Today’s midterm election is without a doubt a referendum on President Obama, his policies, and his congressional colleagues who voted in lockstep with him. It is being closely watched to see which party controls Congress, particularly the United States Senate.
According to many media outlets and pundits, a Republican wave has formed that should sweep the GOP into the majority in the U.S. Senate.
But what will this senate look like?
Will Harry Reid maintain his position as majority leader because the establishment wanted more “go along to get along” moderate incumbents or party loyalists in states such as Mississippi (Sen. Thad Cochran), North Carolina (Thom Tillis), Kentucky (Minority Leader Mitch McConnell who was in an unnecessarily close election in a solid red state), Kansas (Sen. Pat Roberts), Louisiana (Rep. Bill Cassidy), Oregon (Monica Wehby), and a few other states where entrenched candidates were pushed by the Chamber of Commerce (Chamber of Crony Capitalism) rather than constitutional conservative candidates whom the grassroots would be highly energized for?
Nearly impossible as even the Washington Post is conceding that the GOP as a 97% chance of winning the U.S. Senate tonight.
Because President Obama’s presidency is so awful and devoid of leadership, most of these weak establishment candidates will win by default.
Conservative First did not support any of those candidates listed above because we always put conservative principles first before party loyalty and majority rule.
Will the senate be controlled by a slim Republican majority with the same old, stale, and feckless establishment leadership hellbent on passing amnesty?
Quite likely.
Or will it be a GOP majority with new, fresh conservatives like Ben Sasse (Nebraska), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Tom Cotton (Arkansas), and Rob Maness (Louisiana) joining the likes of Senators Cruz, Lee, Paul, Sessions, Rubio, and others forcing the current establishment leadership to look over their shoulder at the conservative brigade sent to save the republic?
Hopefully.
President Obama’s unpopularity, even in states he carried in 2012, will carry the GOP to victory today. Make no mistake, the president and his policies are on the ballot.
But unfortunately, this is a missed opportunity for the Republican Party to lay out a framework for restoring our republic and putting our country back on the path to greatness.
The Republicans should be out on the campaign trail explaining why liberal policies destroy the American psyche. The GOP candidates and the leadership should be pointing out that it is government and its overreach that is making a vast majority of the American people unhappy.
Instead, the GOP is playing defense. “I didn’t vote with President Obama 99% of the time” is not a long-lasting strategy to winning future elections.
No bold colors. No vision. No fresh ideas.
Back in 1994, Newt Gingrich and others marched to the West Front steps of the U.S. Capitol building and presented the “Contract With America” to the American people. And with it, a framework was laid out that inspired the American people to vote for something, not just vote against something or someone.
Vision. Ideas. Fresh conservative faces. A long-lasting winning strategy.
The Gingrich-led GOP went on to control both chambers of Congress for 12 years. Does anyone think this current GOP leadership will be able to control the upper chamber for more than one election cycle considering that the GOP has many more senate seats to defend in 2016?
Not likely.
Will the electorate that is so upset with President Obama this time around return to the homestead in 2016 and help elect Hillary Clinton? Will disenfranchised minorities and women, those hardest hit in this economic faux recovery, vote for the GOP today or just stay home then return back in two years to the Democratic Party?
Likely and that is extremely unfortunate.
This election is not a GOP mandate. This is an unhappy electorate rising up in a wave to vote out of frustration.
Playing defense is not how you inspire people to vote for you the next time around because in two years, the Republicans will have been in charge and in the crosshairs of the electorate. You need to lead to be successful.
President Ronald Reagan inspired people and made them believe in this country and in themselves with principled ideas and vision because he himself strongly believed in America and its greatness. That’s how you start a revolution for positive change and direction that creates generational conservative voters.
The GOP has a golden opportunity this election cycle to not only rid Harry Reid from his majority post but to push ahead with a constitutional conservative agenda to restore our republic and explain to all Americans how liberty and freedom enriches lives.
The leadership could use the past six years to illustrate between two vastly contrasting visions for the future of the country.
On one side: high taxes; big, encroaching government; regulations designed to destroy the economy; open borders that has and will continue to lower wages; feckless foreign policy that has made us less safe at home and abroad.
Malaise. Despair. Crushing the American spirit.
The other side: low taxes (preferably a flat tax) and more money in your pocket to spend how you see fit; limited government regulations; a free market, patient-centered healthcare system that lets you keep your doctor; a secure border; a booming economy producing higher wages; a balanced budget; school choice for all children, not just those who live in good neighborhoods.
Bold colors. Vision. Big ideas.
We will be very happy later tonight when the GOP wins the 51st seat and controls the U.S. Senate. Harry Reid must be removed from his post first and foremost!
But winning is only the beginning and the easiest part. Governing is much harder and takes guts and leadership.
As Reagan famously said on many occasions, “America is a shiny city upon a hill.”
Today is an opportunity to make that ring true once again.
