The Airing of Election Grievances

You may be feeling angry or saddened for our country.  But whom to blame?  Here's my starter list:

1. Blame Mitt Romney, but not too much.  He was a flawed candidate and made some strategic errors.  Mostly, I'm struck by how much more aggressive he was in the Republican primary than in the general election.  But every candidate is flawed, and Romney's clean-living background and stellar qualifications are as good as any you'll find.
2. Blame the ABC/CBS/NBC/CNN/NYT/WaPo media, then move on.  They are despicably corrupt, mostly because they choose to ignore or misrepresent so much of the news.  But that won't change until they die like the dinosaurs.  Turn them off, get your news elsewhere, and  deal with it.
3. Blame the lying, corrupt, juvenile, America-remaking modern Dem party, then move on.  This is who they are.  Their aim is to win elections, just like ours.  But they're willing to do or say anything to get there, while most of us are constrained by God or morality.  Deal with it.
4. Blame George W. Bush.  I liked many of his policies, but Barack Obama is his legacy.
5. Blame Chris Christie, and let his name never again be uttered in conservative circles.  No money to his 2013 New Jersey reelection campaign.  No money for his presidential run in 2016.  I don't care why he did those post-Sandy photo ops with Obama; they were a momentum killer and possibly the back-breaker to Romney's chances.  He knew what he was doing, and he is a traitor.  Throw him in the heap with Michael Bloomberg and Charlie Crist.
6. While you're at it, blame Colin Powell.  His relevance is fading, but his last-minute endorsement of Obama was turned into TV commercials that blared through my television and surely made some difference.  Remember that this guy could've -- would've -- been a REPUBLICAN president if he had run in 2000.
7. Blame the GOP for putting forward retread candidates (McCain in 2008, Romney,  George Allen in Virginia, Tommy Thompson in Wisconsin, etc.).
8. For failing to win the Senate, blame conservative candidates who self-immolated, like Todd Akin,  Richard Mourdock and (six years ago) George Allen.
9. Blame our fellow citizens. The sad fact is that if EVERY citizen voted, then Obama's margin of victory would've been higher.  The less informed a citizen is, the more he likes modern Dems and Dem policies, since they sound compassionate and caring to the uninformed.  Many Americans are ignorant of our country's history, the actions and beliefs of our leaders, and of Americans' rights and duties as citizens of a free society.
10. Blame our fellow citizens (part 2).  Many Americans want free stuff.  There's nothing we can do about that. Like a junkie on drugs, many Americans will keep demanding more stuff, even when it's taken from someone else's pocket.  These "gimme gimme" Americans will keep voting for those who promise to give them stuff -- until our country can no longer give it to them.  At that point, they'll throw rocks, as they do now in Greece.  Then maybe they'll wake up.
11. Blame ourselves.  What?? You may've worked really hard in this election; I did too.  But we must stop allowing ourselves to be pigeonholed as a white-guy-focused (WGF) party.  I know that's a lie, but it is the national narrative, and numbers bear it out.  So what can YOU do?

• engage and promote qualified non-WGF politicians.  These folks, when they step up, are HUGE targets for the Left.  We need to promote such candidates in "safe" Republican districts where the Dems can't assail them.  For example, David Valadao and Ted Cruz were just elected last night.  But we also need to support  qualified non-WGF politicians in contested jurisdictions (like Luis Fortuno, Susana Martinez, and Brian Sandoval).  These folks face merciless opposition.  For example, rising star Mia Love and first-term congressman Allen West were both defeated last night, after huge amounts of out-of-state money were spent in their congressional races.  
• engage and promote non-WGF members of the new media -- bloggers, Facebookers, news aggregators, twitter operators, webcasters, etc.  Here're the Twitter handles for four good ones: @michellemalkin, @soopermexican, @newsninja2012 (Wayne DuPree), and @starparker. 
• start or support efforts to communicate conservative beliefs and values to non-WGF communities.
• learn Spanish (no, really).  It's useful and a great way to build bridges to America's second largest non-WGF community (women are the largest).  

Aftermath

Five thoughts in quick reflection on this devastating election loss.

First, modern conservatives -- as presently constituted -- are incapable of winning  national elections.  We conservatives have relied on a three-part coalition for years: social cons,  low-tax-and-spend cons, and national defense cons.  But that coalition can't get it done anymore, at least not with a white male candidate and poor messaging.  Democrats have won four of the last six presidential elections, and the two won by Republicans were by far the closest of those six.  Every election, conservatives have to write off hugely populated California and New York -- and only two of the eleven most populous states are "safe" Republican states.  By contrast, six are safe for Democrats.

Please don't fool yourself into thinking, "We'll win if we get our base to the polls!"  That America is past, for now.  The old coalition can no longer win for at least two reasons:

• The demography of America has changed.  A rapidly increasing percentage of Americans are non-white.  Further, single women now outnumber married women.  We are not only racially and gender-diverse but also, unfortunately, race- and gender-balkanized.  Conservatives must engage these changes -- not by watering down our beliefs but by learning to communicate them to a different America.
• The character of Americans has changed.  Americans increasingly feel entitled to the goods that government can provide, even at the expense of others.  Frankly, I'm not sure what can be done about this, short of America hitting rock-bottom.  Also, an increasing percentage of Americans claim no religion.  Out-of-wedlock births are skyrocketing.  And Americans' views of morality are far more licentious than they used to be.  Only God can change hearts.

Second, the presidency of George W. Bush was in some ways a failure.  Not because of terrible policies, but rather because he allowed his legacy to be as the chief foil in  Barack Obama's two successful campaigns.  Bush must share some blame for the disastrous legacy of Obama.

Third, let the name of Chris Christie never again be uttered in Republican circles.  No money to his 2013 New Jersey reelection campaign.  No money for his presidential run in 2016.  I don't care why he did those post-Sandy photo ops with Obama; they were a momentum killer and possibly the back-breaker to Romney's chances.  He knew what he was doing, and he is a traitor.  Throw him in the heap with Michael Bloomberg and Charlie Crist.

Fourth, the U.S. House of Representatives is our only bulwark against the aggressive liberalism of a second-term Obama.  Our Representatives must investigate corruption and oppose bad policy at every turn.  Get your Congressman on speed dial!

Fifth, let the rebuilding of conservatism begin.  We should begin where the Democrats have lived for generations -- in media and education.  The Internet is ours to seize.  And while the traditional educational system is lost to liberals, we can become citizen-educators who communicate conservative principles to people who have not traditionally considered them.  This will be a lengthy process, but now is a great time to start.  Now is the time for ideas -- what have we got to lose?

Sixth, let the rebuilding of the Republican party begin.  Who will be the GOP's new standard-bearer?  Kelly Ayotte, Ted Cruz, Luis Fortuno, Nikki Haley, Bobby Jindal, Susana Martinez, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Marco Rubio, or Brian Sandoval.  Maybe Condi Rice if she has a change of heart.  Maybe Tim Scott once he becomes more seasoned.  Sorry, Paul Ryan, Rand Paul, Mike Pence, and John Thune, but you cannot be the face of a national Republican party right now.  My vote is for Jindal or Martinez -- two governors -- with a strong edge to Jindal.  But Cruz could be a superstar.

A closing, sad thought:

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
--MLK

Alas, that dream has not come true, and I don't think we will for quite awhile.

God bless, friends.  Thanks for reading.

A final burst of motivation and perspective

Just a few days to go in this ordeal.  I'm optimistic about a Romney win, but God is in control regardless.  As we approach that day, let these words of God encourage you.


The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD;
he turns it wherever he will.
(Proverbs 21:1 ESV)


Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
(Colossians 3:23-24 ESV)


When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

(2 Chronicles 7:13-14 ESV)


And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
(Romans 8:28 ESV)