GOP Governors assess recent elections
The Republican Governors Association meeting in Miami last week was rife with assessments and recriminations as members evaluated the results of the presidential and congressional elections.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty wins the quote of the week award with this line “The Republican Party is going to need more than just a comb-over.”
The message from Mississippi Gov. and former RNC chairman Haley Barbour, was more optimistic. “I have looked down at the grave of the Republican Party, and this ain’t it. I’ve seen it a lot worse.” He recalled serving as executive director of his state party in the aftermath of President Nixon’s resignation, when Democrats elected 49 “Watergate Babies” to the House in 1974.
It got so bad, Barbour reminded the group, that a task force was set up to consider whether Republicans should change their name.
As for this year, Barbour argued there was a way to defeat Obama — by rendering him unacceptable to American voters.
“And the McCain campaign did not choose to try to make that argument,” he observed.
Jonathan Martin’s Politico coverage of the conference is available here.
November 18, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Republicans did not have a candidate to vote for, that’s why Obama won this election. RINO’s = Democrats, what choice?
November 18, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Haley Barbour has been around the political block a time or two. He speaks the truth that too many Republicans have been reluctant to do regarding the candidacy of John McCain. He was the wrong man at the wrong time who thought it was “his turn.” Very Bob Dolish. We lost that one, also.
November 18, 2008 at 3:11 pm
So many things went wrong. The message was frayed. The candidate was weak. The support was lukewarm. His age was not a winner with young voters. He was too liberal for conservatives. Minorities turned out in record numbers. ACORN played a role — however skewed and iilict. Bush was a millstone around any Republican’s neck, the list goes on.
Let’s vet good candidates now for the next election cycle, which will be here before we know it. it was not the conservative message that lost. It was a perfect storm of the above mentioned items and numerous others as well that factored into this defeat.
November 18, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Whoever gets the Republican nod, we’d better be ready to battle the millions of illegals, or perhaps new citizens by then, who will be voting Democrat.