Republicans: Run, Don't Walk!

In a heated dialogue on AOL with some of my conservative friends on a message board, I pointed out that the Republicans need to run, not walk from their ultra Right wing that seems to feel they own the party. I have said repeatedly on this board that I find the ultra Right to be as reprehensible as the liberal minions that I encounter on these boards. I suggested that the Republicans can remain conservative on economic and military policies and on some social issues, but they need to stop leading with abortion and attacking gays for their political advantage.

I will grant the Democrats a small piece of credit in that they know no limit to scaring voters into thinking that Democrats have solutions to all ills. When it takes the President to concoct "fictional" accounts of voter intimidation to motivate black voters to vote, the Republicans will be snookered every time. I am continued to be amazed that the party who claims to be inclusive is so divisive in its politics and is willing to use race overtly to get political advantage.

The Republicans blew it in these elections by expecting that America would view Clinton for what he is and use that as an excuse and the only excuse to keep them in power. The Republicans kind of remind me of chasing a rabbit that never runs out of juice.

With that said, Al Gore needs not to take this "victory" as a signal that he has clear sailing in 2000. Given that George W. Bush has made massive appeals to minority votes (without the venom of the left), Gore might find himself the leader of a party who sees only black instead of hispanic and other ethnic groups. I cannot wait for this battle between Gore and Bush.

Let us not forget, Democrats aren't in the majority. Five house seats doesn't give you much more than a woody for an hour and then reality sits in that you don't have any chairmanships or real power.

Signed,
CP

In the southeast, at any rate, the Christian Coalition lost, and I will shed no tears for anything that diminishes the power of Ralph Reed and his minions.

The Republicans who won tend, in large part, to be those who can appeal to broader bases of the electorate on moderate platforms: welfare reform, tax cuts, better schools, safe streets, and the like. Indeed, I can only think of one race that saw a victory for a far-right Republican (the Illinois senate seat) and that was more than anything a vote against Mosely-Braun's nearly scandalous acts.

Were I still in the punditry business, the headline on my column would read "Christian Coalition loses." And that warms my heart.

Signed,
Mike

The Republicans have only themselves to blame for their complete loss of the black vote. To say the democrats overtly used race unfairly is a complete denial of reality. Perhaps they should have indicated to voters over the last nine months that they had some sort of agenda or something to offer voters other than preoccupation with the sex life of the president (I LOVED hearing Newt this morning on CNN trying to blame the press for all the focus on Monica!)

A loss of five House seats, status quo in the Senate, and governor-ships in California, Alabama, and South Carolina is a far cry from the predictions of just a month ago of 30+ House seats and a filibuster-proof Senate. The Republicans may have been expecting America to view Clinton for what they think he is, but instead America chose to view Republicans for what they've done for the past nine months - nothing but obsess over scandal. America spoke. It's time to move on.