There those Republicans go again
By Karen Hart
The economy is not the only U.S. institution in trouble these days. Republican politicians are becoming an endangered species. After getting spanked this past election cycle, the conservative leadership has learned nada, zilch, zero, zippo, nothing about the American people and the leadership they want.
Here it is time to elect the new face of the Republican fundraising arm the Republican National Committee, and we have three good ol’ boys from the South; a Ben Nighthorse Campbell wanna-be from Michigan, all rounded off by two African American men who couldn’t hold anywhere near the candle wattage of celebratory rhetoric that President-elect Obama has brought to the political stage.
There is no need to candy-coat or spin it. The GOP lost the presidency, 21 House seats and at least seven Senate seats on Nov. 4. This was more than a mere referendum or slap on the hand.
Republicans need a new plan and some new blood to execute that plan if they hope to salvage the Party and keep the conservative voice in America’s dialogue and the ongoing political script.
Obama won the presidency because McCain allowed Obama to define McCain’s campaign. It was simple playground antics. Every time McCain opened his mouth, Obama simply said, “He’s Bush and I’m not.” You say it enough and you can get all the other kids to chime in until everyone believes it.
Put any one of the six men seeking the office at the chairmanship helm and Republicans will have to continue the playground battle. It is time to go west in search of greener pastures to stabilize the party and grow the base.
To wit, not once has an RNC Chairman hailed from California, New Mexico or Alaska. And only one woman, Mary Louise Smith, has been chairman, with her tenure coming amid the Watergate scandal.
The swell of new faces that are taking part in the political process will only continue to grow and the Republican Party must be sure that those new faces know they have a voice in the GOP.
According to exit poll analysis the nonpartisan research Circle at the Center at Tufts University released on Nov.4 2008, of the 22 to 24 million young Americans ages 18–29 voted, 66% voted for Obama.
And the Pew Hispanic Center analyzed exit polls from Edison Media Research for CNN and found that Hispanics, America’s largest minority population, “voted for Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden over Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin by a margin of more than two-to-one in the 2008 presidential election, 67% versus 31%.”
If there is one thing that Ronald Reagan would want Republicans to steal from his playbook, it is to recognize when the applause is over you leave the stage. It is time for the conservative politicians of old to take their bows and let someone who can energize and unite the party with the people take center stage.
The current cast auditioning for the RNC chairmanship will simply lead to more poor reviews. Republicans need a new star and fast. As the January 28 election for the RNC chairman comes around, Republicans may start to ask themselves, “Where is that dynamic Hispanic woman, who also happens to be Republican when you need her? “
Oh yeah, she voted for Hillary.
Karen Hart worked for President Reagan during his post presidency and is a freelance speech writer.
