This year, given the dismal approval rating of the democrat led 110th congress, it should be a cake-walk for the republicans to recapture a majority, but instead they're losing seats in special elections in Deep Red states. But Why?
The answer is surprisingly simple.
Republicans have little to offer that differs them from the democrats.
The republican party has become the party of Democrat-Lite.
Instead of taking on subjects that are solidly on the right, Fiscal responsibility, Self determination, and pro-growth tax policies, The republican party has become the "Me too" party, like jumping on the Gore-Bull warming bandwagon (yes You too Newt).
We need to look hard at the reasons Ronald Reagan was able to cobble together a huge coalition of right wingers, moderates and even democrats into a powerful political movement.
One thing he didn't do was jump on the "Me Too" bandwagon, he pointed out the differences between creeping socialism on the left, and the tradition of rugged individualism on the right.
Does anyone reading this believe that Ronald Reagan would be getting in line behind the global warming crowd with all their anti-growth policies? Would Reagan purposely poke his conservative base in the eye every chance he got?
Most of all, Reagan was able to build the "Reagan Coalition" because he was Optimistic about our future. He understood that democrats run on pessimism, because their entire belief system is based on "victims, and crises". Reagan ran on Optimism, his "Morning in America" ads were sheer genius. Best of all, the ads weren't just dreamed up in some madison avenue ad agency, He actually Believed his rhetoric. There ws no better cheerleader for the conservative view of america than Ronald Reagan.
Today's republican party seems to have only one message. "We're Not Democrats". Their ads basically say "Yes we suck, but they suck worse than we do". Is this the message voters want to hear? Obviously they didn't want to hear it in Mississippi!
The democrat candidate ran to the Right of the "dem-lite" republican candidate, and kicked his butt. If the RNC leadership had the combined IQ of a turnip, they'd realize that the "Dem-Lite" tactics are failing miserably, just as they did in 2006.
Republicans need to get back to basics, Show what differentiates them from the dems, and offer real solutions to the problems the american voters are worried about.
Defense: This is the only one thay basically have right.
Taxes: This should be a no-brainer, yet the repubs are not hitting this enough.
Health Care: With all the brains running around in washington, someone on the Republican side has to have a decent idea to use market forces to fix the health care problem, besides "the fear of socialism" they're using now.
Energy: Republicans need to stand up and say, "Yes we're having an enrgy crisis, and it has 'Democrat' written all over it. Stop folding every time an idiot on the left calls you a silly name, stand up and show some backbone. Call for a "Moonshot" to get us off foreign oil.
Call for increased investment in coal to oil, coal to gas. Call for investment into Oil shale production, Call for new Nuclear plants to power our country and lessen the use of oil to generate electricity.
And,yes, that includes drilling in anwar and on the coasts. Screw the caribou, we need energy NOW!
Gore-Bull "climate change": Draw a line in the damn sand and say "Enough is Enough"!! Stop caving in to the gore fanatics who are doing their level best to destroy our economy for a made up crisis that even their "leader" can't prove is actually happening. (hint to McCain, You're headed in the Wrong direction) The dems will destroy our economy if they continue down the gore-bull primrose path,
it should be easy enough to explain that so people with brains understand.
Illegal Aliens: First, vow to release Ramos and Compean, then clearly state the the Jobs Magnet will be turned off. Large crippling fines should be levied on any company hiring illegal aliens. We don't need to deport the illegals, if we turn off the Jobs Magnet, they will go home all on their own.
Simple solutions to complex problems used to be the hallmark of the republican party. It's time the party returned to its roots.
Right now the republican party is ignoring it's traditional conservative base, in the hopes that they will attract "moderates", while at the same time, the dems are running "Conservative" candidates in the local elections and pounding the wimpy democrat-lite republicans.
To sum things up If the republicans want a chance to win back their majority, they need to "Find a Pair", Man up, and take the problems we face head on. Or they can stay on the current course of "Dem-Lite" and we will be saddled with 4 years of total liberal dem control, and kill the party permanently.
Hey RNC, We're paying attention, Are You????