The Silence Is Deafening

Ok, now that the smoke has cleared from Election '06, it's eerily silent throughout the country. Why? Because Republicans evidently can take a crushing defeat like adults and don't see the need to run to the nearest lawyer and file injunctions and lawsuits to bottle up the political process. Many of the House of Representatives races were exceptionally close, often 51%-49% or even tighter. Does anyone remember FL 2000? Petulant Democrats, having had their heads handed to them once again, screamed fraud and demanded recounts, not believing that the public chose someone other than them. "Let's get the courts to say we won -- that's the best thing to do. To heck with the actual election results. We deserve to be in power."

Evidently, the Republicans who were defeated accepted the losses as the will of the American electorate, despite the closeness of many of the races. Certainly, losing Republicans had the right to pitch tantrums like children whose favorite toy had been taken away, but thankfully that was not the case in Tuesday's vote. Now is the time to regroup and concentrate on running successful 2008 campaigns. If Republicans lose elections on issues, there's not much they can complain about. It's their fault that the conservative wave that has been building since 1994 has finally hit a seawall and scattered.

My hope is that someone rises to the occasion and assumes leadership of the movement not just the party. George Bush has been a dismal failure as a conservative leader. Over the six years of his presidency, it's been quite painful to watch the party drift leftward towards the center, often in the face of blatant partisanship exhibited by the left. With no coherent direction, the idelogical position suffers, unlike 1994, when coherence and focus made Republicans predictable, effective, and victorious. The coherence of 1994 showed that conservatism works when properly applied -- Republicans swept into power and held it twelve years. Perhaps the conservative base didn't show up for 2006 mid-terms, or maybe the majority of moderate voters wanted change and fell for the liberals' "New Direction" mantra. Whatever the reasons for the Republicans' defeat, there is undoubtedly a gaping hole in the party's leadership. Tuesday's results confirmed this. Until this void is filled by a leader committed to conservative ideals, you might as well get used to Speaker Pelosi and her new direction.