Now that the election is over, I feel it’s necessary to offer my advice and support to my other, Conservative half. You see, as a registered Independent, I don’t necessarily identify with either major political party. Both parties are a joke and not so different from each other ideologically. I cannot in good conscience support a party filled with a history of racism and continued racist rhetoric at core of their platform. At the same time, disillusioned liberals and progressives are just as bad; using individualism to essentially lower societies collective standard by making everything politically correct and abandoning any resemblance of a moral and ethical society. Not to play Monday morning quarterback to why Romney lost, but the 2012 Presidential election was decisive and American progressivism can go too far. Thus I feel obligated to console my Conservative half…
First, Republicans need candidates who understand that we are living in the 21st century. The modern Republican Party is too old, too white, and too male. I watched the Republican National Convention, and it doesn’t matter how many times you bring out Sen. Rubio, Gov. Jindal, and Ann Romney, nobody is buying Republicans as a diverse party, not dominated by old, rich white guys. Mia Love and Allen West, also the two major Black candidates who spoke at convention, both lost in their bid for election to Congress, so clearly they are not cutting it as your token Black Republicans. Both Love and West are either disillusioned or completely ignorant about widespread racism within the party. I don’t understand how either could speak to the nation and the people watching and fail to even acknowledge the history of racism within the Republican Party, although it’s nice to know how your parents taught you that if you work hard, no matter what you, could achieve your dreams in America. Even Condoleezza Rice should be ashamed of herself; you’re going to stand up there and talk about how great the Republican Party is and what it can do for us, and you don’t even mention that the party has used racism and the Southern Strategy to diminish the Black vote and win elections since 1964? That the reason your parents couldn’t take you as a child to movie theaters and public restrooms with everyone else is because of people of the same racist ideals of Republicans? Sorry, but nobody believes you…
To win elections today, Republicans need to reassess their platform and their base constituency. Their suggestions on abortion and immigration, in particular, need extensive work in order to make them relevant politically again. Overturning Roe v Wade (1973) is not a successful strategy and will not be popular among the majority of people in the country; time to come up with something else. Today’s society is far too liberal and lacking morals on issues of sexuality to ever turn its back on abortion. Protect women’s rights, but the abortion issue is a fight that Republicans can no longer win.
Yet, traditional marriage is a fight that Republicans completely gave up on during the 2012 election. The morals and values of the new progressive America is disgusting, and here is where Republicans, if they would stop being sexual hypocrites, can reverse the societal trend. No more Bible and religious doctrine in schools, Ten Commandments gone from government and public buildings, and stores are afraid to call December 25th Christmas for fear of offending some religious sect: enter Republicans! The soul of America is up for grabs and this is one battle that I believe Conservatives can win, if for no other reason that Progressives don’t really believe in anything at all.
Republicans can come up with a strategy on immigration that aligns with conservative values and gains support by a large percent of the country. Now that poor whites are growing and missing work, it’s much easier to suggest strict immigration reform and the law in Arizona is considered to be popular, since many states have taken similar steps. Even Blacks can agree to some level of border control and immigration reform that limits illegal immigrants. Come up with a strategy that rewards those who attempt to be U.S. citizens the right way, and punish those who attempt to illegally cross the U.S. border. Make the process easier to understand, but that doesn’t mean we should throw our border and national security policy out the window. Most Americans will be able to understand that…
The drug war is another area where the conservative message can be made viable once again. In particular, marijuana legislation plays into libertarian sect of the Republican Party and young voters. It was popular in swing states and is sure to spread as its economic advantages are more clearly identified. Republicans should emphasize its economic advantages and links to limited government and libertarian ideas. It has its economic benefits that can be used to earn revenue for states and the national economy, health benefits that brings additional advantages, and it can be argued, that just like alcohol and cigarettes, let rational thinking adults make up their own mind with what they want to put into their bodies. Tea Party? No?
The fact that 49% of American’s are on some government assistance (29% in Reagan years (1980)) means that the strategy of denouncing those citizens as entitled, lazy, government-dependent Americans is no longer sufficient. Many of those Americans are old and young white voters, either relying on the system they invested in for retirement, or using financial aid to get through college to be America’s next generation. Have suggestions to get Americans back to work, but you’ve essentially cut-off half of the population based on your perception of them as victims who believe the government owes them stuff. Don’t question the other side’s patriotism or tell us the world as we know it is ending and you’re petitioning to secede or move to Australia; it’s offensive. If after every election, the losers threaten secession or to move to Canada, just how valuable and legitimate can democracy be?
Fox News, although good news source, does not help the national prestige of the Republican Party. Newer, younger, voices within the party are needed. Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and their “end of the world” rhetoric at every loss is ridiculous. I know CNN and MSNBC are ultra-progressive, but we shouldn’t result to their biased tactics and one-sided facts – this is NOT objective news. The fact that you consistently beat them in ratings, except for election coverage, proves there is room and space for conservative values. But you can no longer only talk to yourselves on one cable network.
Stop with the birth certificate nonsense, denounce the idiocy of Donald Trump and others, and put together younger leadership with serious suggestions for modern America. Finally, I guess if you want my vote in 2016, run Gov. Chris Christie (NJ) or don’t even bother showing up…