What does the Republican Party Need to do Next?
By ParaTed2k
@ParaTed2k (22940)
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
November 6, 2008 11:51am CST
The Republican Party has been beaten pretty harshly for the last two elections. Back in 2006 they lost control of the House and Senate. Now, in 2008 they lost the White House and the Democrats increased their strength in the House and Senate.
So what should the party do to reverse this trend of losing?
To me the problem is, the powers that be at the RNC have splintered the party. They have separated the party by ideology but called for unity. This doesn't make sense at all.
Another major problem is completely boring and uninspiring campaigns. It's almost like they want to lose elections. Most of the campaigns have been from a defensive position against the Democrats running.
I have nothing against a candidate pointing out the drawbacks of the opposition, but come on Republicans, while you're at it, give us something to believe in! McCain's pat answers seemed to be something to the effect of, "Hey, but I ain't..."
Back in 2006 a lot of Conservative Republicans decided to show the RNC what happens if they lose the conservative vote. The party noticed they lost, but didn't seem to get the message. So, in 2008 they forced McCain down our throats and simply expected us to unite behind him "party uber alles".
That led to another year of a lot of conservatives either voting for someone else, or staying home.
The last point of error by the RNC is that for too long they have based their campaigns on not losing instead of winning. When you run to not lose then losing is what you have your mind on. Winning is the point, so winning is what should be worked for.
Forcing an unpopular candidate down our throats simply because it's his "turn" is no way to run a party or a campaign. Until the RNC learns this, we will continue to see Democrats gaining control.
We will also see more and more Republicans leaving the party because no one wants to be the last one jumping off the sinking ship.
5 people like this
10 responses
@kykidd (6812)
• United States
6 Nov 08
The Republican party needs to focus on finding candidates that will cut spending. If we would have elected Rudy Guiliani for our Republican candidate, he might have won the vote for the Presidential election.
Rudy Guiliani has a history of cutting spending and cleaning up crime at the same time. Maybe he will run for governor of New York next. And then run again in the 2012 election.
Although, I really don't think that is a very good idea. I don't know if anyone has ever been defeated in the Presidential election and then come back and won at a different time. But we do need some people who want to cut spending if we want to turn this American economy around.
Four years down the road, I hope the consumer confidence level will be stronger and the economy will already be in better shape. We'll see what happens.
Good luck to you and have a great day!
2 people like this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
6 Nov 08
There have been a few who lost an election but came back to win later. Reagan was one of them.
From looking at the outcome, I think there were a few Republicans in the primaries who could have beat Obama. It was an electoral landslide, so it might seem that Obama was unbeatable. However, looking at the popular vote, it was very close, so any Republican candidate who didn't split the vote and ran an inspiring campaign could have beat him.
I agree, the Republican Party needs to get back to what it used to believe in.
2 people like this
@rms1959 (1)
• United States
8 Nov 08
That was pretty much the correct accesment of what happened in this last election. First I can not wonder that Mike Huckabee & Palin would have set the world on fire with as much excitement between them. Also we need to get rid of the Income tax altogeter, and have a Nat. sales tax of no more than 10% And slowley wind down the SS plan with the next Generation that is born. It has only been in extensistance since rosevelt, we can not expect the rich to take care of the world. They already provide the jobs. Get real people, read the "Decline & Fall of the Roman empire". Thank you!!!!
Richard M. Stanley
Sophia, NC
RMS1959@HOTMAIL.COM
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
9 Nov 08
Huckabee has never, nor will he ever be an honest man or a conservative. He is a tax and spend ivory tower elitist, nothing more.
1 person likes this
@CarlKnittel (692)
• United States
8 Jan 09
The fall of the Roman Empire has been completely forgotten. When we hear about democrat politicians who cheat on their wives and cheat at golf and lie in court and... The next thing we here is how he may be a scoundrel but that doesn't make him a bad president.
Here's the thing. The Romans told themselves the same thing. The funny thing is that a man who is corrupt in his personal life is invariably corrupt in his professional life. It's a historical fact that the Roman Empire was destroyed by corruption from within rather than conquest from without. The same may one day be said of the US if we don't learn from history.
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
6 Nov 08
They need to step aside and make some room for a REAL conservative party. the republican party has very few true conservatives left in it, at least at the national level. They have lined themselves right in with the two party commercial monopoly that dominates the political land scape.
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
7 Nov 08
That's because the RNC has decided that there is no room in their party for Conservatives anymore... but somehow they still say that we owe them our votes.
1 person likes this
@olivebranch56 (910)
• United States
7 Nov 08
Since it is our money and support that fuels the parties, both Democrat and Republican, then I reserve the right to do a Donald Trump here.I say to the RNC and all their cronies, "You're FIRED!" As Beverly Perdue said in her acceptance speech, "Theres a new sheriff in town", well we as the Rebublican party, need to step up and say No More! It is time for "OUR" party to get a clue, time to make a change for the better. Get rid of the Old Boys Club, and bring in some fresh blood.If the RNC wants to learn anything from the DNC this year, make it the lesson of CHANGE. Just my humble opinion,Marilyn
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
9 Nov 08
The RNC has shown in the last two elections that they don't care what message we have for them. So they deserve to lose elections and be a laughing stock.
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
7 Nov 08
They have put on a new face, and apparently consevatives have no place in that face.
1 person likes this
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
6 Nov 08
They need to go back to the roots of small government and fiscal responsiblility. Bush has turned out to be more of a RINO than McCain. He has not held up the party's core beliefs. He has spent like a liberal. Then the republican congress followed his lead.
Get back to the basics. They will go a long way to fixing the problems.
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
6 Nov 08
Bush isn't a RINO, but was never Conservative either. Of course, we knew he wasn't Conservative already, but we backed him when we agreed with him. McCain is the posterchild of the RINOs because, well, you don't need to be Conservative to be a Republican, but you do need to support Republican issues... Sen. McCain has always been one who would rather get along than stand for anything.
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
6 Nov 08
The RNC has made it clear, they have no interest in fiscal responsibility or small government.
1 person likes this
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
6 Nov 08
Where do you get it that they forced McCain down your throat, it appeared to me that there was several men running and the American people chose who they wanted. Oh yes the congress which is democratic has full control now, and they will do what they want and we will see how is when they start shoving things down your throat that you really don't like and can't do a thing about it because there is no one there to fight for you and what you believe. At least you are smart enough to under stand that in 2006 the dems took control of congress, but I bet you don't believe that that same congress put us in the mess we are in with the bail out. Most dems don't believe that and when they yell do you want another 4 years of what you have been getting not to many people are smart enough to know that is just what you got in this election, they yell Bush right after they make that statement and most ever stop to think that now they will be getting more of the same because nothing changed.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
6 Nov 08
What makes you think I'm a democrat?
McCain was forced down our throats because he wasn't who most Republicans wanted as our nominee. The RNC decided it was his turn, and a lot of Democrats chose him in completely idiotic open primary voting.
After McCain secured the nomination, the first thing the RNC did was tell us that they know he isn't who we wanted, but made it sound like it was our responsibility to accept him anyway.
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
7 Nov 08
Don't hold back, tell us how you really feel!
But next time, at least try to stay on topic... a bit at least.
The only part of your rant that was relevant to the discussion was the first question, so I'll answer that one.
McCain was not chosen by the Republican people as the Republican nominee. By the time most of us got to vote, he was the only one left. The RNC, the press and people who aren't Republican actively worked to secure him as the nominee. Once he got the nomination, the RNC told us that we had to just suck it up and support him. BS!
If that's the way the RNC wants to work, that is their choice, but it also makes a lot of us wonder why we should ever support the Republican Party ever again.
1 person likes this
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
7 Nov 08
How do you keep saying he was forced down your throat, there was a bunch of men running as I remember the people voted for him. And he would of done a hell of a lot better of a job than what is going to the whitehouse now with his outdated ideas. It appears with Mickey Mouse donating to Obamas campaign and illegal campaign funds, and his association with some of the scum of the earth, it was this man that was shoved down our throat. I hope all that voted for Obama get just what they deserve. Too damn bad that I will have to go down with them. I will be here when some are burying relatives and friends, from the attacks that are coming, and yes they will come. And I will be here when you all are standing in the unemployment lines, to laugh. This was not an election it was a buy in, he bought it. One of the stupidest elections I have ever seen I had to take all kinds of id to vote, but because they wanted Obama in so bad they took people off of park benches to register and vote, sure would of liked to see their ids. It was stated tonight that 2 out of 3 people under the age of 30 voted for him, and 2 out of 3 had no idea because of their age of what is going on in this world. Sorry you didn't get the man you wanted. I did get the republican I thought would do the best job, at least he was a gentleman and didn't try to buy or get Mickey Mouse to donate money to him.
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
6 Nov 08
I would say that the Republican Party needs to regroup and refocus on what their party stands for and discuss what direction they want it to take in the future.
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
6 Nov 08
Refocus? They need to come up with things to beleive in, since obviously they don't believe in anything anymore.
1 person likes this
@CarlKnittel (692)
• United States
8 Jan 09
Unabashed conservativeness works every time it's tried. No candidate running on a solidly conservative platform lost regardless of party affiliation or their likeliness to fulfill that platform. The platform proposed by American Solutions has the backing of the vast majority of Americans and is overwhelmingly conservative.
Newt Gingrich and his friends took congress by committing to such a platform. The platform passed congress without a hitch and only failed when it hit the senate and the presidents desk. To get a true revolution we should take the platform of American Solutions, Pick our top 10-20 issues and get every candidate a chance to sign on from the city councils to the Presidency. I don't care shat party their from if I believe they will fulfill the contract I'm willing to give them my vote.
Democrats would lose to many special interests by signing such a platform so the Republican party would have a platform tailor made to sweeping control in the entire country at every level of government and finally putting those "liberal, blue blood, country club, wimps" in the GOP out to pasture for at least a decade or two.
@aaNNffeedd (23)
• United States
7 Nov 08
they need to rebuild their setup of senators and get some moreee
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
7 Nov 08
True, but they aren't going to do that without the conservatives... but don't seem interested in what we have to say.
1 person likes this
