Republicans have lost most of the gains Bush made with Hispanic voters.

Bobby Jindal and Newt Gingrich will stop by “Face the Nation” to lay out their vision for GOP.

In his first interview post-election, Ayers accused GOP of promoting a “dishonest narrative.”  

He doesn't have the ability to work with Congress that Obama needs. See also: Gingrich: GOP outmatched

In her speech, Palin talked only briefly about energy and health care; much of her policy discussion centered on vague mentions of “reform.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is widely regarded as one of the Republican Party's future leaders. He says his party has to attract new voters, including women, Hispanics and blacks, while staying true to its core values. He says the GOP has to reach out to "Sam's Club voters" — people who are focused on bread-and-butter issues.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Gathering in Miami a week after their party's worst election defeat in decades, Republican governors are trying to figure out what went wrong and how their party can regain its footing. Louisiana's Bobby Jindal says the GOP needs to get back to the basics of fiscal conservatism.

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

There's a move in party for next RNC chair to come from RNC.

hi

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

The Republican Governors Association begins its annual meeting in Miami on Wednesday. Members will assess what happened in the elections. It's been a long time since they've had to review an Election Day as bad for their party as the recent one. What direction will the party take after the significant losses in last week's elections?

» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

George Stephanopoulos discusses whether the governor is the future of the GOP.

She says they lost because they 'represented too much of the status quo.' See also: Palin to appear at RGA

Obama dramatically scaled back the GOP's margin of victory in many up-and-coming counties.

Two potential candidates will make appearances next week at the Republican Governor’s Association- almost certainly including Sarah Palin.

He could dull his victory if he campaigns against the Georgia GOP. See also: McCain for Chambliss

Outgoing Conn. GOP Congressman Shays, a moderate, said he is interested in directing the Peace Corps.

Former and current GOP leaders say the party must re-embrace its small government roots while striving to embrace the reform mantle.

George Stephanopoulos talks about the Republican Party after the election.

Obama defeated McCain in the presidential race, but Dems seem short of their coveted 60-vote majority.

Filed under: BlackSpin, Elections, News

Many conservatives felt that if Senator Barack Obama defeated Senator John McCain on November 4, there will be a lot of changes within the country.

A lot of deep, painful changes.

Now that we have formally ushered in the phrase "President-elect Barack Obama," many conservatives will now also usher in a new phrase into their political lexicon.

The End. ...



Namely, the Obama win has led to the end of the world as we know it.

Well, not necessarily the world that you're thinking of, but a particular world certainly is coming to an end. It's the one that the Republican Party has been living in for some time now.

President-elect Barack Obama's rise to power has been a testimony not to his decades-long tenure in public office to the country; (only four years ago, he was celebrating his victory as a new United States senator.) It has been an example of how to create a winning campaign that will resonate with the American voting base of the 21st century.

By uplifting an unknown candidate in 2004 to the presidency within 4 years, the Democrats have shown that there is a desire within America for voters to discover, engage, and work with their candidates of choice in a new fashion. Some of this is through new technology such as blogging, text messaging, online commercials, and online fundraising.

Other methods include doing things outside of the typical images and molds that we have cast for our politicians. After all, the last Democratic wunderkind to claim the White House (President Bill Clinton) was seen by America playing a saxophone on the then-popular "Arsenio Hall Show" in 1992. It shouldn't be a surprise that the president-elect was shooting ball with the UNC Tar Heels while on the campaign trail.

(He probably could have done better by hooping it up with Stephen Curry and the Davidson Wildcats, but I digress...)

The most that Republicans could do to "break the mold" was to appear several times on "Saturday Night Live," although much of that was a damage control effort to buffer the Tina Fey effect in this election.

So, did the 2008 election teach Republicans that America no longer buys the Republican message?

I would say no. Looking at the final numbers, the president-elect won crucial states through slim margins despite some forecast of big wins in those areas. States such as Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia turned from red to blue, albeit somewhat begrudgingly, as some larger leads dwindled away as Election Day moved on.

The Republicans lost this election because their message (a message, even with a marginal candidate such as 2-term President George W. Bush, plays well to an America best described as being center-right politically) was packaged by a wrapping that illustrated its worse tactical qualities and under-emphasized its benefits.

The Republicans did not just lose the presidential election. If local, state, and congressional races were any indication throughout the country (as it was here in North Carolina), the Republican Party may have lost its connection to the American people.

With a historic candidate now taking over the White House and congressional control for his party, it could be a long time coming before the GOP has a chance to reclaim a significant portion of new voters, minority voters, and disenchanted independent voters.

Of course, a good butt-kicking may be the best lesson for our party if we are serious about being relevant during the Obama Presidency.

In order for the Republican Party to recoup from November 4, we will have to begin reevaluating the way we articulate the Republican mantra to the American voting public. Gone are the days of scaring voters towards the GOP through ads about godlessness (ask Senator Elizabeth Dole if that had any effect in her race in North Carolina), speeches about "pro-American parts of the country" (ask Governor Palin if that gained enough votes in North Carolina), and forfeiting segments of the electorate because "they don't traditionally vote" (those lines did look awful long on Tuesday.)

Conservative messages resonate with American voters. Current conservative campaigning does not.

Conservative principles and practices transcend racial and gender demographics.
Current conservative exhibitions of racial insensitivity and lack of diversity translate into alienation from the media, new voters, and independent voters, at least in this election cycle.

Conservative imagery of fiscal responsibility, strong military strength, and sound pride in our domestic abilities and production make the Republican Party the one that held the White House for two-thirds of my young life. The conservative image presented by the GOP allowed Barack Obama to look more presidential in 2008, thus allowing the Democrats to garner the White House for the first time this century.

It may not take a Barack Obama-type figure in the GOP to reclaim past glory, but it will certainly take more message-, image-, and era-conscious conservatives to do so. Either we will do that or Republicans will continue to experience the end of the world as they knew it.

Talk about feeling blue.
____________________
Lenny McAllister is the Political Guru for Fox News - Charlotte and blogs the Republican side of the election for BlackVoices. He is a frequent contributor to The Charlotte Post and The North Carolina Conservative.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

---

SPONSORED BY: BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

GOP candidate congratulates President-Elect Barack Obama on a historic victory.