Now that the election of 2008 has ended, Republican's will look at all kinds of reasons for why they lost save one - a mirror. by Rod Smith
(libertarian)
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
When the last votes from the Diebold machines are counted (not sure how good of an example that is), Republicans will look to all sorts of reasons as examples of why they lost. Fingers will be pointed at The "Liberal Media" and it's failure to point out Obama's shortcommings. ACORN will be lauded for their election shinnaigans. Possibly, McCain will just be offered up as the sacrifice as a really bad candidate. It is likely that countless scapegoats will be looked at save one - a mirror.
After tonight's landslide, there's simply not enough lipstick to put on this pig.
Last week, and article published by Politico lamented the fact that McCain's campaign staff had formed a "circular firing squad" after the prospect of a landslide victory by the Democrats. Within that article, unwittingly, Neoconservative Bush and GOP consultant and advisor, David Frum, said it all:
"It's not a failure of campaign tactics. It's not even a failure of strategy. It's the failure of the Republican Party and the conservative movement to adapt to the times."
.... and there you have it.
Note to Frum:
ALONG WITH THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, YOU WERE HELPING TO CREATE "THE TIMES"!
The failure of this election cycle wasn't so much an embrace of the Democrats and Obama as it was a collective rejection of Neoconservatism that has guided this administration and was the mantra of every Republican primary challenger save one ... Ron Paul.
In short, the nation "adapted" at the ballot box. "Change" wouldn't have been a powerful campaign slogan had the present and recent past not been so painful via Neoconservative, lapdog elite, policies of wonks such as Frum, William Kristol, and a willing patsy in George W. Bush. With that, Republicans have blindly followed these radicals off an electoral cliff losing not only the Presidency, but the coat tail effect for the House and Senate as well to a greater degree.
Although the Republican cronies and media suspects did as much as they could by lambasting his appearances, making fun, and holding thier fingers in their ears while screaming the theme to Oklahoma as he spoke, generally speaking, Ron Paul had the politics driving the 2008 election pegged spot on. Unfortuantely for them, 99% of his Republican counterparts were rebels without a clue. Here's a short rundown:
#1.Simply put, most Presidential elections have been won by the peace candidate ... not that they're all sitting cross-legged, meditating, and wearing sandals and beads mind you ... but those those who advocated a more sensible approach to foriegn policy than his opponent. Eiesnhower, Nixson, Bush, and now, Obama are all examples of this.
#2. Neconservatives are not and have not been economic conservatives in any form. Massive, endless, deficits. Total abandonment of the ideas of limited government. Zero efforts toward balanced budgets. The largest, new, entitlement programs since the Great Society era. Unprecedented support of huge bailouts of Wall Street fat cats via stealing from Main Street voters. The list is too long and sad to fully note here. Historically, those who hold these collectivist ideals are called Democrats.
#3. The 2006 warning. Big losses resulting from the Iraq war debacle where most American's don't even think we should have gone. That, added to a general lack of voter confidence in Republican's to handle current economic challenges led to the electoral landslide of 2008.
This election was a statement by the voters. The message was this ...
There is no viable market for an opposition party who's message and policy proposals are "Big Government, Endless War, but vote for us because we're not Democrats."
The alternative was and is obvious. Freedom is popular.
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