Can Republicans Return to the Majority? "You Betcha..."

But there are some things they need to do first...

1. Admit defeat in the past two elections--this endless drivel about America still being a "Center Right Nation" is a little like San Francisco 49ers still waiting for Joe Montana to come through the tunnel, and lead the team back to the Super Bowl. Guess what? Joe's 52 years old now. He isn't going to lead the Niners past the Detroit Lions these days (for those of you who are football fans, you're getting what I'm sayin' here, right?).

If my brother were here, and he were listening to me lament the fact that the country should have voted Republican, he would have smacked me on the back of the head and said, "wake up! you lost! Wise up!" And he'd be right. The sooner Republicans can admit to each other that they have gotten their clocks cleaned in two straight elections, the sooner they can fix the leaking boat.

It's not Mark Foley. It's not Larry Craig. It ain't David Vitter. And I am not going to suggest here that the solution is Jeb Bush, or Sarah Palin, or Bobby Jindal. The solution is going to be the leader in the Republican party who can do the following:

2. Stake meaningful positions--What the heck did John McCain stand for? Lower taxes? Any specific ones? Does anyone even remember him? Did he actually have a position on health care? Or the Environment (other than we should drill more, and build nuclear plants). Okay, don't like McCain? What did Mike Huckabee stand for? Mitt Romney? Sarah Palin? Even Fred Thompson (well, we know that he didn't stand for much of anything, preferring the barcalounger...)

The Republican Party needs to find something it stands FOR.

-Are they FOR Lower taxes? Great! Which ones? How much? Flat Tax? How is this going to help the average American?
-Are they for a better run health care system? Fantastic! How are they going to facilitate that? Tax reductions for companies that reduce, or keep flat their premiums? Or improve their service? I'm listening...
-Are they FOR Small Businesses? Fantastic! How are they going to help these businesses flourish? Loan programs? Small business tax cuts?
-Are they FOR Cities and Suburbs? Great! They can start by not insulting about 50-60% of the nation with their anti-urban rhetoric, and start talking to the concerns of people who live in Cities and Large Towns. How to reduce Crime, for example.
Are they FOR a better Education System? Super! How do we do it? Explain the voucher system. No one likes being told that the current system stinks, government and the Democrats are the reason it doesn't work, and therefore, Vouchers are the only way to go. You need to give people a reason to support your position, not hate the other guy's position.

3. No longer be the party of "No"--Republicans have become the party of NO. No Government, No Liberals, No Seculars, No Progressives, No foreigners, No Gays, No alternative energy sources, No alternative points of view, No City or Urban concerns matter, No other religions matter (except Judaism, kind of). I have heard a lot of Republicans tell me that it is the Democrats who are the elitists, who don't understand the common man. But I hear an awful lot of "NO" coming from the Republican's on all issues. Time to start saying yes to something meaningful in people's lives.

4. No more scapegoats--time to stop blaming the plight of the average American on others. It isn't the Mexican's fault. It isn't the Chinese people's fault. It isn't homosexuals. It isn't liberals, it isn't Secularists. It isn't Mark Foley. It isn't George Bush (any more). Time to stop being the victim of circumstance. Trust me, you made fun of the Democrats 5-10 years ago, when they wore this persona. It looks equally pitiful on Republicans today. Time to stop blaming election losses on others.

5. What are you going to do to make people's lives better (not just cut their taxes)--I included that last part, because I am sure all Republicans are going to point to tax cuts. But the majority of people in this country want to know what they, AND their government can do, TOGETHER, to make their lives better. Jobs, Savings, Crime, Health Care, Terrorism, Tolerance, Disaster Recovery, Energy, and on and on. I don't hear a substantive argument coming from a single prominent Republican that talks about how the Republican Party is going to fight to make peoples lives better in ANY of these areas.

I do hear about Tax cuts. But there is NEVER a link from Tax cuts to making people's lives better. If no one understands how that benefits THEM, it's not a seller. John McCain kept promising to keep people's taxes low. But he never said he would save Joe the Plumber a sum certain through policies he planned to enact (or would try to enact). So the Pragmatic Pundit was left to wonder "What kind of tax benefit will I get from John McCain? I know Barack Obama is promising me a $1,000 tax cut. I don't know if he's full of it or not, but I understand how it effects ME. John McCain hasn't told me anything" Is it any wonder that Brand R got their clocks cleaned.

6. Sadly, new blood is going to be needed--No one in America is going to believe the John Boehners of the world, when they say "we need sensible-sized government". These are all the same folks who ran up deficits in a Republican Congress throughout the past decade. Let's get real, here. Do you trust the teenager with two DUI's and 3 car wrecks, that "This time, I am really going to be careful"? The Republicans are never going to be credible with anyone in Congress from these past 8-10 years. That is another reason McCain was doomed. All the things he railed against (Bridge to nowhere, profligate spending, etc), were things HIS OWN PARTY were guilty of. Is it any wonder he lost?


In all, this is meant to be a slap up side the head. Wake up, Republicans. Your ideas are still relevant. You can still win. But you are going to have to take a dose of humble pie, and start earning back trust with America. Start by telling us a few things you are FOR...