Remember the Lessons from 2008

I sat down and wrote these thoughts two days after the 2008 election. Instead of putting out fires, the following are my ideas to address the root causes of the election failures- and how to move forward.

I. Reasons we lost.

1. We allowed the Democrats to pick our candidate.
a. through cross party voting.
b. By allowing the media to elevate one candidate over another
c. Our Candidate was
i. a weak conservative.
ii. not inspiring
iii. too bi-partisan

2. We (Republicans)didn’t back our Candidate soon enough.
-we were gaining momentum the last 2 months before the election, but it wasn’t enough to over come the Democrats early voting trends.
3. We didn’t exploit our opportunities.
a. make issue of their hatred for anyone who disagrees with them
b. We were afraid of being stigmatized. Because Obama was black, we tended to walk on egg-shells.
c. We played “nice”. This was McCain’s decision, but again he wasn’t inspiring until he brought Palin to the ticket.
d. we didn’t use the media bias in our favor.
e. We didn’t use the Democrats racism to illustrate their hypocrisy.
4. We didn’t play to our strengths.
(we let the Democrats set the agenda- we were forever playing catch up, we were on the Defensive)
a. Correct ideas on families and family values.
b. Correct ideas on fiscal responsibility
c. We are the more (most) compassionate Party.
5. We didn’t challenge the Media on their bias.
a. we continued to treat them professionally, when they performed their duties unprofessionally.
b. When they became part of the Obama campaign (documented 6 months out- but we already knew it) we continued to treat them as unbiased.
c. We didn’t expose their personal flaws when they stigmatized ours.

Had we mittigated these issues, our Party would’ve won the election. If we do this NOW, we will will the next two election cycles.

II. Solutions to Consider

1. Stop the party-crossing to vote for your opponents weaker candidate.
a. stop last minute (same day) registrations
b. If a person changes party’s in the primary, then that
ballot becomes an automatic vote for that candidate in the General election. (this is a hard one, but something to introduce into the discussion).

2. Make Issue of the Democrats’ Bias’s
a. Label them as “Haters” or some other accurate deliniation. The more they discuss the issue, the more evident it becomes the label is true.
b. Make issue of their “Anti-Democracy” practices: Black Panther poll workers, ACORN associations, using union thugs to assault old people, Sheila Jackson Lee ignoring constituent by talking on her cell phone, union thugs using the “N-word” while beating a black conservative, Democrats using the term “Teabagger” to describe their constituents, Pete Stark informing a constituent that he “isn’t worth the urine it would take to pee on your leg”, of course just about anything from Alan Grayson. . .
c. Make issue of public workers and elected Representatives who “tweak” the voting process to strengthen Democrat results, or diminish Republican results. Situations such as inequities at polls.
d. Make public bad-guys of these biased poll workers.
{this will take capital, I realize. Can you imagine radio spots identifying these issues? Then finishing with a statement like “we are the Republican Party, we don’t think this is how America is supposed to work”}

3. When we are threatened or physically attacked by Democrats; exploit the opportunity.
a.Have another Joe the Plumber say “I am not intimidated”.
b. Make local and state Democrats in the states where these thing happen “Bad guys”.

4. Identify, polish, and support Party leaders.
a. Both introverts to become familiar with issues and develop the positions we can support from the Party Platform and Extroverts to represent them to the public.
b. Stop using sound-bites. The fact that we are the party that “thinks” is our brand strength. Go out of the way to be clear, give an illustration, bring it to its logical conclussion. (Remember Reagan explain why he wasn’t a bigot? Taking the college team to his parents home because a hotel wouldn’t let one black player sleep in the hotel? That shut down the racist charge instantly).

5. Challenge the Medias Bias. Shame them when they incorporate it into their posture and ask questions, (ie: John Ziegler infuriated Contessa Brewer for incorporating her bias into his answers. Also remember Bush 41 asking Dan Rather if he wanted his career judged on 3 minutes of dead air time). This will force them to lose their tempers or become more cautious about allowing their bias’s into their profession.
a. If they attack a Republican, answer their questions with the question “where were you when ? OR: Why would you ask me that question when you wouldn’t ask a Democrat something just as damaging,{ie: what did Corrine Brown mean when she said to a latino “you all look alike to me?”}.

6. Expect, and communicate the expectation; that GOP Representatives represent the people of their home Districts. The moment they show symptoms of Potomac Fever, they get feedback from their constituents. This year’s Tea Party movement was an example. We would not have had to resort to such drastic measures if we’d been systematically delivering that feedback.

7.Galvanize and motive a humbled base. Recruit them early, and give them tasks and responsibilities. It’s their Republican Party: they hire politicians to represent them.
a. Find and inspire collegiate-aged voters. They have enormous amounts of energy and enthusiam. When you reach them early, they become your most loyal constituency.
b. Recruit young minorities.
i. formulate connections between them and the collegiate-aged Republicans.
ii. Create inner-city tutors. Help minorities achive the grades they need to become competitive. The problem is their schools aren’t effective. Send tutors to places like community centers to tutor. Give the volunteers shirts (polo/t-shirts) that Identify them as Young Republicans, or whatever group they belong: as long as it specifies Republican. This group can actually have car washes etc. to finance these.
c. Never-ever, critisize a Republican publically. All internal matters are private, family affairs.

8. Re-establish and defend our Brand-strengths: bi-partisanship is not the answer. it makes us look like “Democrat-light”.

9. Advertise our good people.
If there are 55 million Republicans and 1/3 are active in their communities, (ie Big Brother/Sister, Benevolence Workers, Volunteers, SUnday school teachers). Something in the vein of “I am the NRA or I’m Joe the Plumber”
i. A brief advertisement of of their service and who they are.
ii. Awards ceremony where the media is invited: identify the winners as “Republican
Award” winners .
iii. Sunday School teachers, RIF counselors, Homeless Shelter workers, etcetera. . .

10. Understand the Majority of the Media workers are not our friends.
a. they posture as friendly, then betray that trust when they report
b. they consistently are not fair, nor balanced. This would include the majorityof
the local media. Know your friends, and really know your enemies..

11. Understand that Democrats are NOT our friends.
The last administration tried to create a peace. The Dems took what they could, then bit
like a rabid dog (same thing with Reagan).

12. Obama’s liberal agenda is NOT to be cooperated with. His party has a clear majority in both houses. Let them hang themselves: by themselves. He’s a socialist, and should be branded as a socialist. (Wow, this was written before he was even President. Was I right, or what!?).

13. 2010 & 2012 began the day after the 2008 election!
a. ramp up and staff up.
b. Develop a sense of urgency right now.

III. Join the Republican Party.

1. Find where your strengths can be most effective
and participate.

2. Support you local leadership. Believe me; they know
things need to change. Local elections bare that to
be true.

3. Find the lowliest position that matches your
strengths: this will help your party immeasurably.

4. Support your Party! Make it strong, then you can
bring your concerns to the table. You gotta give
before you can get.

Granted, you may see some emotion in this verbiage, but we’d just come off an election that we should’ve won- based on ideas alone. If our party will stick to it’s platform; it will win elections consistently.