They lose and immediately the chorus begins. Republicans must change or die. A rump party of white America, it must adapt to evolving demographics or forever be the minority.
The only part of this that is even partially true regards Hispanics. They should be a natural Republican constituency: striving immigrant community, religious, Catholic, family-oriented and socially conservative — on abortion, for example.
The principal reason they go Democratic is the issue of illegal immigrants. In securing the Republican nomination, Mitt Romney made the strategic error of — unnecessarily — going to the right of Rick Perry. Romney could never successfully tack back.
For the party in general, however, the problem is hardly structural. It requires but a single policy change: Border fence plus amnesty. Yes, amnesty. Use the word. Shock and awe — full legal normalization, just short of citizenship, in return for full border enforcement.
I’ve always been of the “enforcement first” school, with the subsequent promise of legalization. I still think it’s the better policy. But many Hispanics fear that there will be nothing beyond enforcement. So, promise amnesty right up front. Secure the border with guaranteed legalization to follow on the day the four border-state governors affirm that illegal immigration has slowed to a trickle.
Imagine Marco Rubio advancing such a policy on the road to 2016. It would transform the landscape. He’d win the Hispanic vote. Yes, win it. A problem fixable with a single policy initiative is not structural. It is solvable.
The other part of the current lament is that the Republican Party consistently trails among blacks, young people and unmarried women — Republicans are plus-7 among married women. But this is not for reasons of culture, identity or even affinity. It is because these constituencies tend to be more politically liberal — and Republicans are the conservative party.
The country doesn’t need two liberal parties. Yes, Republicans need to weed out candidates who talk like morons about rape. But this doesn’t mean the country needs two pro-choice parties either. In fact, more women are pro-life than are pro-choice. The problem here for Republicans is not policy but delicacy — speaking about culturally sensitive and philosophically complex issues with reflection and prudence.
Additionally, warn the doomsayers, Republicans must change not just ethnically but ideologically. Back to the center. Moderation above all.
More nonsense. Tuesday’s exit polls showed that by an eight-point margin (51-43), Americans believe that government does too much. And Republicans are the party of smaller government. Moreover, onrushing economic exigencies — crushing debt, unsustainable entitlements — will make the argument for smaller government increasingly unassailable.
So, why give it up? Republicans lost the election not because they advanced a bad argument but because they advanced a good argument not well enough. Romney ran a solid campaign, but he is by nature a Northeastern moderate. He sincerely adopted the new conservatism but still spoke it as a second language.
More Ford ’76 than Reagan ’80, Romney is a transitional figure, both generationally and ideologically. Behind him, the party has an extraordinarily strong bench. In Congress — Paul Ryan, Marco Rubio, Kelly Ayotte, (the incoming) Ted Cruz and others. And the governors — Bobby Jindal, Scott Walker, Nikki Haley, plus former governor Jeb Bush and the soon retiring Mitch Daniels. (Chris Christie is currently in rehab.)
They were all either a little too young or just not personally prepared to run in 2012. No longer. There may not be a Reagan among them, but this generation of rising leaders is philosophically rooted and politically fluent in the new constitutional conservatism.
Ignore the trimmers. There’s no need for radical change. The other party thinks it owns the demographic future — counter that in one stroke by fixing the Latino problem. Do not, however, abandon the party’s philosophical anchor. In a world where European social democracy is imploding before our eyes, the party of smaller, more modernized government owns the ideological future.
Romney is a good man who made the best argument he could, and nearly won. He would have made a superb chief executive, but he (like the Clinton machine) could not match Barack Obama in the darker arts of public persuasion.
The answer to Romney’s failure is not retreat, not aping the Democrats’ patchwork pandering. It is to make the case for restrained, rationalized and reformed government in stark contradistinction to Obama’s increasingly unsustainable big-spending, big-government paternalism.
Republicans: No whimpering. No whining. No reinvention when none is needed. Do conservatism, but do it better. There’s a whole generation of leaders ready to do just that.
Charles Krauthammer is a columnist for The Washington Post. Readers may contact him at letters@charleskrauthammer.com.
Sorry, Charlie, we only take tuna that tastes good. We showed that on Tuesday.
There are other right wing pundits who do a far better job at looking at the failures of the republican party. Sorry Charlie, you are not even close.
Charles just doesn’t seem to get it. He was probably on Fox news election night, sure Romney would win. It is called the echo chamber over on that station for a reason.
Jon Stewart says it best about Fox News, “There was a landside on B*ll Sh** Mountain” election night.
Republicans need to admit that the only reason that they are pro- choice , anti-gay is to get the Christian vote. If they just admit that the only thing that they will stand up for is lower taxes, then they will get more of the other vote. Christians, then can decide which party actually advances Christian values.
Absolutely Mr Krauthammer, Republicans who have always been about free will and self determination can do no less than support legal immigration and yes amnesty. Immigrants are natural allies for Republicans. They work hard, are smart and despite caricatures to the contrary are confused by government handouts.
So where these reasoned calls for immigration reform and amnesty a year ago? You’ve let the Tea Party lunatics ruin your party.
Actually if you were paying attention I said this very thing a couple years ago and have repeated it from time to time.
From time to time, in between the far more common time to times of screeching about socialism and calling people entitled. That’s why this election was a massive loss for Republicans. Too busy with hyperbolic criticisms of others instead of even the most minimal amount of time spent on getting your own ducks in a row.
The “ducks” you refer to are people.
No, they’re not. You screech about made up socialist policies. you screech about made up voter fraud, you screech about made up this and that and you still think you’re in the right. You create your own reality where you’re always the hero and everyone else is always the bad guy — it’s ridiculous. You had your behinds handed to you in this election — lost the Presidency, lost the Senate and lost the majority of the House vote and yet, you’re still blaming Democrats. So much for that “personal responsibility” schtick, right?
Gosh. I don’t recall having Screeched” about any of those things you mentioned.
Yeah, whatever you say. Just operate in your little bubble — that’s what made you believe we had to practice saying “President Romney” right? Your judgments are always so spot on!
You take things way too personal.
Whatever, just another dodge from you. I don’t want to hear complaints about how crushing Obamacare is when those complaints are coming from those sitting on a quarter billion dollars.
Like I said earlier, it’s this disconnect from reality that caused this huge defeat for Republicans. It’s just hyperbole, hyperbole, hyperbole from you guys — America woke up and they’re not going to believe you when you keep crying wolf.
The results of Obamacares speak for themselves. It has already cost jobs and will cost even more. It will drive up healthcare costs, making a two tier healthcare system where we all get a form of medicaid and the rich will get the very best. There will be no middle ground. The cost of private paid add-ons will be driven up so much as government tries to cut costs it will be neigh impossible for most middle class people to afford. You will have your wish…. we will all be the same. Except the very wealthy and they will have it all and your kind would have given it to them.
Call it hyperbole all you want. You are unable to inoculate yourselves from getting what you asked for.
You have!
Yes, and the Latinos and others who work hard and voted for Obama are very much people who are smart and figured out things for themselves. They saw things very clearly.
This clown does not have a clue. He thinks if Marco Rubio talks about amnesty then all the Latinos will come running. This is like they called blacks the N words and then all of a sudden they say we’re not going to do that anymore and the R’s expect the blacks would come running to them, what planet does this guy come from? Now the next big idea for getting the women to the R’s side is to handle the pro-life discussion more delicately. I guess discussing vaginal probes, stating rape is no excuse for abortion or employers should have the right to not provide birth control in employer provided insurance wasn’t quite delicate enough.
Forget it Charlie you and the R’s don’t have a clue.
Strong bench for the Rs? Hardly. Apparently, he’s an ultra-conservative who gave up on Christie just because he didn’t condemn Obama during the storm aftermath. How petty. As for some of the others, Jindal and Walker are jokes, not so sure about Haley, and we definitely don’t need another Bush (although Jeb has the chance of being considerably better than GW.
Walker is not just a joke but a real joke ! He barely survived a re-call (and is now making dammed sure that he’s VERY careful when ever he opens his mouth about the State’s workforce) and goes out of his way to avoid talking about collective barginning. Kaisch in Ohio is right behind Walker, and has a State-wide referendum overturning his collective barginning ban on his record to boot, and made very sure that he was no where near any political event’s in the recent election. Hailey is running from the press anytime that nasty little ‘secret’, that’s now a South Carolina-wide joke, comes around about her owning a majority share of the SC BC/BS and how she’s profiting by raising premium rate’s and then ordering her own State Insurance Commissioner to let them stand to increase ‘competition’ (Please, someone find me a bucket ! ) and then turns around and is complaining about how the ACA is gonna hurt SC resident’s. Who’s she kidding ? The ACA is gonna force BC/BS to actually justify it’s rates (Maine BC/BS, are you folks listening ?) and to have to face real competition. Hailey’s scam is now at an end and the press knows it.
Maine’s lucky. We got LePage and even he can read the political tea leaves. His AG going to DC and crying to the Supreme Court about the ACA, and losing, was a serious smacking that could not be ignored. The fact that he had the same AG go and try to politically intimidate the Federal Appeals Court in Boston over the Medicaid program is just another sign of how desperate the GOP is overall to try and make a name for itself. Problem is the name it wants is so far beyond it ability to build, much less sustain, that it’s going to be long time before the GOP can make a run at the voter’s with anythng that is going to get any serious attention paid. Charlie Webster is getting out and the reason’s are all to clear as far as the Maine GOP is concerned. Question is when is anyone with some serious’y new, and actually practical, idea’s that can benefit Maine step up ? Now, more than ever, is a moderate GOP needed……………
That behavior of some conservatives who berated (and worse) Christie for just being himself and showing gratitude for help for his state in dire circumstances just shows, even more clearly, the lack of character and integrity of those who gave up on Christie for that reason.
Mr Charlie what this country needs is two parties that focus on issues of state and stay out of
social issues that they know nothing about.
I love the “More nonsense” paragraph. He points to R issues that are winners–and they are–while COMPLETELY ignoring the nutty, churchy base that has metastasized into everything and turned any of our issues into losers.
Thank you for proving I was right. Republicans have no idea why they lost the elections and you prove my point. Illegal aliens, Gays, Pot, and tax cuts for the rich. We heard you, we listened to your arguments and rejected them.
Making shiny presentations of greed, bigotry, and bigger government only for 99% while letting the rich run uncontrolled is not selling anyone.
My dream is a Ryan Palin ticket for 2016. Explain that to the public.
I know why we lost. I think the bigger issue is do you know what exactly you won?
Yes, I know exactly what we won: the repudiation of the Republicans anti-black, anti-brown, anti-yellow, anti-gay,anti-women, anti-poor, anti-disabled, anti-middle class, anti-cooperation, anti-compassion crap that talk radio has been spewing forth for 20 years in support of a white, rich, male only run world.
We won the right to challenge idiots like McConnell and his merry band of obstructionist. We won the right to laugh at Rove and his billionaires that couldn’t buy an election with money and lies. We won the right to believe in a diverse, complex, compassionate, intelligent country without having conservative mental midgets like Limbaugh, Breitbart, Beck and Hannity et al. spew ugly lies about our beliefs, our country and our friends.
Yep, nice feeling to have slain that nasty, lying me first, me only, I got mine Jack conservative monster and get back to the concept that the Constitution states so big and so clearly in its first three words “WE THE PEOPLE”
Those mental midgets seem even more angry and apolectic these days! They got what they derseved, shoveling out all that bile , bigotry and nastiness for so long. It came back in their face. It was inevitable. Most people would not buy into their horrid version of things.
“Tuesday’s exit polls showed that by an eight-point margin (51-43), Americans believe that government does too much. ”
That doesn’t translate to support for the Republican party though. America recognized that Republicans use this small government meme when it’s convenient, but it’s not actually a principled position — hence the one of the few details of Romney’s budget that he’d actually share was a huge increase in Defense spending. That’s limited government? “Show me your papers” laws are limited government? Restricting voting is limited? Etc. We know it’s a lie.
Try doing some REAL reflection. Peppering a little immigration reform on your nonsense positions isn’t going to be enough.
“Illegal immigrant” is an oxymoron; the better term would be “illegal alien criminal”. No one wants to hear that in either party. Some wait in their country until they are allowed to move to the US and begin the long path to citizenship and are proud to become an American. Others, the illegal alien criminals, find a way to get into the US illegally—then they want the same status as those who came legally by waiting their turn. Should politicians pander to those who would support them because of their stance on the question about what to do with those already here?
The Republican party should not change its stance on releasing the strangle hold of those who lean towards big government with socialistic policies. The federal government was never intended to be in charge of the lives of its citizens. Eventually, the pendulum will swing back; citizens will howl when they realize the hand-outs need to stop because there is nothing left to give. Hopefully, it will not be too late for this country.
Charles, you are almost right on.
The Republican Neocons created the biggest nanny government in history. Obama’s stimulus pales in comparison to Bush’s corporate bailouts (socialistic policies).
Also, look up the definition of ‘oxymoron’
Perhaps it is you who needs to look up the definition of an oxymoron—I know what it means and used the term correctly.
The biggest nanny party is the democrats with members like Hillary Clinton who spout the government knows what you want and we will give it to you. Sorry, YOU and Clinton are not responsible for my life and expenditures, I am. I work and decide where my own money goes. Other than national security and infrastructure, the federal government has become the most intrusive under the rule of the democrats. People need to get a grip on taking responsibility for themselves.
While you ponder these words, take a look at the definition of oxymoron and apply the correct logic to my statement.
Clearly Charlie does not get it. The Republican party is essentially fine and does not need to change? What color is the sky on his planet, I wonder?
It’s called an alternate universe.
It’s people like Krauthammer and Fox News that lost the election for Republicans. They whip up conspiracy theories and latch onto talking points which they force each other to repeat and regurgitate. For example, where do you think Romney got that wildly misleading 47% number from?
But hey, you get what you deserve and you’re going to keep getting it until you take stock of what you’re doing. Judging from this piece, it’s still apparently the Democrats’ fault according to the right.
It is impossible to secure either border.
And had the job safety, job security, agricultural and environmental side bars on the trade agreements been mandatory instead of suggested Mexicans would have stayed home and worked, their agricultural base wouldn’t have been destroyed, the population of desperately poor wouldn’t have increased. turned to drugs to support themselves and/or come to the US for work and there would have been no need for the fence and army of guards.
What we have done is subsidized corporations. They profited from their poor labor and environmental practices in Latino countries and we, through our government pay for the consequences of their bad behavior.
I don’t think that is quite true…there’s just no political will to do it.
“So, why give it up? Republicans lost the election not because they advanced a bad argument but because they advanced a good argument not well enough. ”
Sure the anti-minority, anti-women, anti-gay, anti-47%, pro-christian only family values, pro-money as the only measure of worth was a glorious argument. You just need to ‘splain it to more people and they will instantly understand that Republicans are intelligent and inclusive and compassionate and really, really , really have your best interests deep in their hearts.
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight !!!
They think their stupid policies rebranded plus some amnesty sprinkled on top will do the trick. They’re so far gone from reality — it’s a joke at this point.
I’ve been hearing that all week. “We just didn’t get our message out right.” Seriously? I think it came out loud and clear.
“Border fence plus amnesty. ” Ronald Reagan’s fix. I would support border fence plus actual citizenship if it would ever happen.
Strange that he chooses not to address all of his failed predictions from last week. Then again that would be in keeping with his party of no accountability.
The republican party is doing just fine,, Unless of course you think lying to the american people like the liberals do is progress.. Repubs have always supported all demographics, It the Liberals lies that have confused you into beiieving differently.. No the repubs need to continue in the same direction and continue to be honest about the affairs of the State.
Liberals capitialized on the emotional end of things…
Answer me this, what does women voting with you bodies mean.. Repubs have no issues with women. Repubs believe in and respect women,
unlike liberals who are always telling women how they are not equal to men. Prove it to be different. liberals are always telling their followers what to think.. look at the ads that were out there for the liberals,
I’ll stick to being a teaparty Democratic and vote republican.
Mike running for congress stating he wants the military to buy shoes in Maine, The way he put it would lead you to assume that Raye didn’t. Which is not true. 10 years of mike and now he is concerned? Liberals have learned to make you assume something without saying it. Maine people as you can tell by the election have a half empty bag of marbles to play with.
Lost the Presidency, lost the Senate, lost the total amount of House votes — that’s just fine?