It seems that Republicans are suffering from a serious case of self-doubt. Everyone is analyzing this election to figure out what went wrong with the Republican Party, and what we need to do to "fix it" so we can become competitive again.
I've read so many different angles about why we lost this voting block or that voting block. But as far as I'm concerned, it can be boiled down to one very simple thing. America wants CHANGE. There is an ebb and flow in American politics, which is perfectly normal. Once one party has been in power too long, as the Republicans have been, we start to get too much of that party. Any policy flaws simply become too obvious. And these flaws are not necessarily flaws in the party, but of one specific group within the party. In the case of Republicans, the Bush camp has represented Republican policy since 1988. Bush Republicanism is not, in general, Republicanism. It's one camp of Republicanism. And many of the things people are wanting to change are Bush policies. There is nothing wrong with the Republican Party. It's just time to get some fresh blood in there. Americans are giving us that opportunity. They've pushed us aside and are giving the other party a chance to get some things done. Trust me, it won't be long before Americans realize that they're not particularly thrilled with what the other party is doing. To the extent that Democrats can hold power for long, it will be precisely because they are being more "republican" than we have been. The moment they begin to move toward the true Democrat Party core values, they will lose the favor of the American public. And when that happens, it will be time to give Republicans another try.
The core values of the Republican Party are still the values that a majority of Americans identify with. There will be a natural shake-up, as current Republican politicians retire or are voted out of office, and new ones who are more representative of our core values will take their place. We will return to fiscal responsibility, strong defense, small government, conservative social values, etc. Barack Obama ran on many of these values. This is not the true Obama, of course, and it sure as heck isn't the true Democrat Party. But it's what they needed to do to get elected. If they stick to those values, then it may be some time before there is a shift back toward Republican power. But then again, if the Democrats are truly promoting the same values that Republicans support, then does it really matter who's in power?
We don't need to change. We just need to return to our roots. Above all, we just need to purge the Republican Party of people who are in it for themselves. Power and corruption got in the way of doing the people's business. Most of the Republicans voted out of office deserved to be voted out of office. These individuals have seriously damaged the people's trust in our party. It's not that they don't agree with our values, it's that they just don't trust us. I don't blame them. We can restore that trust. It won't happen overnight, but it must happen. Because when the Democrats start pushing the country to the left, it is our responsibility to provide the opportunity for change that the people are going to be clamoring for.