It’s been almost 4 weeks, and the trauma of seeing President Obama re-elected for another 4 hours is mellowing. The absolute depression I felt with my conservative brethren is still strong, but we have mourned long enough, and most are coming back. How hard, how determined, and how pragmatic will vary in ways that remain to be seen. Journalist Bernard Goldberg wrote a few months back, if the Republicans lose the election to Obama, watch for an internal civil war within the GOP. I see it coming and I welcome it.
There are pundits, commentators, politicians, and conservative activists who point out two things. Either they say, “The GOP is too far to the right… They have alienated the young, the minorities, women and the Gays. The Republicans must come to the center and acknowledge that the culture has changed and they are too outdated and dogmatic in their conservative values”
Or,
A great deal of conservatives are saying, “The GOP has become wishy-washy-nice. The last two losers in general elections were good men, who did not fight for conservative principals. They were too centrist and instead of fighting liberals, they were trying to appease them and politely out-nice Obama.”
Most in the circles of conservatives I chat with in Mill Valley (There are far more than you might imagine) are more fiscal and militarily conservative than they are socially. Many I chat with are pro-choice on the red-hot topic of abortion, and most are supportive or agnostic to the idea of Gays marrying. I chatted with one fellow Mill Valley GOP’er not long after the election and it was his strong belief that we lost because we are not opening our hearts and minds to more LEGAL immigration. One can see what Bernie Goldberg was forecasting – an internal GOP Civil War.
Author and radio commentator host Dennis Prager was a supporter of Mitt Romney, yet for months before the election he was lamenting that Governor Romney was focusing too much on saving the country economically, and not including the profound benefits that conservative ideals contribute to our culture. Romney was not emphasizing how America would be strong, benevolent, and solvent with conservative principals. Instead, he became “A.B.O.” Anybody But Obama. The Republicans were not so much rooting FOR Romney, as they were rooting against Obama. It almost happened, but it never should have even been close.
The GOP was and is still lacking a conservative version of President Obama. (Not politically, but emotionally). The Republicans need a version of an eloquent, good-looking, young, ethnic, charming, Jesus Christ. There are a few candidates who may fill that roll, most notably Bobby Jindal, or Marco Rubio. Perhaps it’s one of these two, or it’s a young politician (Or community organizer) who we have yet to hear from on the national stage. Whoever it is, they’d better soon start to make their move. If they don’t we might just slide from one brain dead liberal (Obama) to another (Hilary) in 2016.
