Victor Davis Hanson’s column at NRO is this morning’s great reading. In it, he discusses the competing theories about what happened to the GOP this election cycle. Here’s the first theory Dr. Hanson discusses:

It was a sort of fluke. Party faithful will shrug that almost everything conspired this year against the conservative brand: two wars; the sinking economy; eight years of presidential incumbency; a biased, unethical media; Bush’s low ratings; the absence of an incumbent president or VP candidate on the ticket; more exposed Republican congressional seats than Democratic ones; a charismatic path-breaking opposition candidate, etc. The stars were wrong, rather than the ideas.

So, the theory goes, just make McCain appear a little younger, Obama sound a little bit more like John Kerry, and take away the mid-September financial meltdown, and, presto!, a Republican would now be in the White House.

This thinking should be immediately dismissed. This thinking is status quo thinking, which is the most stagnant thinking within the GOP. It’s defeatist thinking and it shouldn’t be tolerated.

It’s foolishness from a strategic standpoint. It doesn’t address inspiring workers to do the mechanics of campaigning; it doesn’t address the advantages Obama has in terms of GOTV, fundraising and event planning. The GOP won’t be competitive nationwide until the GOP steps vigorously into the 21st Century.

One change that must happen is in candidate recruitment. Too often, we’ve run the person who lots the election before. Too often we’ve recruited someone from the state senate. These candidates shouldn’t be expected to win. The voters rendered a verdict on the ousted incumbent. More often than not, state senators aren’t the assertive people that representatives are. Picking the ‘next in line’ guy is a great way to lose elections. Legacy picks are disasters-in-waiting.

Great candidates are identified by how energetic and articulate they are. Great candidates are identified by their adherance to conservative principles AND their energy AND their ability to articulate conservative principles.

I’d further opine that great candidates (a) naturally go on the offensive on the biggest issues of the day, (b) challenge their opponents statements and (c) are naturals at answering the voters’ why questions.

This was a difficult year for several reasons. The two biggest reasons, I believe, were caused by an unprecedented GOP spending binge and by John McCain’s indifference to the Christian Right. Couple that with lackluster fundraising caused by a contempt for the squishies in the Senate.

The main thing going forward is that there’s reason for optimism if we’re willing to work hard, if we start communicating with 21st Century technology, and, most importantly, if we apply conservative principles in solving the biggest problmems facing the people.

Technorati Tags: GOP, John McCain, Christian Conservatives, GOTV, RINO, Fundraising, Conservatives, Barack Obama, Election 2008

Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog

1. I think this is right on target–particularly regarding the spending binge. Republicans are supposed to be the responsible adults of politics. The Democrats are supposed to be the irresponsible idiots who cannot save money if their lives depended on it. Now I am deeply confused.

   I don’t doubt that the GOP will come back–as soon as we start acting like Republicans again.

   Comment by George — November 24, 2008 @ 12:09 am