What went wrong for conservatives on election day?
Victor David Hanson over at National Review Online has a good article that is worth reading this weekend. He takes a stab at what went wrong for Republicans on Nov. 4. McCain lost, and Republicans lost seats in Congress.
I encourage you to read the full post, it’s longer than your normal, but provides good food for thought. He provides us with three theories: it was a fluke, we were not willing to give up enough of our principles or, we gave up too much of our principles.
Could it be a combination of all of the above? I guess so, but I agree with Hanson’s argument that the right course of action to succeed in the future is to beef-up our conservative principles and take the opportunity to teach more often. I’m confident that is what we are doing her at Radio Vice Online and over at Conservative247.
One thing I found interesting. When conservatives did stick to the guiding principle that freedom is good – everywhere – we did well. From Hanson’s piece.
On foreign policy and national security, the battle of ideas is already won. A more articulate, persuasive defense of existing foreign policy, without gratuitous “they’re wimps” lingo would help. But come January, the Left will in surprising fashion emulate most of what Bush did abroad, albeit under a fuzzy, kumbaya veneer. The removal of Saddam, the humiliating defeat of Al Qaeda in Iraq, and the creation of a constitutional government in Baghdad will seem better, not worse, as each month passes in which we see little American combat violence approaching a likely 2011 withdrawal date.
I think we should all take the following as a challenge.
The key is not to abandon conservative positions, but to explain them in novel ways to the majority who might find them more in tune with human nature — and consequently more humanitarian than their usual caricatures of being too selfish, tough, or insensitive.
LGF has a good discussion going on, but it would be kind of cool if you commented here. You can even add your own video comment! Hah, can’t do that at LGF can ya?
3 Comments
The website's content and articles were migrated to a new framework in October 2023. You may see [shortcodes in brackets] that do not make any sense. Please ignore that stuff. We may fix it at some point, but we do not have the time now.
You'll also note comments migrated over may have misplaced question marks and missing spaces. All comments were migrated, but trackbacks may not show.
The site is not broken.
Msnbc's show Countdown had these words from Repbulcian Senator Chuck Hagel about this exact issue when he gave a talk to I think it said John Hopkins International studies forum."Eighty _sevn percent of the American said America is going in the wrong direction.You don't need to know another number about anything,and so the election was pretty predictable:The American people don't like what is going on…They want us to start doing what leaders are expected to do,adressthe problems,find some consensus to governing get along.There will be disagreements,sure…But in the end we can"t hold ourselves captives to this raw,partisan,political paralysis.Yes,there have been some differences and some pretty significant ones in[the republican party].But when you ask the qestion:Has our approached worked?I don't think many people will say it has worked> God knows I would never qestion the quility of our elected officials ,thats why I'm so popula with many of them…Engagement is not appeasement. Diplomacy is not retreat.Somehow too many in this country have disconnected all of that.There is always going to be a certain know nothing element to deocracy.That is the choice.But in a world that is so vitally interconnected, it does help if you try to understand the other side..ask them what is it that scares you about the French so much?..The story had other Republican senators who all pretty much said nothing it is you and not us.. So there was one other comment He Mr. Hagel had about the disrution and what should be done and I will leave that comment in of it's self next so it's full affect is not lost in this section.
Chuck Hagel had this to say in answer to your qestion about who should run as a republican and win over people again and well he does get a little rude so be forwarned." We are educated by the Great Entertainers like Rush Limbaugh you know,I wish Rush Limbaugh and others like that would run for office they have so much to contrbute and so much leadership and they have an answer for everything and they would be elected overwhemingly.The truth is they try to rip everyone down and make fools of everybody but they don't have any Answers"
Open mindedness. Over the years I have tried to make a mental note of those who are below the standers of the Repbulican Party and had a great list now lost but lets see if I can rembersome. Hippys Northeast Liberal, Northeast representives ,the east coast, union memebers,union thugs ,union bosses ,teachers , those publically educated, universaties and there proffsors.Peace nicks far left kooks main stream media ,main stream newspapers ,newspaper readers, democrates . Holliwood actors and actresses and of course Those trying to marry and gay people who want to serve there country openly. Femi nazies and compact car drivers, the staff of the new your times and all news papers. Appeasers and those who bum around with Terrioiost and those made very un comfortable because of certain things implied over the years .Muslims and Hisbaics and non Catholics also The French and The UN and the country but some time not the peoples of certain other countries at times.Those that work for a living instead of being owners of companies impliling they do not work for there pay. Anyone who has ever needed the help of a goverement safty net program and those one's who like me love there goverment and it's abilitys to bring good to the world for the benifit of all.Etc etc etc. So many groups and peoples that are not worthy that who is left?