Sun Journal, Lewiston (Nov. 9)
People in the media fancy themselves as independent thinkers, but there is way more herd mentality than original thought in the nation’s commentary business.
Within three days of the election, national pundits — known in some circles as the chattering class — had seized upon two words and run them into the ground: “soul searching.”
They argue that humiliated Republicans should be off licking their war wounds and examining their inner elephant hearts.
Elaborate demographic scenarios are being constructed showing that the Republicans’ philosophy is unsustainable, that the party is becoming older and whiter while the country is becoming younger and more multi-racial.
This is the customary reaction after election defeats, but both Democrats and Republicans would be wise to remember a few things.
First, let’s put this defeat in perspective. At this time two years ago, Democrats were headed into soul-searching psychoanalysis after being “shellacked” in the mid-term elections.
Let’s recall the dimensions of that Democratic rout.
The GOP gained 63 seats in the U.S. House and recaptured the majority. It was the biggest midterm loss for a party since 1938.
Republicans also gained six seats in the U.S. Senate and would have gained more had not their primary election process produced some seriously strange candidates.
Just as importantly, Republicans picked up 680 seats in legislative races, leaving them controlling 10 more state legislatures (including Maine) than before the election. Republicans also took control of a majority of the nation’s governorships (again, including Maine).
It was a stunning reversal of the 2008 election that swept Barack Obama and Democratic majorities into the U.S. House and Senate.
Predictably, the nation’s pundits said for a week after the 2010 thrashing that the Democratic Party had a lot of “soul searching” to do.
Hmm. Can anyone think of a way Democrats changed their core philosophy between 2008 and 2010? If so, please send us a telegram.
Second, these wild gyrations between parties simply reflect voter fear and uncertainty in this long, painful recession.
If one party doesn’t produce quick results, that party is unceremoniously booted out the back door.
Two years ago, Republican strategists looked like savants; today they look like dunces.
Third, we should always remember how hard it is to beat a presidential incumbent.
Only three of them have been defeated in nearly 40 years, and those three faced either third-party competition or survived bitter primary election challenges.
The president gets to look presidential, fly around in the most impressive jet on the planet and handle the occasional crisis, like a hurricane.
Finally, despite being plagued by a political career of major flip-flops and gaffes, Romney nearly won the most votes.
His defeat was magnified by the idiotic vagaries of the Electoral College which places unfair and out-sized importance on just a handful of states.
Now, in recent memory, we have had a Democrat (Gore) win the popular vote and lose in the Electoral College and a Republican (Romney) nearly win the popular vote and get slaughtered in the Electoral College.
Why should Ohio and Florida be so all-important to selecting presidents? The Constitution is a great document, but the Electoral College is undemocratic anachronism.
This is a closely divided country, and this was a darned close election, 50 percent for Obama and 48 for Romney.
Major political parties are like adaptable organisms. Republicans will quickly make the necessary changes to be competitive again, and without selling their souls.
What I think is missed here is that the house members can come from very small places, like rural towns which can be quite red or they might come from big cities that tend to be blue. It works great for electing red representatives but when you mix the two together to decide the electoral votes, there are more blues than reds in an overall state demographic.
I disagree with the article though. Reagan was elected with an electorate that was 90% white, Obama was elected with an electorate that was 76% white and this year it was 72% white. The GOP has values that would be popular with certain minorities if they would appeal to them instead of insulting them. Bottom line is that one can’t win elections with 1960’s values in a post 2010 electorate.
Good point, they should try to appeal to minorities but what do they have to appeal to them?
Republicans being so out of touch was so evident. They were too smug in their assumption they’d win figuring people were going to buy their lies hook, line and sinker.
You can’t keep slamming groups of people and expect to win an election.
Your right, all you have to do is print money, take on more debt, and use the redistributive system to funnel money into the urban, poor, multi-racial portions of the country where the populations are higher and the people most easily manipulated and the election is yours
nicely done, way to mislead and take advantage of the most vulnerable among us to gain a political victory
Nonetheless, no worries for those who don’t support such a malevolent system of political economy, the socialists WILL run out of other people’s money and they WILL run into the end of the road on deficit spending and money printing, it’s merely a matter of time. And when the bottom falls out in a few years, you can rest assured as to who the remaining faction of the voting population will come looking for to hold accountable
Yes Jack the sky is falling. Too many people have cried wolf too loud.
Including some people here!
Jack is right in everything about this statement. This election wasn’t lost due to the errors the Republicans made, it was won by the Dems because of all the right things that they did, short and long term. When 47 percent of this nation is on some sort of program, that pretty much cuts that group out of voting “R’ on any ballot. So there aren’t many votes to fight over. So if the Dems continue to create an environment that will make an even larger percentage of people dependent,its a sure bet for them in the future. The “R”s can’t even shy away from the social issues, because when they try, the social issues are brought to the forefront and trumped up by the Dems like the so called war on women. Yes, the Republican PArty will have to some serious soul searching and re identifying itself. The logic from the left would be for the “R’s” to take a more modern progressive stance to social issues, and not say no to everything posed to them. More “centrist”. Problem is, most candidates running today are centrist. It’s just the left has moved so far left, everything “R” appears way far “right” from a lefties perspective. Hence the division splitting the country in half. I believe the Republican party can morph itself into whatever conceivable, and it will continue to get shot down and antagonized by anyone in the Democrat party no matter what. The “R’s” are in the way, and it’s time for the “R’s” to go away forever. The average Democrat carries a lot of animosity toward anyone that doesn’t see life the way they do even though they proclaim themselves as open and understanding. They want radical change in everything about this country. And we are on a good roll to be heading that way soon. The Dems also won big because a lot of voters either don’t really know what they are voting for, or don’t care.
…..
So if we become “in touch with realities” what differences would separate a Republican from a Democrat? When one abandons their core values, that is a vertue of spinelessness. I doubt you will get many true conservatives to do that, as the same goes for committed liberals. And rite fully so. That is what separates us. If Republicans cannot win an election on conservative core values, then it’s time the republicans start playing the same game the democrats do to win over votes.
Some core values. Check out the R platform. Romney did and had to waffle and flip to try to fit in.
It is the Republican’s who have moved far right. Are you trying to tell me that today’s Republicans are like Eisenhower, Nixon or even Reagan?
If you put today’s Republicans in any other industrialized developed country they would be considered a fringe far right group.
The Republican party is more centrist now than ever. When was the last time we had a true conservative for president, or candidate? You can’t be everything to everyone in this country. We are too divided. If the conservatives move further left to appease the electorate, it will be hard to distinguish the difference between the parties. The only thing the conservatives need to do is modernize their stance to issues that will never change from status quo. Get on board with it and move on.
More Centrist? Give me a break. Do you honestly believe that Eisenhower, Nixon or even Reagan could even get nominated in this Republican Party? Please explain how those ex-Presidents could get the 2016 Republican nomination in this more centrist Republican Party.
Actually, the Republicans in House races helped them selves by redistricting.
You are so right. More people voted for Democratic congressmen but because of redistricting Republican’s were able to pick up seats.
There will be a time in the future when progressive dolts will call on conservatives to save them from their socialism…..That will be the day when I say…SCREW!
…..
Please keep thinking this.
FYI, Democratic candidates for the House of Representatives recieved more votes than Republicans. You have the majority there because of gerrymandering and gerrymandering alone.
Exactly, they had majorities at the perfect time when districts were being redrawn.
Further proof that you complain even when you win.
Better than illogically poor losers.
They have souls?
Republicans can’t soul search because they sold their souls to the highest bidder long ago .
No, don’t do any soul searching. In fact, being more extreme, that should serve you well! ;)
Hilary 2016!
How does a total of between 2 and 3 million more popular votes for Obama than Romney add up to an “almost” popular vote win for Mitt Romney?
Funny now conservatives now have this federalism argument when it comes to elections! Oh States don’t count, it’s all about the popular vote! 332 to 206 is a slaying.
Where was this in 2000?
Nice try sweetheart, Democrats aren’t the ones constantly playing the “states’ rights” argument.
it’s all in how you view it, if the same person that wrote this saw a hockey game where the final score is blue 2, red 1, they would no doubt declare red the winner.
Really.
It’s some of that math that helps Republicans feel better, isn’t it Mr. Rove.
Ah yes, the Prince of Darkness himself.
Close only counts in horseshoes (and hand grenades). Of course, if the other guy thorws a ringer (like Obama did), close doesn’t even count.
“all Obama supporters are lazy, stupid, on the government dole.”
“we need more of the Obama supporters to vote for us.”
How does the GOP not see that you can only embrace one of those 2 statements? Disown Rush, stop using his language, and you might get somewhere. You think Rush spouts the truth, the rest of the country finds it offensive. Figure out how to deal with that and you might get somewhere.
Definitely dichotomous. And he questions the intelligence of Obama supporters?
The flaw in the logic of this bit is in comparing the mid terms to a presidential election, it’s like comparing Arugula to a Wolfgang Puck rack of lamb.
Yeah, this course for the Rs looks like crow.
This was the most racist election in US history. If Democrats would vote based on facts or issues instead of skin color, Romney would have won in a landslide. Soul searching can’t make up for racist voting.
By the way, Obama today blocked oil shale drilling on 1.6 million acres in Utah, Wyoming and Montana. So much for his claim to support an “all of the above” energy policy.
Pathetic. Look inward instead of lashing outward.
Why, does the truth hurt?
Republicans got creamed on Tuesday and you’re going to blame Democrats for that? Or lash out against America for that? Like I said, look inward. Self-reflection might do you good.
What “truth”?
Was not “the most racist election in US history.” Obama got the same percentage of white voters that Clinton got in 1992. That’s racist voting? Seems a bit like you’re projecting your issues onto others.
One doesn’t “drill” oil shale. It’s kerogen, an even more viscous, even more solid pre-crude. Why do you think it’s ben called synthetic crude? It has to be mined in an area very short on water and very prone to environmental destruction and pollution. When crude hit $35 in the 70s (the “strike” price then) everyone and his cousin jumped into the oil shale boom, including the biggies. Even spawned a new company, TOSCO (The Oil Shale Corp.). Crude dropped a couple of years later,costs were even higher for synthetic crude, so everyone bailed. TOSCO bought a refinery, bought crude, and went “traditional”
I have friends in Colorado and Illinois who say the plateaus near Rifle CO are great places to hunt elk. Looks like they’ll remain so.
So that is why in the south 85% of whites voted for the white guy, because Obama voters are the racists. Amazing.
On a side note, twitter did a region al comparison of all the racist twitter feeds and found that the vast majority came from reds states in the south, Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, a broad region in the NC, SC and Virginia region, and Utah.
That is where your racists live.
From Ron Paul’s Facebook page:America is over $16 trillion in debt. The “official” unemployment rate still hovers around 8%.Our federal government claims the right to spy on American citizens, indefinitely detain them, and even assassinate them without trial.Domestic drones fly over the country for civilian surveillance.Twelve million fewer Americans voted in 2012 than in 2008, yet political pundits scratch their heads.It’s not hard to see why, though.To go along with endorsing a never-ending policy of bailouts, “stimulus packages,” and foreign military adventurism, the establishment of neither major party questions the assaults on Americans’ liberties I’ve named above.As my campaign showed, the American people are fed up. Many realized heading into Tuesday that regardless of who won the presidential election, the status quo would be the real victor.GOP leadership is now questioning why they didn’t perform better.They’re looking at demographic changes in the United States and implying minorities can only be brought into the party by loudly advocating for abandoning what little remains of their limited government platform and endorsing more statist policies.My presidential campaign proved that standing for freedom brings people together.Liberty is popular – regardless of race, religion, or creed.As long as the GOP establishment continues to not only reject the liberty message, but actively drive away the young, diverse coalition that supports those principles, it will see results similar to Tuesday’s outcome.A renewed respect for liberty is the only way forward for the Republican Party and for our country.I urge all my Republican colleagues to join the liberty movement in fighting for a brighter future.
Going to take a lot of proselyting and converts. Good luck with that.
That is the dumbest damn thing I’ve ever read.
Care to show a draft of what should have been said? What should have been done? Fire Rove before the election?
Point well taken that the electorate is impatient, and the party out of power looks much more attractive. However, some of the Republican candidates for office made some tactical blunders that not only turned out to be bad for their individual campaigns, but also for the national image of the GOP itself in states that are not solid red states. Democrats didn’t do that, this time.
Democrats would have won the House back easily were it not for the fact that Republicans redrew the voting districts after the 2010 census in such a way as to protect the seats that they had just won. It’s called “gerrymandering” and it’s just another trick that parties use to cement themselves into power. It should be outlawed once and for all.
The GOP lost an election that they should won – both the White House and Senate. This was a huge defeat and will be the start of the party shrinking into a regional (south & some western states) party that will lose again and again.
The party made a deal with the devil starting with Nixon, compounded with Reagan to court the far right and now they are paying the price. To win primaries they have be T-Party nutty and that will make it impossible to win the general election. Lose, lose anyway you paint it.
Quite a knot to untie. It will be fun to watch the right twist in the wind.
“Major political parties are like adaptable organisms. Republicans will quickly make the necessary changes to be competitive again, and without selling their souls.”
Adaptation implies evolution. Republicans simply do not believe in evolution, of any sort.
Plus, the problem with souls, already sold.
A stunningly naive editorial that misses so many of the important messages of this election.
And what messages do you take?
Republicans will lose the house in 2014 if Boner keeps touting the policies that 61 million people voted against
Good points except the Rs have already sold their souls. To the devil, in sheep’s clothing.
Soul searching? Let me be clear, (Obama quote) the main stream media elected Obama the first time and also this time. When they report bias news protecting their liberal ideology we have a huge electorate that take every word they say as gospel. Added to that, an ever growing population who think the government can take care of their every need.
Yeah, that’s it! Just blame someone else. No need to take personal responsibility for yourself.
It is funny that the GOP loves the electoral college when it goes their way and allows their candidate to be the victor. Even when the popular vote does not go their way at all, they will claim a mandate. Even though all their crying about voting fraud was a distraction from their attempts to commit voter fraud. Obama won both the popular vote and the electoral vote. This is as clear a rejection of their political philosophy as there could be,and they need to come to terms with it.
And a lot of them are saying, look the the House, America wants divided government. But in reality, they lost seats in the House and for the numbers they have, it’s a product of gerrymandering. Democrats in total House votes received more than Republicans did. Republicans lost on every front, but somehow, still, it’s not their fault and there is nothing wrong with them.
It’s hard to find a soul where there never was one.
The GOP lost due to their own arrogance.