It’s Over . . . But A New Beginning Can Be Realized


Congratulations to Barack Obama who, upon the convening of the Electoral College next month, will be the President-elect of the United States. This is unquestionably a historic night for the country and one that proves indisputably that even if racism is not dead, it has suffered the most crippling and devastating of blows.

And those blows were landed on the body of racism by Americans across racial, religious and political divides. Whatever one’s political leanings, the latest landmark transcendence of the cramped and toxic legacy of racism was a uniquely American victory. At the end of the day, no matter one’s vote, racism simply didn’t matter to people whether they voted for John McCain or Barack Obama. This is something great to celebrate.

All of this having been said, this country is still very much a center-right country. Despite an economic crisis, two wars, wrong track numbers that have reached nearly 80%, a Republican President whose popularity rating is at about 25% or so and a massive fundraising machine for the Obama campaign that was made possible by Barack Obama’s decision to break his campaign promise and opt out of the public financing system, as of the time of this writing, Barack Obama is only ahead by a mere 3% in the popular vote–a margin of about 3 million votes. He is, at the time of this writing, a 51% President.

Is this impressive? Sure. Is the Electoral College margin impressive? Absolutely. But the popular vote shows no landslide whatsoever for Barack Obama.

This means that if the coming Obama Administration tries to impose a New New Deal, there will be a significant cadre of libertarians and conservatives prepared to oppose such a grand expansion of government. This means that if there is an effort to raise taxes, there will be powerful voices raised in protest. And because there will remain enough Republicans in the Senate to launch filibusters, this means that misguided efforts to impose card check legislation will (one hopes) die on the vine.

And so, this means that if the Republican Party is, to paraphrase Kipling, able to keep its head about it while all others are losing theirs, the Party will come back faster than people think. Republicans can target Senators and Representatives from Red states and districts and make up for losses in Congress over the past two election cycles. Republicans can sharpen their ideas in terms of policy, in terms of motivating the Republican grassroots and blogging cadre. Conservative and libertarian think tanks can be refurbished and the center-right’s communications efforts can be augmented and upgraded. Again, consider that everything went against the Republican Party this year, the GOP’s standard bearers ran flawed and–in many ways–incompetent campaigns and yet, Barack Obama could not win a popular vote landslide.

If we fix only some of the mistakes that we have made as a party and as a movement, we can be tremendously competitive again. If we become the supreme electoral overachievers we were and could again be, we will be back in the saddle again faster than anyone could possibly think tonight.

So, congratulations to Barack Obama. But to Republicans and members of the small-government Right: courage. Things may look daunting now. But there is a clear path to an electoral comeback and if we follow it, it won’t be long before we celebrate electoral victories again.


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Well Said

DRP Wednesday, November 5th at 12:30AM EST (link)

Although it is an open question how to correct those mistakes, and one that I expect to see quite a bit of debate on over the next few days.

 

McCain

jonb229 Wednesday, November 5th at 12:42AM EST (link)

I voted for Barak Obama but I just wanted to say that I still admire John McCain. He’s a class act and I hope the future-Republicans follow his example.

 

The bright side of being out of power...

zuiko (Diary) Wednesday, November 5th at 12:48AM EST (link)

..is that it is much easier to return to your principles and stick to them. Hopefully we will see that happen over the next couple years. This is our opportunity to rebuild the Republican brand as champions of small government, not just a different colored pig gorging himself at the same trough.

Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. – Milton Friedman

 

I Do Not Congratulate Obama!

gotteeth Wednesday, November 5th at 12:48AM EST (link)

Obama…you’re an embarassment to this country! You represent the slippery slope of “style over substance”…nothing more.

Taking advantage of good hearted Americans is your only skill…you vacuous empty suit!

Socialists, Marxists and Populists have no place in this country.

May your true colors quickly become apparent.

This veteran’s salute will be for America, NEVER for you!

FLY NAVY!

 

Racism...

RedWhite_and_Truth (Diary) Wednesday, November 5th at 12:58AM EST (link)

…was rampant on the Democrats’ side. Sorry to disagree with you.

Coersion, after all, merely captures man. Freedom captivates him.
– Ronald Reagan

“Anyone that wants the presidency so much that he’ll spend two years organizing and campaigning for it is not to be trusted with the office.”
—David Broder

Right on!!

bobbymike (Diary) Wednesday, November 5th at 1:07AM EST (link)

Americans were obviously not listening to Obama. He does not support the Constitution so how can we support him. He called the document “fundamentally flawed” translation broken. Broken stuff gets thrown away.

He is supported by people who hate the US and want it “transformed”. Obama said he will transform America. If the people at Redstate think words have meaning transform is a pretty powerful one. It means change at the basest level.

For God’s sake people the Dems are already talking about a second bill of rights!!!! Giving people a right to a house and job!!

A note on a congressional race MURTHA WON RE-ELECTION so add stupid to racist and redneck in his district.

I never thought America would fall for a demogogue. I guy who has done nothing and accomplished nothing. Supported by terrorists.

SAY GOODBYE TO THE REPUBLICANS BECAUSE AFTER THE AMNESTY FOR 16 MILLION ILLEGAL (READ NEW DEMOCRAT VOTERS) WE WILL NEVER SEE POWER AGAIN. THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN TALK BY THE DEM LEADERSHIP ON HOW TO CONSOLIDATE POWER FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS.

AMERICA COMMITED SUICIDE TONIGHT. PUTIN, CHAVEZ, CASTRO, HAMAS, IRAN ARE VERY HAPPY.

No honeymoon.

Rod_Patrick (Diary) Wednesday, November 5th at 1:14AM EST (link)

Starting Tomorrow, let us do our share to prevent the further destruction of America by the commies, socialists, marxists, liberals, atheists, and lazy people.

 
 
 

It's not good

Berean (Diary) Wednesday, November 5th at 1:19AM EST (link)

The only real question is how long it will be before what we believe is criminalized and we are rounded up.

This nation just sold its proverbial soul to the devil. America is dead. Welcome to Venezuela north.

Trying each day to spread the Gospel

 

Racism is the only reason he won!

lonebeagle Wednesday, November 5th at 1:30AM EST (link)

What in the hell is everybody saying?! Barack Obama won ONLY because he was black.

If he was white, he would have never been selected to represent the Democrat Party in the first place.

What do all of the headlines say right now?

“NATION ELECTS FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT”

This is pathetic since it’s ONLY about his race. If our society were really free of racism, then the headlines would say:

“NATION ELECTS BARACK OBAMA”

We’ve now institutionalized racism in America. Instead of becoming color blind, we’ve now permanently made black people a separate class of people.

The headlines should say:

“NATION ELECTS FIRST AFFIRMATIVE ACTION BLACK PRESIDENT–we all know that Barack isn’t qualified compared to the next dozen white guys (and Sarah Palin), but hey, what do you expect from black people?”

Don't be a coward..

Prodigals Wednesday, November 5th at 1:33AM EST (link)

.. there’s not going to be any criminalization of Republicans.
Not even a liberal would stand for that.

There’s not even enough money around for socialism, what with a 500 billion
dollar war, and a 700 billion dollar bailout, and a 1000 billion (trillion) dollar
stock market crash.

If your America is dead, it must have been some kind of fantasy. My America can survive both George W Bush and Barack Obama.

Buck up, and do your part.

 
 

I beg to differ, Pejman.

c17wife (Diary) Wednesday, November 5th at 1:37AM EST (link)

Racism is alive and well. Hence, we have Barack Obama as our new dictator.

Duty is ours, outcomes belong to God.~Mike Pence

 

No honeymoon

sayers (Diary) Wednesday, November 5th at 1:40AM EST (link)

No honeymoon!

They started slandering President Bush immediately.

I say we return the favor!

Bad idea. We need to persuade the country

JSobieski (Diary) Wednesday, November 5th at 1:54AM EST (link)

move people to the right.

Turning off the electorate is not an effective means for doing that.

My rules of the road for primary season.
Rule #1: Vote for YOUR first choice in the primaries
Rule #2: Vote for the R in the general.
Rule #3: Don’t let anyone convince you to violate Rule #1 or Rule #2
Rule #4: When in a center-right argument, reaffirm Rules #1-#3–it will help us all to get along better.
Rule #5: If you are using the language of the left, you probably aren’t furthering conservativism
Rule #6: The priority is issues first, candidates second, and supporters third. Nobody is bigger than the issues. Conversely, if you spend your time focusing on supporters, you are wasting everyone’s time.

STOP THE MADNESS!

A reduction in the rate of spending increases is NOT a cut!
In-state tuition for illegals is NOT amnesty!
Requiring someone to pay their medical bills is NOT an individual mandate!
Reducing tax rates is NOT a tax increase!

WRONG!

lonebeagle Wednesday, November 5th at 2:39AM EST (link)

You can’t change the minds of people. The fools that elected Obama will have to figure things out for themselves.

Our country will suffer greatly I fear–Obama won because he promised to moon to the masses and now the masses will expect that welfare check, free healthcare, cheap housing, free college education etc etc.

Obama epitomizes the attitude of the pitiful black person in America–”I’m entitled to have what you have because I’m black.”

Well just wait because there aren’t any free lunches. Oh, that’s not right because the people who elected Obama actually have been given a free lunch for decades now!

Everyone likes to watch a train wreck. After 4 years of Obama maybe people will see the stupidity of choosing such an incredibly bad president.

Forget about trying to convince the masses.

 
 
 

Obama's face

Robin Wednesday, November 5th at 2:44AM EST (link)

MSNBC quoted something Andrew Sullivan wrote last year:

“If you wanted the crudest but most effective weapon against the demonization of America that fuels Islamist ideology, Obama’s face gets close. It proves them wrong about what America is in ways no words can.”

I think, Pejman, that you might take a little consolation from that.

"the masses"? Only socialists use phraseology like that

JSobieski (Diary) Wednesday, November 5th at 2:51AM EST (link)

Obama convinced (hoodwinked) people into believingt that he was NOT that liberal. That is how he won.

He didn’t win by championing the ideas of the left during the general campaign and particularly not in the past 6 weeks.

He wont by HIDING.

We need to persuade, and you need to take a time out.

My rules of the road for primary season.
Rule #1: Vote for YOUR first choice in the primaries
Rule #2: Vote for the R in the general.
Rule #3: Don’t let anyone convince you to violate Rule #1 or Rule #2
Rule #4: When in a center-right argument, reaffirm Rules #1-#3–it will help us all to get along better.
Rule #5: If you are using the language of the left, you probably aren’t furthering conservativism
Rule #6: The priority is issues first, candidates second, and supporters third. Nobody is bigger than the issues. Conversely, if you spend your time focusing on supporters, you are wasting everyone’s time.

STOP THE MADNESS!

A reduction in the rate of spending increases is NOT a cut!
In-state tuition for illegals is NOT amnesty!
Requiring someone to pay their medical bills is NOT an individual mandate!
Reducing tax rates is NOT a tax increase!

Barack's books about himself were heavily focused on race

JSobieski (Diary) Wednesday, November 5th at 2:53AM EST (link)

Barack has spent way to much of his time growing up focusing on race.

The irony of course is that his white grandparents raised him, and he spent his adolescent years looking to asset his “blackness”

Anyway, I hope he tries to govern as a centrist, but I am not optimistic

My rules of the road for primary season.
Rule #1: Vote for YOUR first choice in the primaries
Rule #2: Vote for the R in the general.
Rule #3: Don’t let anyone convince you to violate Rule #1 or Rule #2
Rule #4: When in a center-right argument, reaffirm Rules #1-#3–it will help us all to get along better.
Rule #5: If you are using the language of the left, you probably aren’t furthering conservativism
Rule #6: The priority is issues first, candidates second, and supporters third. Nobody is bigger than the issues. Conversely, if you spend your time focusing on supporters, you are wasting everyone’s time.

STOP THE MADNESS!

A reduction in the rate of spending increases is NOT a cut!
In-state tuition for illegals is NOT amnesty!
Requiring someone to pay their medical bills is NOT an individual mandate!
Reducing tax rates is NOT a tax increase!

 
 
 

Racism will explode

Lincoln Adams Wednesday, November 5th at 3:04AM EST (link)

If anything, Obama’s election will ensure racist violence on a scale that we will have never seen before, as black Americans will continue to expect handouts, reparations, affirmative action and favoritism now more than ever. It’s going to create a tremendous backlash as people get fed up with this mentality and start to rise up in protest. We are in for some very violent times indeed.

gth

lonebeagle Wednesday, November 5th at 3:20AM EST (link)

gth?

JSobieski (Diary) Wednesday, November 5th at 3:23AM EST (link)

nice

My rules of the road for primary season.
Rule #1: Vote for YOUR first choice in the primaries
Rule #2: Vote for the R in the general.
Rule #3: Don’t let anyone convince you to violate Rule #1 or Rule #2
Rule #4: When in a center-right argument, reaffirm Rules #1-#3–it will help us all to get along better.
Rule #5: If you are using the language of the left, you probably aren’t furthering conservativism
Rule #6: The priority is issues first, candidates second, and supporters third. Nobody is bigger than the issues. Conversely, if you spend your time focusing on supporters, you are wasting everyone’s time.

STOP THE MADNESS!

A reduction in the rate of spending increases is NOT a cut!
In-state tuition for illegals is NOT amnesty!
Requiring someone to pay their medical bills is NOT an individual mandate!
Reducing tax rates is NOT a tax increase!

 
 
 

Wow, that was quick...

lonebeagle Wednesday, November 5th at 3:29AM EST (link)

Obama tonight:

“There will be setbacks and false starts,” Obama said. “There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can’t solve every problem.”

That’s not what you said just a few hours ago. Obama is trying to weasle out of his campaign promises before the night is even through.

This is a great sign.

he isn't weaseling out of the socialist policies

generalgrant Wednesday, November 5th at 3:33AM EST (link)

he’s basically saying “Hey, remember all that so-called moderate stuff I promised during the campaign? I don’t.”

________________________________________________________
Halls of Justice Painted Green, Money Talking.
Power Wolves Beset Your Door, Hear Them Stalking.

Get with the program...

lonebeagle Wednesday, November 5th at 3:38AM EST (link)

Didn’t you hear? Black people are supposed to be treated differently than white people and Asians (you know, the people that get good grades and have good jobs and have money in the bank, etc.)

Black people are ENTITLED to special treatment–it’s written in the Constitution.

Barack will just get blacks what they are due: reparations, preferential treatment in college admissions, hiring quotas, special anti-racism laws (where blacks can’t be charged with hate crimes against non-blacks, etc).

Yes sir, Barack will elevate blacks and it will only cost the rest of us the shirts off our backs!

Barack won not because he was a better candidate. Barack won because he was BLACK!

Every single headline annoucing his victory has the word “Black” in it. I rest my case.

 
 
 

2008, the year of the "Pound Sand" map

JLenardDetroit (Diary) Wednesday, November 5th at 4:11AM EST (link)

I call this Electoral Map, the “Pound Sand” Map… Notice how the contig 48 (of the 57 States of Barack) look like the bottom portion of a human with the Right leg kicking up dirt/sand.

Regards from NoMoTown (the MOTORlessCITY)
“Liberals, looking to do for? America what they’ve done for? Detroit! which is DESTROY IT!”
“I think, therefore I am Conservative”
“Conservative by choice, Republican by necessity”
“You can lead a Liberal to the Truth/Facts, but you cannot make them THINK!”
“Romney [No, not my first choice] does NOT have a MORMON problem. He has a, far too many Americans; these days; are MORONS problem!”


(RS:Help) (JLD) (Hollyweird) (Brain-deads) (SPIN-cycle) (Obamaocare) (Party of kNOw) (Conservatism) (TEApeats) (respectful) (message) (Warning: Children Will Die!!)
Heil “O” Hell No Obamao is NOT MY PRESIDENT! “No U won’t”
I want “O” to FAIL (here, here, & whole Diary (Ofail) here, is why)
The first Liberal was Satan” – a Rush caller (other Quotes)

That makes perfect sense to me.

DRP Wednesday, November 5th at 4:51AM EST (link)

I’m pretty sure that every headline about Sarah Palin included the word “female”, too. I’d imagine that if you could find papers about Jackie Robinson in the late 1940′s they’d probably also have included the headline “Black”. Had Hillary Clinton clinched the Democratic nomination (and won), the headlines would have been “America Elects First Female President”.

The fact that it’s included in every headline is because it’s a significant event; he is the first nonwhite President of the United States. But I think it’s a bit ludicrous to state that he won because he was black. You’re selling yourself and your party short here if all you can come up with in response to Obama’s victory is “Well, he won because he was black”.

Oh NO! Barack is the end

c17wife (Diary) Wednesday, November 5th at 5:07AM EST (link)

of racial preferences.
No more victim status for the poor black boy in the hood. Nope, it’s time to get up off their lazy a##e# and work. Remember what Michelle said? Barack will make you work, by golly. And that work starts NOW, d#mm#t!

Duty is ours, outcomes belong to God.~Mike Pence

The point was well argued.

DRP Wednesday, November 5th at 5:07AM EST (link)

Because telling someone to go to hell when they make a perfectly valid counterargument is the first sign of a debating genius.

You bring the marshmallows, I’ll bring the hot dogs and we’ll have a party.

I am afraid that the conservative "crack-up" so desired by the MSM

JSobieski (Diary) Wednesday, November 5th at 5:23AM EST (link)

may actually have already begun

My rules of the road for primary season.
Rule #1: Vote for YOUR first choice in the primaries
Rule #2: Vote for the R in the general.
Rule #3: Don’t let anyone convince you to violate Rule #1 or Rule #2
Rule #4: When in a center-right argument, reaffirm Rules #1-#3–it will help us all to get along better.
Rule #5: If you are using the language of the left, you probably aren’t furthering conservativism
Rule #6: The priority is issues first, candidates second, and supporters third. Nobody is bigger than the issues. Conversely, if you spend your time focusing on supporters, you are wasting everyone’s time.

STOP THE MADNESS!

A reduction in the rate of spending increases is NOT a cut!
In-state tuition for illegals is NOT amnesty!
Requiring someone to pay their medical bills is NOT an individual mandate!
Reducing tax rates is NOT a tax increase!

Meh.

DRP Wednesday, November 5th at 5:27AM EST (link)

People are a bit… high strung at the moment, to say the least. It’s a good time to go get drunk, take a deep breath, and stop paying attention for at least a day or two. The world will still be here, and you might be a tad more rational.

Which isn’t to say you shouldn’t call people out when you see them being stupid, but I certainly understand the impulse to froth at the mouth and bite at anything nearby.

Also...

DRP Wednesday, November 5th at 5:30AM EST (link)

Blaming the party’s problems on the MSM is a bit like blaming the lions after the Roman guards throw you into the middle of the Coliseum, covered in ketchup.

It’s tempting and easy, but it makes you ignore some of the real root causes.

Reform and fight back.

seattle_ite Wednesday, November 5th at 6:42AM EST (link)

The problem after the ’94 Contract was, that so many signatories really didn’t have the heart for it. Obviously, DC needs a sweeping, and tonight marks the beginning of a comeback. The opposition wants us demoralized, and focused on differing strategies about how to hang on. We need to PUSH the same way they do, and never rest. Our side got complacent and indolent, and we paid the price. If the lesson here is that we need to go back to First Principles, I hope the GOP who held on can see it.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Focus on the red, but don't give up the blue

seattle_ite Wednesday, November 5th at 6:56AM EST (link)

Plenty of R’s and IC’s in Wa are stomping mad at the lackluster performance in this, and past, elections. Mostly due to the bare coverage in our state by the candidates. Lack of articulation about the conservative vision is also a factor.

We need some good, young-ish and articulate conservatives in our Senate delegation, but none are stepping up. That said, I think we also need (on the national scale) a massive primary purge of all the RINO’s we can get tossed out. I think it’s a joke that Stevens in AK is still able to run and win, while negotiating his sentence. Cunningham at least had the grace to resign and go away.

 

Racism is Not Dead

RedChevy64 (Diary) Wednesday, November 5th at 10:47AM EST (link)

This election proved that racism is alive and well. This man, and his ilk, have set race relations back 50 years. What we do know today. Obama is a racist who hates whites and jews. Many, if not most, blacks vote based on skin color and the promise of retribution. Can anyone imagine sitting in a chucrh for 20 years while they preached that black man invented aids to kill the white race, or God Damn America, or blacks were behind 9-11? We know now that these things are acceptable in America.

It is sad that so many who post here–how many are on the dole for the Obamanation–continue to shill for this man. They are duplicitous in his crimes. As they see it, it is fine to take in millions of campaign cash illegally, it is fine to register and vote millions illegally, it is fine to violate party rules and intimidate voters during the primaries–particualrly the caucuses, it is fine to post armed thugs at voting places and intimidate white voters, it is fine to go to a racist church preaching hate of whites and jews, it fine to take thousands in gifts for personal benefit.

And of course, anyone who would point it out and fault the man for his actions and his low character is racist. Many Americans are ignorant fools who have fallen for the Siren’s song. He has said his intent is to destroy the Constitutional system of our government. Reading the postings here makes it clear many of you will be glad to let, or help, that happen. It is not a proud day to be an American. That doesn’t make me racist, that makes me wiser than most, and certainly wiser than the Soros funded Obamatons that are posting here.

Huh?

MikeO Wednesday, November 5th at 11:21AM EST (link)

Animals with thought processes so depraved that they convince themselves to fly hijacked airplanes into buildings or to strap bombs on their children and send them to mass-murder innocents via self-detonation will be somehow placated because just one of their dozens of contrived grievances can be counter-argued because of our President-elect’s complexion?

You have just convinced me that President Bush flubbed the GWOT…he should have started with a cleanup of the fifth-columnists.

I did NOT attribute a crack-up to the MSM

JSobieski (Diary) Wednesday, November 5th at 3:09PM EST (link)

I simply said we may be seeing something that the MSM desparately WANTS to see.

No express or implied theory of causation.

My rules of the road for primary season.
Rule #1: Vote for YOUR first choice in the primaries
Rule #2: Vote for the R in the general.
Rule #3: Don’t let anyone convince you to violate Rule #1 or Rule #2
Rule #4: When in a center-right argument, reaffirm Rules #1-#3–it will help us all to get along better.
Rule #5: If you are using the language of the left, you probably aren’t furthering conservativism
Rule #6: The priority is issues first, candidates second, and supporters third. Nobody is bigger than the issues. Conversely, if you spend your time focusing on supporters, you are wasting everyone’s time.

STOP THE MADNESS!

A reduction in the rate of spending increases is NOT a cut!
In-state tuition for illegals is NOT amnesty!
Requiring someone to pay their medical bills is NOT an individual mandate!
Reducing tax rates is NOT a tax increase!

Fair enough

DRP Wednesday, November 5th at 3:18PM EST (link)

I meant Obama’s win in general, though; your comment about the MSM just drew out something I’ve been thinking about as of late, not necessarily as a response to you. It’s also possible I was a wee bit drunk.

It’s a good time to reassess, but there are going to be people (probably the same people who guided a lot of McCain’s campaign) who are going to want to blame this loss squarely on the MSM, which is both a bit ludicrous and ignores some of the real issues.

Agreed---the MSM is a known obstacle

JSobieski (Diary) Wednesday, November 5th at 10:15PM EST (link)

If you want to be a Republican leader, you have to have a plan for dealing with the media to get your message out.

To any McCain campaign people who complain about the media, all I can say is

“DUH”

My rules of the road for primary season.
Rule #1: Vote for YOUR first choice in the primaries
Rule #2: Vote for the R in the general.
Rule #3: Don’t let anyone convince you to violate Rule #1 or Rule #2
Rule #4: When in a center-right argument, reaffirm Rules #1-#3–it will help us all to get along better.
Rule #5: If you are using the language of the left, you probably aren’t furthering conservativism
Rule #6: The priority is issues first, candidates second, and supporters third. Nobody is bigger than the issues. Conversely, if you spend your time focusing on supporters, you are wasting everyone’s time.

STOP THE MADNESS!

A reduction in the rate of spending increases is NOT a cut!
In-state tuition for illegals is NOT amnesty!
Requiring someone to pay their medical bills is NOT an individual mandate!
Reducing tax rates is NOT a tax increase!