I recall when Bush urged people to go out and spend how the libs said that wasn't going to solve anything, and aren't we consumerist enough?
I recall "Deficits!!!!" screamed by the libs when they weren't screaming 'Overspending!!!!" Now, we aren't just destroying the budget, we're making a joke of the concept of a budget, and deficits? We don need no stinkin' deficit reductions!
If we had an objective media we would be throwing this in the dems' faces. (Bush is of course responsible for starting this, but he's gone, plus the dems were completely behind him. And the Republicans offered token resistence, then caved.)
Everything the libs have been telling us about spending and deficits is now "non-operational" and no one cares. The average American, I believe, has this euphoric feeling about the election, but once they start taking in what Obama's "change" means, something is going to happen--the American public will realize this guy hasn't got a clue.
The Republicans are probably too stupid to take the lesson from this that they should. The lesson they need to learn isn't from Reagan or the founders, but from the Democrats. They lost the popular vote in 2000 with a liberal candidate; in 2004, they ran a slightly less liberal candidate, and lost again; in 2008, did they go more "centrist"? No, they put up one of the most liberal candidates ever, and he won comfortably.
I don't believe that's because the country has gone liberal. I think it's because Obama came across as someone who had the courage of his convictions and didn't flinch under fire. (I don't think any of that is true--I think he's vacant and clueless--but that's how he came across with the help of the media, which gushed over him and THEN found out reasons to gush...or made them up.)
Starting in the midterms, we need conservatives who are actual conservatives with the belief in their convictions. They need to connect to what should be OUR base position, which is that people are fulfilled by connecting with something larger than themselves--but not government, as the libs believe, but our own families and communities, growing OUT from us, not IN from the "community". They need to show how conservative economics will save us from this mess, and how it would have prevented it (by not lending to those who couldn't afford to pay back, no matter how good it makes one feel to "open opportunity" or whatever). They need to show how conservative respect for life and the sanctity--sanctity--of our borders is crucial in creating a secure place where liberty (the word people seem to forget in their love for Obama's government financial crutches) and freedom can thrive.
I have no faith the Republicans will do any of this. But they should. Instead I think they will bide their time, wait for Obama to fail, and regain power by default, and then they will do just what they've been doing for years--be democrats without the good press.
You have very similar thoughts as I do. Back 16 years ago when we were in a similar situation, Rs in the minority things turned out to be pretty fun, Some differences:
1) Republicans were outsiders and many new fresh ordinary people took over R party for a while. Now we still have left forever establishment republicans as useless as democrats they replaced in 1995.
2) The economy while demonized in 1992 was in much better condition than now. GWB was a huge government activist leader who believed his fathers biggest mistakes were : 1)raising taxes, 2) not invading Iraq and 3) Not taking control of economy. GWB had his own congress so had less restraints than many presidents.