and make a concerted effort to change the way our primaries are run. Never again should the indies and dems choose out nominee in open primaries. The problem wasn’t the VP, the problem was who was at the top of the ticket.
Given how many times Obama and McCain changed positions during the course of this campaign in just the past few months, the fact that Romney changed some of his positions over a 4 year period from when he became governor to when he left, pales in comparison. Romney maintained the same position throughout the campaign as he had on nearly every issue throughout his governorship. His change from pro-choice to pro-life really got him labeled as a flip-flopper unfairly. As a pro-lifer, I hope many more people make that “flip-flop.”
Right on both counts, and BO held up approval of the new FEC Commissioner. But, there was a thrid problem. One state, Ohio I think, has two different ways to get on the ballot. One easy way for candidates who agree to accept public financing, and one harder way for candidates who do not.
McCain got on the primary ballot the easy way, agreeing to accept public financing. If he had back tracked, he might have been taken off the ballot. He certainly would have had to litigate, against a D Sec of State.
Guess Palin should have declined the VP nod after all. I wished McCain would have picked Ridge after all. Obama’s 50-state landslide would have really sent a message to the Stupid Party.
Great suggestions, well said.
“..I will add Newt to the list of people ..”
I would also add Newt to the list of people like RNR who can make a stepchange in the dynamics of politics. And, like you, I’d also don a fire retardent suit.
I think Sarah Palin is another of that breed and perhaps Bobby Jindal also. We need a couple more. I don’t know enough about Mike Pence but Michael Steele may qualify although he isn’t forceful in his presentation; if he worked with a speech coach he could really enhance his chances.
What the Republicans can learn from Christopher Ruddy is nothing:he is a shameless turncoat.
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