by Kerry Thomas
November 8, 2006
So what happened?
That question is on the mind of most Republicans in
Wisconsin, and across America, following the Democrat victories on Tuesday.
It’s easy to be a Wednesday morning quarterback. Hindsight, as they say, is 20/20. But some of us who’ve found ourselves in a
distinct minority within the Republican Party have been trying to warn our
fellow Wisconsin Republicans that this would happen for more than a year.
We warned against breaking the Party’s own rules to ensure
favored candidates were the ones whose names would be on the November
ballot. We warned that waging a
defensive campaign based on fear of Democrats was not a winning strategy. We warned Party leaders that big money high
profile events wouldn’t translate into votes at the ballot box.
Republicans came close – again. We always come close. But
the strategy of the leaders in the Republican Party of Wisconsin didn’t work –
again. Their strategies haven’t won a
U.S. Senate seat since 1988. For the
sake of “Party unity” the leadership discourage primary contests between fellow
Republicans. And, as a Party, Republicans
all but concede half of the elections before a single vote is cast, putting up
only token candidates to face Democrat incumbents in all but a handful of
“safe” Democrat districts.
It’s not working.
All the negative ads criticizing Democrats didn’t work. All the visits to Wisconsin by famous
Republicans from outside Wisconsin didn’t work. All the annoying pre-recorded telephone calls and slick glossy
mailers didn’t work.
What was the theme the Republican Party ran on in this
election? It wasn’t anything positive,
anything voters could vote for.
All the Party seemed to be running on was Democrats are bad. Don’t vote for Democrats. Beware of the Democrats. You don’t want Democrats in control, do you?
Where was the positive Republican message? What did Republicans promise voters they could vote for? Nothing. Continuation of the status quo. As far back as January, even President Bush was warning the Republican Party of this problem, when he told us “People are not happy with the status quo.”
President Bush then added, “People want honest
government.” When the Party is seen cutting
backroom deals in a desperate attempt to hold on to power, a perception of
corruption pervades the electorate.
When candidates use their elected offices to garner obscene political
donations, it only adds to the perception.
And when Party leaders look the other way and condone such sleazy
practices, “because everyone does it,” Republicans loses the moral authority
our base was built upon.
Conservatives who value limited government and fiscal
restraint used to find themselves in good company in the Republican Party. Not so these days. In Wisconsin, the Republican-led Legislature has been just as
responsible for Wisconsin’s $2.5 billion budget deficit as the Democrats. Wisconsin residents are taxes to the hilt,
and all that taxation has fueled the growth of our state government beyond all
reasonable practicality.
Limited government also means a government that doesn’t
inject itself into matters of social conscience. Responsible citizens can take care of themselves without the heavy
hand of big brother controlling their every action. Community standards are best left to local communities, families
and individuals, to decide how they will live their lives. Family values do not come from politicians.
It’s time for the Republican Party to get back to
basics. Stop using the heavy hand of
government to impose some politician’s idea of “values” on the rest of us. Bring back smaller government, with lower
taxes and fewer restrictions shackling free enterprise.
It’s time to clean house in the RPW leadership. We need new blood, willing to look at new
ideas and strategies to actually implement core conservative ideas. Simply playing musical chairs and changing
hats on the same pointy heads won’t get the job done. If these “leaders” actually care about the future of the RPW, as
they claim they do, they’ll step aside and make room for people who want to get
the job done, not simply use their leadership positions to enhance their own
careers.
The winds of change can be a gentle breeze or a destructive
force. The trees that can bend and sway
in a windstorm are the ones that survive.
Those that are inflexible tend to end up uprooted and destroyed.