Quote:
Originally Posted by SailorMitch
THe Repubs have some soul searching to do if they want to ensure a future where the party is relevant. the conservative "base" is small to begin with and shrinking.
|
I agree that the Republicans got their ass kicked in this election, but it's way too early to be calling Republicans out like this election was some kind of a come to Jesus moment. Lest we forget, since 1981 we've had exactly one Democratic President, Bill Clinton, and three Republican Presidents who together served five terms. I was talking to some young people a few weeks ago and other than Clinton they had never known a Democratic President, they barely even knew who Carter was. Just four years ago when Democrats lost another election the same things were said about the Democratic party, that it was losing it's relevance, that it had lost it's way - funny what a war and a market crash will do for your prospects. I too think that Republicans have a lot of work to do, they've lost touch with their conservative roots, but I think it's silly to think that Republicans have suddenly become obsolete. Seriously, we've had record deficits, broke new records in debt, lost half the price of the stock market, had a housing crisis, the debt markets froze and required an 800 billion $us bailout that Republicans proposed, we've been at war in two countries for about 8 years, and Democrats put up a wonderful candidate ... and Democrats won the election by, what, 6 points ? I think it's a little early for last rites.
I think it's wise to see this for what it is, and believe me I'm no champion of Republicans, I'm just being real here - Obama is a great choice for Democrats, I thought so when he spoke at the Democratic convention in 2004 that he was the guy who should be running instead of Kerry, but if it weren't for the tail winds that Democrats had in this election you have to wonder how close it would have been. This election was about Obama, but it was also at least as much about Bush as it was Democrats, Obama said it himself, America wanted something different - that was Obama's whole platform. This isn't the end of the Republican party, this is a chance for Democrats, a second chance I wasn't so sure they were going to get 4 years ago. This is a chance for Democrats to do something besides complain about George W. Bush, and Democrats would be wise to make the most of it, because come January there's nobody left to blame but Democrats. Blaming Bush for problems after he's left office is going to work for like 5 minutes before it starts to wear really thin with the public, especially after expectations have been raised so high.