We Got Beat
When you lose something -- a wallet, an election, money, a lover -- you ask yourself this question: did I lose it, or was it stolen?
Last night, we lost. No one stole it from us. We lost it.
Some thoughts:
1. It goes without saying -- I hope -- that Barack Obama, as painful as it is to admit, is the President of the United States for the next four years. I wish him well. He's my president, too.
2. Let's face facts: Nate Silver, the polls, the "establishment media" -- they were all right. It wasn't about weighting or poll skewing. They were right. We engaged in wishful thinking. We were in a bubble. Last night, that bubble was popped. The major polls called it close, and it was close. Barack Obama won about one half of one percent more of the popular vote than Mitt Romney. But that was enough. Mitt Romney may have won the popular vote, but the Electoral College map tells a different story: it was about population-center votes, not about enthusiasm or which side was more energized. They outsmarted us. We outsmarted ourselves
3. Last night was a complete and systemic failure of the Republican party -- both at the national and the state level. The DC-based Republican establishment couldn't deliver a victory -- couldn't deliver Florida. The state-level Republican operation failed, too. For example: in Missouri, a state that should be solidly Republican, the state operation nominated an ill-prepared, out-of-touch clumsy gaffe-machine for the Senate -- Todd Akin. Romney carried the state. But Claire McCaskill won a major victory. We forced our side to split the ticket. We muddied our message. The Republican party failed.
4. More facts to face: the media is liberal. The news organizations are liberal. They protected their candidate. And it worked. But that's part of the hand that we conservatives have been dealt. That ain't gonna change. We need to figure out a way to win despite the fact that we're swimming upstream in the culture. Whining about it isn't going to get us to a solution.
5. Latinos and women voted big for the other side. Either we figure out a way to connect with those groups, or persuade them to our side, or we're going to be a very small part of the national political scene and getting smaller all the time.
6. Our side drinks too much Kool Aid. We watch Fox News and think we're winning the rest of the country. But Fox News is at most a 3 million viewer proposition. Last night, each side garnered about 48 million votes. Each side.
7. We can't rely on the establishment Republicans. We can't rely on Fox News. We can't rely on talk radio. We can only rely on ourselves. We need -- all of us, especially here on Ricochet -- to connect with each other, keep each other informed and energized, and persuade our neighbors and friends. We need to evangelize the rest of the country that doesn't agree with us. We need to win the country back.
8. We need to win the country back. Not take it back. Win it back through argument and engagement and debate. Win it back by articulating our key principles, persuading more Latinos and women to our side, and evangelizing the rest of the country.
9. Forgive me for this plug, but I really mean it: the conversations and engagement on Ricochet, and the passionate and articulate members here, are the future -- maybe the only future -- for our side.
10. If you're not a member of Ricochet, today is a very good day to join. The slow march back begins now. And it begins here.
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Comments:
Oct '11
Re: We Got Beat
Gus Marvinson: Enough of this "center-right" nonsense. To succeed, we are taught, we must aim high. Set great goals, strive toward them and reap the rewards. Yet when it comes to politics we are told center-right is the goal and center-right will be the result.
Hogwash.
I think your sentiment will be echoed through many of the various wings of the republican party. We're probably looking at conservatives, moderates, libertarians and classical liberals tearing each other apart and blaming each other for sometime. Many sub parties will be formed they'll mostly have small segmented platforms and small demographics and big talk. Meanwhile the democrats will continue to garner more influence, more power, and more status as there will be no viable voice of opposition to them. The Democrats stand to be essentially a super party for some time if the right coalition decides to eat itself.
Aug '10
Re: We Got Beat
To be honest, I don't think it's as bad as you're making it out to be. The overall loss was within 1-2 percent of the vote. Some good people lost (e.g., Mia Love), but most of the losses were predictable (e.g., Scott Brown in liberal Massachusetts, that idiot in Missouri).
At the end of the day, Obama will keep blowing up terrorists and Guantanemo Bay will stay open. The economy will struggle along and eventually people will realise that different measures are necessary.
It's just another loss. We'll win and lose many more elections before the US is eventually overcome by an emerging Lichtenstein.
Sep '10
Re: We Got Beat
Judithann Campbell:
There are serious problems in the conservative movement, but instead of taking a step back and re evaluating, many prefer to give up on America. No genuine patriot would ever, ever give up on America. I am just amazed by the stuff I am reading tonight: I can't believe that people who claim to love America would give up on America so easily.
Whistling "Yankee Doodle Dandy" past the graveyard isn't patriotism. Nor is declaring that we reached a tipping point today and we're finished unpatriotic.
The system is broke. It is unsustainable. Fully implementing Obamacare and Dodd-Frank, four more years of expanding the EPA, food stamps, etc, not to mention this Administration's energy policy will take a huge toll.
Unpatriotic? No Madame. Maybe just realistic.
Sep '10
Re: We Got Beat
As the poet said, "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son." America just chose another four years of it.
Oct '12
Re: We Got Beat
It took 89 years to end slavery. It also took 89 years to end segregation, and another 11 years to defeat the rest of the Jim Crow system in law. We've been fighting for the unborn for 39 years. We've been fighting to regain individual liberties for 80 years. We win, we lose. We advance, we get set back. Such is history. We continue to fight and the history is written. You need to decide what part you will play in the history you live through. I chose to continue the fight.
Aug '10
Re: We Got Beat
By 2016 there will be over 70 million people on food stamps - think they'll vote Republican?
Tens of millions will have government healthcare - think they'll vote Republican?
Millions will be added to the government payroll (and govt unions) - think they'll vote Republican?
Millions of illegals will be granted citizenship - think they'll vote Republican?
Millions of single mothers will be dependent on govt welfare - think they'll vote Republican?
I could go on but you get the picture...
Feb '11
Re: We Got Beat
When President Obama first ran for election, we bad mouthed him for being a community organizer yet maybe that is exactly what we need to be doing. The demographics according to this election are trending against us in terms of minority voting but have really tried to educate and recruit minorities in poor and inner city urban areas. We know that their plight are in a large part due to the polices propagated by the Democratic party but yet we fail to make the case directly to the people living in these areas. We need find energetic people that can connect with these communities and start to evangelize conservative economic and government principles and to teach, organize and empower them to push for changes in their schools and local regulations that will allow for greater economic opportunity. Also, if we believe private organizations are better than the government then we need to actively fund organizations focused on assisting local community organizations change the culture to reflect conservative values. This will not pay dividends in 2016 but we cannot allow the urban liberal ideology to go unchallenged. We need to play the short and the long game to fix this country.
Sep '10
Re: We Got Beat
And with that, good night from the Left Coast!
Apr '11
Re: We Got Beat
Animositas
We narrowly lost because there were more people who wanted free stuff from the government than wanted personal responsibility and freedom.
As Joseph Stanko points out above, this is simply not accurate. I also live in the Bay Area and know hard working people who support Obama. I have friends who I've discussed issues with for years, and thought I'd made progress with who I'll suddenly hear supporting the Occupy movement. It's maddening.
The problem is that for most people outside the conservative bubble the ideals of limited government and constitutionalism are arcane. They've had this "living constitution" BS shoved down their throats since pre-school. Meanwhile, Democrats have become experts at presenting their ideas as reasonable - "The rich should pay just a little bit more..." and marginalizing conservatives through demonization that goes unchallenged.
I just don't know how we fight this anymore. Tomorrow I've got to go slog through a school day that starts with teaching a government class and, frankly, I'm getting tired of a job where I have to constantly be the contrarian.
Feb '12
Re: We Got Beat
Cutlass
I just don't know how we fight this anymore. Tomorrow I've got to go slog through a school day that starts with teaching a government class and, frankly, I'm getting tired of a job where I have to constantly be the contrarian. · 18 minutes ago
Maybe we need to pray for and work for more Hillsdale Colleges. I think while there will be some liberals who actually apply themselves and get a good education, the conservative, often homeschooling and private or Christian school educated kids will fairly easily rise to positions of prominence in society. Why? Because the left has given us by default the dead white males of music, philosophy and literature and has exchanged them for urinals as objects of art, and glbt as the focus of their energies.
But if we don't reign in out of control immigration illegal and legal, we will lose in the numbers game.
Feb '12
Re: We Got Beat
Frozen Chosen: By 2016 there will be over 70 million people on food stamps - think they'll vote Republican?
Tens of millions will have government healthcare - think they'll vote Republican?
Millions will be added to the government payroll (and govt unions) - think they'll vote Republican?
Millions of illegals will be granted citizenship - think they'll vote Republican?
Millions of single mothers will be dependent on govt welfare - think they'll vote Republican?
I could go on but you get the picture... · 43 minutes ago
Somehow, we have to have the long term goal of de-emphasizing Washington and giving States broad powers. That way we have 50 laboratories - and if California wants to continue down a deep blue future and go off the fiscal cliff, people will leave. And meanwhile Texas, Indiana and North Dakota will gain people. You can see it in the changes in electoral votes per state. Less Washington, more Federalism. Easier said than done, but I think it's a must. Either that or succession.
Edited on November 7, 2012 at 11:23amApr '11
Re: We Got Beat
cm2006
Somehow, we have to have the long term goal of de-emphasizing Washington and giving States broad powers. That way we have 50 laboratories - and if California wants to continue down a deep blue future and go off the fiscal cliff, people will leave. And meanwhile Texas, Indiana and North Dakota will gain people. You can see it in the changes in electoral votes per state. Less Washington, more Federalism. Easier said than done, but I think it's a must. Either that or succession. ·
The problem is that as blue states fail their people then infest the red states and vote for the same leftist policies that destroyed the places they escaped from.
Apr '11
Re: We Got Beat
The electorate baffles me. How can such an emphatic repudiation of Obama's and the Democrats' governance in 2010 be reconciled with the re-election of the same, deeply flawed president in 2012, when little has changed in between (at least not for the better)?
Sep '10
Re: We Got Beat
Keith Keystone: Rob,
Before we do more persuading, Republicans need to first realize that Americans vote on emotion rather than policy preferences. They are not influenced by 5 point economic plans. They vote for the candidates who they feel culturally connected with.
The youth vote and minority vote went overwhelmingly for Obama, but yet they are the ones who have the highest unemployment rate. And they still voted for him.
Republicans need to put down the pie-charts and the wonky policy talk, and find candidates who have the ability to connect with people on an emotional level.
Reagan connected with people on an emotional level, and THEN he persuaded them. It is a lesson we have forgotten.
We need more Marco Rubios and Chris Christies, and fewer Romneys and Gingriches. · 4 hours ago
one way we can do that is end this social/economic issues dichotomy nonsense. defend our positions on everything with moral arguments. every issue is a moral/"social" issue. that is how the left presents their side, why can't we?
Aug '11
Re: We Got Beat
I'm still too shocked to take it all in. Mark Steyn made the point on the Corner that Romney lost largely white New Hampshire. That doesnt mean that we dont need a "Big Tent" but Romney lost with whites and everyone else.
May '10
Re: We Got Beat
Knock, knock
Who's there
House of Representatives
House of Representatives who?
No
.....
The House of Representatives must become the House of No.
Feb '12
Re: We Got Beat
Cutlass
Animositas
We narrowly lost because there were more people who wanted free stuff from the government than wanted personal responsibility and freedom.
As Joseph Stanko points out above, this is simply not accurate. I also live in the Bay Area and know hard working people who support Obama. I have friends who I've discussed issues with for years, and thought I'd made progress with who I'll suddenly hear supporting the Occupy movement. It's maddening.
...
Let me amend my statement then, "We narrowly lost because there were more people, and their enablers, who wanted free stuff from the government than wanted personal responsibility and freedom."
Honestly, hearing that you know hard working people who voted for Obama and support Occupy actually confirms my original statement that it's over. If we've lost those folks, and combine their numbers with the wonderful groups of high achievers list by Frozen Chosen (#106) above, then it really is done.
Aug '12
Re: We Got Beat
So business as usual...
Oct '10
Re: We Got Beat
I don't wish him "well" for the same reason Rush hoped he'd "fail." Because for Obama to do "well" is for America to not. We've already seen the effects of Obama's successes. Why on earth would we want to wish more of that on ourselves?
Oct '10
Re: We Got Beat
Cutlass
Animositas
We narrowly lost because there were more people who wanted free stuff from the government than wanted personal responsibility and freedom.
Meanwhile, Democrats have become experts at presenting their ideas as reasonable - "The rich should payjust a little bitmore..." and marginalizing conservatives through demonization that goes unchallenged.
I disagree. I think Liberalism truly is a mental disorder. The idea you cite as "reasonable" to Libs is NOT reasonable to them, and you can prove it simply by asking them, "Ok, so what are fair rates and fair tax brackets, and how did you arrive at your numbers?"
It's a question they will NOT answer, because they can't, and they know they can't. If they were susceptible to reason and reasonable ideas, that question would give them pause, and then they'd realize the error in their thinking.
But they don't pause. They give voice to the stupidity, and when you call them on the stupidity with questions that would force them actually to think about what they just said, they ignore the questions and change the subject.
Liberalism is a mental disorder, that much is plain to see.