Where do the Republicans Go From Here?

Make no mistake about it. The Republicans suffered another crushing defeat last night. Not only did Barack Obama win the presidency, the Democrats made gains in both the House and Senate. The door is now open for Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi to push a liberal agenda for the nation. The only saving grace is that Democrats didn't achieve a super-majority in Congress; thus, the Republican senators can put up some degree of a fight against any extreme measures.

As far as making any kind of comeback, the Republicans, in my view, have a major reconstruction in front of them. The public, rightfully or wrongfully, has laid the major portion of blame on their doorstep for the weak economy and the poor performance of Congress. George Bush, rightfully or wrongfully, will leave office with a horrible approval rating.

So what should the Republican Party do in the next two to four years?

First of all, they must look introspectively at themselves. They must look back as far as the 1990s when they gained control over Congress based on Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America". Did they live up to their promises? Initially perhaps, but they soon grew too fond of their newly found majority status. Republicans came to Washington-and decided they liked it there inside the Beltway. They learned how to make backroom deals just like the old pols had before them. They took advantage of the attention of the lobbyists, their gifts, their trips on planes to boondoggle destinations, and all the rest. They learned how to engage in earmarks to bring the pork back to their constituents who, in turn, re-elected them. Spending, rather than be cut, was greatly expanded. Some, married or not, took advantatge of their offices and power to enjoy more female attention than they normally would have.

In short, they became corrupted.

Not that the Democrats were squeaky clean all these years. They were doing what they had always done. But it was the Republicans who got all the attention, largely because they had always talked about family values. So when a Mark Foley got nailed chasing pages or a Larry Craig got nailed in a men's room, it severely damaged the Party. Meanwhile, when William "Cool Cash" Jefferson was revealed to have accepted a bribe from undercover FBI agents, the story didn't carry as much weight because it really didn't shock anybody.

Second, it is time for Republicans to clear out their deadwood and make room for a new generation of up and coming leaders. Fortunately, Craig is retiring. Ted Stevens, who has been convicted, yet apparently re-elected (at this writing), must be gotten rid of. If he returns to Washington in January, his Republican counterparts must do everything in their power to get him out of Congress. If he refuses, they should join with Democrats in expelling him. Along that line, Stevens' Alaska crony, Rep. Don Young should also be shown the door. (The FBI may take care of that problem.) The old horse traders and Washington pros, even if not tainted by corruption, must fade into oblivion

The Republicans do have rising young stars; Louisiana Governor, Bobby Jindall, Lynn Swann, Paul Ryan, Michael Steele, and yes, Sarah Palin are prime examples of young conservatives who should be groomed for higher offices. What the Republicans need are young, energetic voices who can effectively articulate conservative values. George W. Bush could not. John McCain could not.

In addition, if the Republicans decide that they need to move closer to the Democrats and compete for their votes with a "we can do more for you" than the Democrats, I think it will be a huge mistake. Do they need to bring in more blacks and Hispanics? Sure they do, but they need to do it with a message that conservatism is the better way. For example, they need to convince blacks that they will be treated equally-not as handicapped children who need to be nurtured-as the Democrats do. With a black president, what need is there for nurturing?

As for Hispanics, Republicans need to convince them that their in-grained family values are more at home with Republicans than Democrats. Competing with Democrats in caving into border/immigration issues didn't accomplish much did it? Did the Republicans overlook a lot of Hispanic Americans who wanted new immigrants to play by the rules-as they had done? Who spoke for their voices? Who spoke for the Hispanics who wanted relief from illegal alien street gangs that were preying on their communities? Nobody, that's who.

All that is a round-a-bout way of saying that Republicans need to get back to their conservative base and sell it to the rest of the American people. They need fresh voices who can stand and debate with the Democrat liberals and show how wrong the latter are. They need to start now-even if inexperience costs them elections two years from now-elections they figure to lose anyway if the country is still basking in the Obama presidency.

The Republicans do have one thing going in their favor begiining in January. If things go bad in the next two years, there is only one party that can be blamed. In the meantime, let the rebuilding begin.