Yesterday's election returns were pretty much what we had thought they would be, unfortunately. Those of us who are political junkies had poured over the poll numbers, read every scrap of information we could get our hands on, worked and reworked the electoral numbers ... and we were not seeing a win for John McCain nor many others in the Republican Party.
The political winds of change were blowing through America. In an atmosphere reminiscent of "Off with his head," voters turned from the Republican Party to try someone new.
In early October I was talking with a Republican political consultant from another state who reminded me that we had to go through four years of Jimmy Carter in order to get Ronald Reagan. His comments comforted me as I realized we were all bracing for this day.
But there is always a morning after ... and we will learn from this experience and move forward. Republicans have brought much of this on themselves, forgetting their true principles of less government, lower taxes, and personal responsibility.
Am I picking up my ball and going home after this loss? No way! I am in politics for a specific purpose ... to advance the principles I believe in, and to recruit and elect principled conservative candidates.
The GOP lost this Super Bowl but in four years there will be another championship game ... and I intend to work toward winning that game, beginning today.
My congratulations to the Democrats who out-organized us and who seemed to have a common goal in mind, pulling together despite their bloody primary battle earlier in the year. They are trying to paint the Valley blue. They won Staunton but Augusta County and Waynesboro remained red.
More analysis coming about the local political results....
18 comments:
Good comments. I especially like the one about going through 4 years of Carter to get Reagan. God is control. There is a reason Obama was elected. We have out Saul.
The road back after the Clinton win in 1992 began in Virginia when George Allen became governor. Things will turn.
Good for you. Hang in there.
I hope we can get a strong message across to the GOP that if we are to have another Reagan.. first we need to have another Reagan(that may not make as much sense as it does in my mind).
In other words, we will never gain strong ground if we keep offering up weak Neo Conservatives, we need a strong minded, strong willed man of virtue who is not going to pull any punches, will say what he means, mean what he says and actually fight for that spot in the white house.
Mike, you are absolutely correct. Things will turn ... we just need to work hard and be patient.
I am in this fight for the long haul ... I never give up! It's the eternal optimist in me and the desire to see a better country for my children. We now begin the road back.
Thanks, Brandon. I will be here fighting for the Republican Party I know we can be again if we all work together.
You hit the nail on the head, Misfit410. When we become wishy-washy, when we try to sit on the fence, when we try to appeal to everyone instead of standing up for what we believe in ... we lose.
Now is the time for new leadership to rise from the ashes. Let's see what we find....
Amen,
Democrats are the party of Slavery, The KKK and Jim Crow Laws. Yet they have decades of practice deceiving select groups that THEY are the party of the people.
Republicans have done well because people have always known we are for real. We don't break aside groups of people and treat them different than anyone else. We don't claim to support controversial stances if it goes against our core values. The moment we start pretending to support everything and everyone we lose every thing that sets us apart from the Democrats.. and that is HONESTY.
I pin this loss heavily on the RPV and its chairman, Jeff Frederick. This is an organization that railroaded Jim Gilmore onto the ballot - despite a pausity of money, organization and enthusiasm. The complete incompetency of the Gilmore effort allowed Mark Warner to campaign endlessly for Barack Obama while not having to defend his record of higher taxes and ineffective policies.
This is an organization that has now surrendered both Senate seats, several House seats (though it looks like Virgil will pull out the 5th district) and two consecutive gubernatorial races. We're headed to a third-consecutive defeat in the latter with the likely nomination of Bob McDonnell - another candidate who appeals to the religious right, but has little hope of winning key votes in Prince William and Loudoun counties.
Until the RPV expands its agenda beyond guns, God and gays, it will be nothing more than a regional party, with strength in the Valley, Southside and Southwest Virginia, but none of the statewide appeal that George Allen was able to generate in his first two campaigns.
Do you all really think continuing the message of fear and division is going to be a way out of the hole you now find yourself in?
Zen, define "fear and division" and what comments I made along those lines.
I mean the party in general. The way the McCain campaign in particular was run. The resounding message put forth was fear and division. The contrast of message between the two campaigns could not be clearer. Do you not draw any lessons from that?
Zen,
people voted for Race, youthful ignorance and charm. In doing so they overlooked a lot of crucial issues. Do you think 90% of those who voted for Obama are aware they will be paying 39% on any investments they may have? of course not he told them he would be lowering their taxes, and they believed him.
I don't fear Socialism Zen, I hate it, and most Americans feel the same way, but they ignore it as just another lie from the right.. the joke will be on them, not us.
It's the folks who try to play up Socialism as a good thing that always want to model us after Europe, I always have to hear about how wonderful the quality of life in France is. We never hear about the low number of home ownership, the fact they are paying $12 per gallon for gas and that the unemployment rate is well over 10% now
Well, You got your Socialist in power, and like France I'm sure that 10% goal will be reached in no time, be careful what you wish for!!!
Misfit410, I appreciate your response. However, you're engaging precisely in the fear mongering I mentioned. Your are playing the tandem cards of race and the long-discredited "socialism" attack.
So, I guess there's an answer to the original question. Nope, you folks will continue the politics of fear and division on your road to obscurity.
Zen, you may want to check the comments made by your own Party during this campaign season before pointing an accusing finger to the Republicans.
The way to define positions is to articulte the difference between you and your opponent ... and the Democrats always paint that as "negative." No, not negative ... it's truthful and showing why we think our beliefs are better than the dems.
Meanwhile, please re-read this post and you will see that I am optimistic about the Republicans returning, and I was complimentary to the dems who worked hard.
I am an optimist ... in my eyes, the glass is always half-FULL....
Enjoy your time in leadership ... I'm working hard to put my guys back in again. :)
Disgruntled Republican, you are worse than the Democrats. Party in-fighting needs to end but you perpetrate it and continue the blood-letting even as the Democrats unite and win.
There was a process for Jim Gilmore to win the Republican nomination. He went that route and won. Marshall did not. End of story. Tom Davis did not get the primary he wanted so he picked up his ball and went home. He could have competed in the convention -- he had every opportunity. Not sure what you're getting at otherwise except sour grapes.
A house divided against itself cannot stand.
You sound like an admirer of John Warner and that kind of Republican who is too eager to appease the other side. John Warner split the Party during the Oliver North campaign in the 1980s when he recruited a third candidate (Coleman) and split the GOP vote thus allowing Chuck Robb to get in.
You said, "Until RPV expands its agenda beyond guns, God and gays, it will be nothing more than a regional party, with strength in the Valley, Southside and Southwest Virginia."
So you would sell our values to appeal to Northern Virginia. Why have Ken Cuccinelli and Jeff Frederick been able to win elections in that area while keeping their conservative beliefs?
Your way of thinking is what loses elections for us. We began losing with Jerry Kilgore in 2005. What did we stand for? Who knows? It was so watered down we lost the meaning.
You just stay disgruntled and complain ... but I will be on the front line working to get conservatives in office.
Zen,
Obama denying something does not make it untrue. I'd actually like to take you back to the people he surrounded himself with. Community Organizing for ACORN (this is a Socialist Policy Movement), Began as a member of the "New Party" (Unionized Socialist Movement), Remember Bill Ayers the guy who just "Happened to live on his street"? Ayers is a Communist, Ayers wrote many books on the topic of indoctrinating children into Communism, elaborate plans on how to destroy the US economy and bring in a new fresh leader to lead the way into what he considers a better system. Obama had not only read ALL of Ayers books, he wrote glowing reviews for them in the local papers. He channeled millions of dollars into Ayers experimental Communist Education centers for children and launched his political campaign right in Ayers living room (Senate run, Not presidential).. but all of this information is off limits, just because the MSM wants to tell you it's not true without debunking a thing does not mean it's not. The info is out there as are plenty of evidence.
But Obama was shielded by the MSM force field and could not be wounded, I just feel for those who actually believe him.
Did you also believe that 10,000 died in Kansas Tornadoes in 2007? or that his Grandfather freed the Concentration Camps in Auschwitz?(what an amazing honor it must have been to be the only American amongst all those Russians!!), Did you believe that his father and mother hooked up in 1965 to deliver 1961? (Retroactive breeding.. I guess that is more impressive than the Virgin Birth of Jesus, no wonder he is the Messiah!!!).
Get one thing straight, Obama is a liar, but one who is extremely good at it.
This election goes to show that you need a Republican Candidate that does not label Liberal, Conservative, Moderate. But labels and promotes a message that appeals to everyone. Most of the voters dont label them selfs as Conservative, Moderate and Liberal its just Democrat or Republican.
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