HARDAWAY: Lessons for the GOP to learn
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/nov/26/hardaway-lessons-gop-learn/
By Robert Hardaway
Published November 26, 2008 at 12:01 a.m
It should have been a slam-dunk for the Republicans in the 2008 presidential election. After all, the Democrats had inexplicably chosen as their nominee the least-qualified candidate in American history. Indeed, the only other candidate in American history to go directly from the Senate to the White House with neither gubernatorial nor military executive experience was Warren G. Harding, by consensus the worst president in American history. Moreover, Obama’s voting record in the Senate has also been rated as the most hard-left voting record in American history.
To lose to such a candidate required more than simple ineptitude. It required an almost pathological determination to lose.
And yet, it may yet prove of value to the Republican Party if it can learn the following lessons from its defeat:
First, if you are going to go against an obviously unqualified candidate, choose a candidate with substantial executive experience. Only a handful of candidates in American history have ever succeeded to the office of the presidency without at least some gubernatorial executive experience. The Republicans had their chance to choose Mitt Romney, who not only had experience as a governor, but also experience as a business leader and organizer of the Olympics. Romney also “walked the walk” on universal health care in Massachusetts, unlike Democrats who have traditionally only talked the talk.
Second, don’t reject a candidate because of his religion. Polls of Republicans expressed greater reservations over a Mormon candidate than an Islamic one.
Third, don’t choose a man in his 70s to go up against a candidate of youth, vigor, and charisma, especially when your own candidate also has no executive experience.
Fourth, don’t assume that independent voters will vote for the candidate who best upholds such traditional values as fiscal responsibility, strong national security, protection of our borders, and limited government. We should know by now that swing voters vote on the basis of personality and television persona. Thus, Obama’s impending victory no more reflects the electorate’s turn to the hard left, than Reagan’s 49-state electoral victory in 1980 reflected a turn to the right.
Fifth, don’t insult the intelligence of the voters with simplistic characterizations of the opponent’s positions. Those only fuel counterattacks by a sympathetic media eager to show that 30-second ads do not completely set forth the complexities of the opponent’s agenda. Rather, Republican ads need only have shown, without commentary, actual videos of Obama refusing to put his hand over his heart during the playing of the national anthem, his statement that he had visited “57 states” and the town hall video in which he talked about the need for asthma suffers to get “breathalyzers” — followed by the simple question: “Ready to lead? You decide.”
Sixth, ask voters whether the old American adage still holds true—namely that one’s character is evaluated in large part by the company he keeps. And leave it at that. No need to name names.
Seventh, don’t let your party be outspent by such business tycoons as George Soros.
Eighth, and perhaps hardest of all, set aside social issues and concentrate on fiscal responsibility, national security, border protection, and fairness to the teeming millions of those seeking legal immigration. You don’t have to give up your principles on social issues, but, absent a Reagan-quality communicator as your nominee, you’re not going to win on them.
Ninth, decide whether public displays of support for such issues are worth losing an election.
And finally—at number ten— get some members of your party to audition for “Saturday Night Live.” There should be ample material (see No. 5 above).
Robert Hardaway is a professor of law at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.
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November 29th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Well, well, it is about time someone besides we comMITTed to Romney people made these points. What a great article. Yes, they did have their chance at a good candidate with Mitt Romney and they blew it…. BIG TIME. Now we all get to play the price for their stupidity.
Say your prayers, bigotry won and America lost… It is a sad commentary that we have a man moving into the White House that doesn’t even know how many states there are and adamantly showed a lack of patriotism… not to mention his liberal leanings and extreme left voting record….. yes, WE ARE IN TROUBLE!!!!! This one is going to bite us in the booty big time…
November 29th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Finally the sentiments we here at comMITTed to Romney have known since the beginning. How absolutely misguided Americans became in this election and how dearly we will pay for the lack of common sense. We had the right man in the palm of our hands only to be cast aside by outrageous lies and bigotry. We accepted so much more baggage from the President elect.Just too sad, the right person, the right time, the right qualifications. Yes, I said qualifications, tested, tried, and proven a success…….That man was and still is Mitt Romney, the best candidate we had on the GOP ticket. Will he ever get the opportunity to be our President??? If we did not learn a tough hard lesson this time out, maybe 2012 will be an eye opener, and grace us and America with Mitt Romney, President 2012.
November 29th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
I agree with #8. We need fiscal responsibility now more than ever. Romney would have really worked hard on working this mess out.
So, will the base of the republican party wake up and realize what they did wrong? Apparently not because now they are throwing their support behind the very charismatic Sarah Palin.
Sarah Palin is not fiscally minded like Romney. She lacks the turn around, fix it skills that Romney has demonstrated in the private sector, at the Olympics and in Mass.
We need more than just a pretty face.
Romney can win in 2012. He can attract those independents that Palin failed to attract in 2008. There was a poll that said she offended the independents because of her lack of knowledge etc.
Romney could win but he will need the support of the base and I guess it remains to be seen if he can win over the evangelicals that dislike him because he is a mormon.
November 30th, 2008 at 5:54 am
Try this one from polico
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15940.html
November 30th, 2008 at 11:32 am
Chris
It should be about things getting done not ideology. I could not agree more. And that is why Mitt Romney should be our republican nominee in 2012. He has an excellent record for fixing problems. The republican base should get behind Romney because he could win the White House.
December 5th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Okay…I am announcing that this is my last comment on this site. I have been a Romney fan for over a two years now. I know about this…why do we need to bring it up again and again. Why do we need to raise this issue. I am just fed up with this site…there seems to be this thing that if we don’t know what to post for articles and stuff like that then we either bash Huckabee or go on a long drawn out…this is the message the GOP needs to hear. I am tired of it. I am done with sitting and talking about it…I want to do something about it. I am a student studying Political Science and I am getting very impatient not being able to do anything about it. I just can’t read this sites postings any longer. We are a split camp and I feel no unity here. None at all. I will remain active in conservatism, but not on this site.
December 6th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Sarah,
I really have a hard time understanding who you support. If you support Palin, which it sounds like you do, why not post comments on pro Palin sites. There is a large movement out there drumming up support for her 2012 nomination.
I am very disappointed that the base of this party is going in the direction of Palin. I had hoped after McCain/Palin lost the party would rally around Romney. I often make comments regarding Palins lack of experience, her lack of intellectual curiosity, her poor performance in news interviews and the debate and I do not feel the need to apologize for such comments because as of today she is a major roadblock in Romney getting the 2012 nomination.
I think the party is fractured and I do not see Palin supporters coming around to support Romney in the 2012 primaries.
Polls show that Palin does not attract independents. If she is the nominee she will loose the White House. So, conservatives need to wake up to this fact prior to the 2012 election but I don’t think they will.
December 6th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
If eithger palin or huckabee is the nom in 12, we will lose by a huge landslide. To many of us thinking conserves out here in the REAL world don’t like either, and would rather vote DNC, than to give out the bimbo/bozo vote.
December 6th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Tracey,
Oh for Heavens Sake Let me make this REALLY CLEAR. I thought the above comment would be my last but I guess I was wrong.
For the Past 2 years I have supported Romney. I would do so again if he ran in 2012. If you doubt this go look at the archives and read all my comments.
I just don’t like all the Palin Bashing going on. It wasn’t the Mothers fault her daughter got pregnant. I believe in Choice and accountability. If her daughter was getting an abortion I would questions Palin’s teachings to her children but she is not! She is having the baby. I believe that Bristol Palin beats herself up enough for being stupid. She doesn’t need the entire world to beat her up while she is down as well. I mean if you wouldn’t kick a pregnant girl physically why in the world is it okay to do it verbally? Do I think it was a wise idea? NO!!! But I am not going to kick her.
An another subject. I feel there is no unity here on this site and I am at loss for words to even get people on this site to chill. We need to rebuild a party based on mutual respect. Ronald Reagans 11 commandment was never to attack a fellow Republican, conservative or moderate.
I am a conservative. I believe in Limited government and believe me I want to name every person who doesn’t fit the bill, but how can we do that if our Party doesn’t have a one page (none of these 50 page platforms it gets confusing) of core values that all Republicans strive to develop. Sort of Like an Article of Faith or a Niceen Crede. Something that every body can grab a hold too.
Call me wise or call me naive but I have had a change of heart. I want to be full of love for my fellow Mankind. I am only critical of Huckabee because I believe he is ambitious for his own gain and will further hurt the party but I don’t want to hear any more of it. We have become a party of Romneyites…Hukabee devotees…Palin adorers…and McCainites as Micheal Reagan said in a recent article. Its time we heed his advice and return to a party of principles and not followers. Though it is important to have a leader it is even more important to be a leader in our families and communities.
I hope this makes sense.
December 6th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
The Paradoxical Commandments
by Dr. Kent M. Keith
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001
December 6th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
So Sarah If I understand you correctly it is okay to bash huckabee but not Palin. I fail to see the difference between the two as they both pull from the party base. The base likes both of these candidates because they both speak the same way.
As far as bashing goes my comments regarding PALIN have been regarding her public performance in news interviews etc. I don’t feel like that is bashing. This is pointing out my view of her. A view from someone who is not willing to vote for someone just because they say they are conservative. I do not recall commenting on her private life accept to point out something that was just not true about her and in that case I came to her defense.
I am committed to Romney. I believe he could win the election if the base of the republican party would nominate him. My comments are designed to try to get people to recognize he is our best option and to get Palin supporters recognize she will not win over independents. I am slowly coming to the conclusion winning over Palin supporters is probably a lost cause.
This site may be divided but it is still a committed to romney site and I should not be made to feel guilty for not supporting Palin. If she is the nominee, I will write in Romney in 2012, just like I wrote in Romney in 2008.
December 7th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Palin has not and never will win over this conservative woman. I don’t see her as a true conservative, but one that panders to a certain ‘base’. And as for me, your personal and professional life is intertwined, when you are asking me for a vote.
December 8th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Tracey, Chris- Go ahead, Criticize whom you want. I don’t think I was making anyone feel guilty for not supporting Palin. My main reason was because of her adoration for special needs children. I want someone to fight for the rights of my autistic brother and mentally disabled mother but I guess I will just have to do that on my own. I admire the good qualities in Palin. Though you two see none, I do.
I guess its because I am 20 years old. You can talk to me about this in 20 years and see how I feel about the subject.
I for one want to have an open forum to talk about something else. I am tired of this subject. I don’t really care if her 17 year old daughter is pregnant. She was running for VP not President.
December 9th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Well Sarah you are not alone in the party. Many in the base think it should be Romney/Palin. I am just not a fan and I get especially defensive when people say she is just as good as Romney. Fiscally, he is our best choice and with our country facing economic hard times having him in Washington right now would be great for our country. Whatever, I hope you will continue to post. Best wishes for your Mom and Brother.
December 10th, 2008 at 8:28 am
The only way Palin can win is to run with Romney. Sad. Now the ‘base’ wants Romney? Get real. She’s from an equally bigoted church as Huckles is.