With the election result about a week old now one of the big agenda items for the Republicans is how they approach the next 4 years. As a Democrat, be it a rather disgruntled one up to now, I suppose my thoughts aren't worth much to them. The fact remains they need people they don't have now so let me offer some thoughts. First places where I can find agreement with conservatives/Republicans:
1. The Constitution and its preservation is paramount.
Yes I believe in the 2nd amendment. I also believe in the 1st and the 4th and
all the rest of them . Some support for them also would be helpful.
2. Hard work and personal responsibility is a USA value.
And hard work will be valued again when it is... valued...like in $$$
3.(Many liberals will disagree with me on this) The traditional family with a mom and a dad is the best kind and best for children. Unfortunately my kids didn't get this but I wish they could have.
4.We should be fiscally responsible.
This doesn't mean we should not spend. It means we should set priorities, get the best value for our money, punish companies that go over budget and avoid large debts.
5.Crack down on illegal immigration.
While our reasons for doing this are dramatically different and the possible solutions may be different I share the goal.
6.Focus on small business.
You will have no problem getting the vast majority of liberals to go along here. As a matter of fact I think the tax breaks for large corporations should be going instead to small and medium businesses. I also think that any company that has over 30% of its operations outside the country or maybe North America should not be considered a United States company and should receive fewer advantages than a home company.
Ok, now the biggest problems for Republicans.
1.Everything I say here will be ignored as the rantings of a liberal.
They act like teenagers who think they know it all. They won't listen to anybody, refuse to find a common ground on anything and roar in outrage at every little thing. When they go up against an adult the majority of the country is going to choose the adult. Kid Hannity is the perfect example here. Whenever I watch him I see a little boy in a big boy suit.
2.They hate everything and everyone and find it all a life altering threat.
For hating the victim mentality so much they sure do a dead on imitation of it. Drama queens to the max.
3.Name calling, demonization and division.
Calling me a terrorist appeaser, America hater, baby killer, and on and on....Well pretty soon they cover vilifying over half of the country simply because they disagree with them and they lose.
4.Social conservatives.
The United States was founded partially because they got tired of somebody else's religion being rammed down their throat. Keep it up and this will not only be the base, it will be all that is left.
5.Fear mongering
Pretty soon it looks like they are the cowards. Scared of everything. You don't have to blow up or destroy everything that scares you. When your only tool is a hammer everything looks like a nail.
6.Supporting things they said they were against in the last administration.
Like foreign entanglements and Constitutional violations like warrantless wiretapping etc.
Yes there is more on both ends but this covers some of the biggest of the big picture.
So what will they do? My prediction is they will hammer away with all the negatives I have listed above. They will continue to run the angry white male/talk show shouter/I'm a better American than you gamit that they have slipped into like an old pair of boots. They will lose even worse in 2010 and finally decide that blaming the 'liberal media' for their defeat will not lead to victory.