President 2012

[B. W.]

De Tocqueville - 1840s:

“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years.”

– Alexis de Tocqueville

[RickD]

jlay wrote:
What this election says to me is that the GOP is drifting further out of touch. George W Bush did irreprable harm in galvanizing the middle class against the GOP. Bush was a disaster in so many ways. People want to blame Obama but he inherited a mess. Much of it the doing of GOP fat cats deregulating, and then making good ole boy deals to line their pockets. The whole mess blew up. The Romney plan was to blame Obama, when everyone knows he took over a giant quagmire.

Romney was not affective in distancing himself from the old gaurd. And I think the reason is that he is not that different.
Further, the GOP was not affective in communicating its positions. For example, there were ample oppotunities to communicate on abortion when the issue came up in debates. The candidates failed miserably. Why? Because the position is merely a talking point for them. They know conservatives are pro-life, therefore they are pro-life. I don't think the issue truly resonates at the heart for Ryan and Romney.

Ryan. This guy was chosen to try to stimulate the conservatives. Epic fail. I didn't like the guy and he seemed like a mousy little man who spewed rhetoric.

The GOP doesn't relate to me. It seems like a good ole boy network.

Jlay, I think you hit the nail on the head.
There is a perception about Romney and the GOP, that they're out of touch with everyday America. Catering to the good old boys is a good way to put it. I live in an extremely "red" area of Florida, and almost everyone I talked to before the election, sided with Romney. I spoke with one guy who voted for Obama, and he said that Romney is out of touch with the middle class, and Obama is working for the middle class. I think across the country, that perception is why Obama won.

And, as I said before, I believe Romney has no conviction. He stands behind the issues that he believes will get him elected. People just flat out do not trust Romney.

The Republican party has no one to blame but itself, IMO.

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

Civil war, the death of America and the birth of Communism in America?

He's got a tough few years ahead of him.

As I'm sure you understand, Americans have penchant for hyperbole! Even so, the re-election of B.O. signals that America will continue going off its traditional course in domestic & foreign policy.

FL

[Stygian]

Support Obama, for NEW WORLD ORDER!

All we can do is pray. The violent disregard for justice in the presidency is, at this point, unstoppable.

[RickD]

When I woke up this morning, the sun came up, and the birds were chirping. I couldn't believe it! I thought for sure that life as we know it on planet earth would surely have stopped when President Obama was reelected.

[jlay]

Support Obama, for NEW WORLD ORDER!

All we can do is pray. The violent disregard for justice in the presidency is, at this point, unstoppable.

Please, if this is how you feel, do not pray.

I do not agree with Obama's policies, but this nonsense among Christians has got to cease.

[PaulSacramento]

Obama won because American voters trusted Romney LESS than Obama.
Seems to be the simple.

[Stygian]

Support Obama, for NEW WORLD ORDER!

All we can do is pray. The violent disregard for justice in the presidency is, at this point, unstoppable.

Please, if this is how you feel, do not pray.

I do not agree with Obama's policies, but this nonsense among Christians has got to cease.

Well, the NEW WORLD ORDER line was a joke =)

And why not? American politics have been corrupted, and I think we should pray. What's wrong?

[RickD]

Obama won because American voters trusted Romney LESS than Obama.
Seems to be the simple.

Actually, Obama won because he got more electoral votes than Romney. Now that's the simple.

[B. W.]

When I woke up this morning, the sun came up, and the birds were chirping. I couldn't believe it! I thought for sure that life as we know it on planet earth would surely have stopped when President Obama was reelected.

Did the same but we (Wife and I) took a eight mile round trip hike in the Rocky mountains. It was strangely subdued, not many birds seen at all, nor did we see any wildlife as we usually do (Moose, Deer, Elk, Mountain Lion, Grouse, ground squirrels , etc). Came home and saw that our neighbor gloating other the win by proudly displaying his Obama yard signs while others, have taken them down (both Romey and Obama signs).

While hiking this verse kept coming to mind...

"Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil."Jeremiah 13:23 NIV

...and then after returning see the neighbor across the street gloating - makes you think...

As others have pointed out - America cannot survive another 4 years of this stuff.

America died November 6, 2012.

God rest her soul...

May the Lord have mercy upon us and restore our nation back to sanity and greatness again

But with neighbors like that, can it ever be?

FYI - since I am out and about - the feeling from across the country is one of war, 50 percent against the other 50 percent, may cooler minds prevail as we need but just wait till the 50 percent see their mistake and then they'll be the mob that all Government''s fear...
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[Philip]

OK, here is my prescription for the Republican Party to gain a soul and have future success:

* The Republican Party is not currently a party of TRULY conservative values, as many within the party merely parrot conservative values, but don't really appreciate them, nor see them as being much more than as being a convenient facade they can posture and that can be used to manipulate the masses.

* TRULY conservative values mean: That one truly cares about ALL people, and wishes to strengthen the opportunities for the individual by supporting initiatives and policies that strengthen and protects families (whatever that looks like for each one) and society as a whole. This means recognizing that there are people who sincerely need protection and help, and who have little ability to change themselves. It recognizes that their is a harmful entitlement mentality that doesn't just include poor people, but that is pervasive across society, and that we must scale this back or it will bankrupt us. Conservatism also means devising realistic ways and programs to move people who don't know how to help themselves from dependency to productivity and independence - creating handUPs as opposed to handOUTS. It means devising motivations of incentives and disincentives. It fosters personal initiative and ambition. It does not foster dependence, or an attitude that the government will always take care of you. It means being fiscally conservative, meeting budgets, staying out of debt - as much as possible. Pay as you go! It means maintaining a strong, capable defense while avoiding unnecessary military entanglements. It means respecting and supporting the spiritual values of the individual without going to the extremes of eradicating public displays or interactions of faith-based groups. It means protecting the unborn. It means maintaining quality schools of instruction excellence.

* True Republican conservatives need to realize that there are simply not enough people who identify with their values to win future national elections - but that this doesn't mean that many minority people aren't personally or spiritually conservative in their values, but that they don't identify with Republicans as matching up with their values, or worse, see them as impacting them negatively. This is why many minorities have felt they have no choice but to vote Democrat. Most minorities view Republicans as greedy, arrogant, and as being not concerned in the least for the poor, or those struggling financially, or with health issues of those less fortunate. They typically view Republicans as only being concerned with economic issues impacting the upper classes and those of means, or those that are reasonably successful. This distrust factor has kept minorities in the Democrat camp for many decades.

So, as Republican conservatives realize they have both a values AND an image problem, their best solution is to truly correct these, first by sincerely adopting rightful values and paralleling policies.

Second, Republican conservatives must truly recruit, search out, embrace and welcome minorities into their leadership and lay positions to succeed. Many minorities have basic conservative personal values, yet don't identify with Republican conservatives because of trust issues and how Republicans have poorly behaved in the past - coming off as being either elitist, racially indifferent (and worse) or just subtly hostile to minorities. And so there just aren't enough white conservatives to win future national elections, as their demographic numbers have begun to wane. And as race is often a very difficult personal identification to overcome, sincere enticements, encouragements and outreaches must be developed. The Republican Party simply cannot just stay so white and male - as there simply aren't enough of them to win elections. And this incorporation and encouragement not only must happen, it's the RIGHT THING TO DO! The country and our Republic, in addition to the Republican Party, will all be better for such change.

Republican conservatives must do a tremendously better job of articulating the issues so that the average person can truly understand them. They must do much better job of conversationally explaining economic, fiscal and budget issues, in such ways as that the general public can truly understand them.

In short, Republicans need to become true social and fiscal conservatives, reaching out to all sectors of society equally, and becoming a party with a soul of deep values, and not just slogans. They need to become a party of deep convictions and not just posturing as such. It needs to more ethnically reflect America, and not just corporate America.

If the Republican Party will pursue these things, it will insure it's survival and future electoral success. If not, it's going to die a slow and humiliating death, which has now already begun.

Anyone agree with some of this? I can dream, can't I?

[Gman]

I'm with Bryan on this too.. All our sins are hitting an all new level. It's going off the charts folks.. G-d in His wisdom is going to have to judge us... He has to if He is just.. It doesn't matter if you are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Democrat or Republican... Sin is still sin, it has no color. If we keep doing crazy stuff like this we are going to get called on it. Maybe soon, I don't know... For the first time in my life I'm really concerned for our country.

I'm no saint either.. I'm just as guilty as everyone else..

[Gman]

Anyone agree with some of this?

Good points Philip. I think another area that Republicans can work on are environmental issues. I have a real problem with the Republicans skipping on the industries that push toxic poisons into our rivers.. You never hear much about Republicans promoting the green technologies.. Never.. In the end I think that really hurts them..

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

The Legatum Institute has just published its list of the world's 10 most prosperous nations. For the first time, the USA has fallen off the list:

World's most prosperous nation: Norway

#2: Denmark
#3: Sweden
#4: Australia
#5: New Zealand
#6: Canada
#7: Finland
#8: Netherlands
#9: Switzerland
#10: Ireland.

FL

[jlay]

The republican party is out of touch. You can say conservative values all you want. The reality is that the majority of the people in this country do not identify with those values. So, what will happen is the GOP and registered republicans will continue to shrink and the Dems will gladly welcome those who don't feel like they can pick a party based on one or two issues. If you look at the stats conservatives did not get out the vote. Romney got less than McCain in 2008. I was shocked to see this at first, but then I considered my own point of view and the fact that I voted independent.
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