Republicans Win, Now What?

I, perhaps like many of you, did not get much sleep the night of Tuesday, November 2. I was up watching as Republican after Republican was elected to the US House, Senate and Governorships. At last count the Republicans gained 63 House seats, 6 Senate seats and now hold a majority of the states’ Governorships.

Just because the Republicans did not pick up the Senate, don’t downplay what has been accomplished. This was a wipeout! So much so that it has run President Obama right out of the country. He’s overseas licking his very substantial wounds.

Many pundits have said that Tuesday’s election was not so much a vote for the Republican/Tea Party agenda as it was a vote against the Democrat/Progressive agenda. I agree, but that in itself is a vote for something. The people have seen the direction that the Democrats/Progressives want to take this country and they don’t like it. The people have said, “Stop, turn around!” They want smaller, less intrusive, less expensive government. This is exactly the Tea Party agenda. The Tea Party has carried the day. The establishment Republicans rode on the Tea Party’s coattails.

Now comes the hard part; leading. If the Republicans don’t learn to lead, this opportunity will be lost, just as it was in the years following the 1994 election. The people have given the Republicans an agenda. Start with the centerpiece of the Democrat/Progressive agenda; Obamacare. As soon as the new Congress is gaveled to order in January, the House should introduce a bill to repeal, in its entirety, the new healthcare law. Debate it on the floor of the House; force the Democrats to defend what they have done. I know what you’re thinking, they’ll vote it down in the Senate; good, let them. Get these Democrats on record, with their voices and with their votes, deliberately thwarting the will of the people. Then make sure every voter in their state or district knows it. And don’t do this just once, but over and over again.

This would be a very effective strategy with Democrat Senators whose terms are up in 2012. They may even be frightened enough over the loss of their seat to vote in favor of the repeal of Obamacare, spending cuts, tax cuts and so on. If President Obama vetoes these bills, once again, he is on record as standing in stark opposition to the stated will of the people; not a good course of action for a President facing reelection.

One surprise that has not gotten much ink is the number of state legislatures that have turned Republican. This could be important on a couple of levels. One, since the 2010 Census, there is the matter of redistricting. Many districts are gerrymandered so as to produce a representative of a certain race, sex or sexual orientation but mainly a certain political philosophy. Now these districts can be normalized where the people can have a Representative of their choice.

Two, where do you think future Senators, Representatives, Governors and Presidents come from? In many cases they earn their political chops in their states’ legislatures. In this way the election of 2010 can be the genesis of conservatism becoming the dominant political philosophy well into the future.

We must do our part too. Stay in contact with your Representative and Senators. Write them emails and call them. Inform yourself; know what is to be voted on and know how you wish your Representative or Senator to vote. This is especially true if you have one of the just elected conservative Republicans/Tea Partiers. They are going to be under tremendous pressure to go along with the establishment. Let them know you are watching. Encourage them to hold to the conservative principals that got them elected.

Above all, don’t get discouraged. The Left is going to try and tell you that your vote didn’t change anything. It took 60 years of slumber to get this republic in the shape it is in and it’s not going to be fixed with one election. But we’re awake now. 2012 will be here before you know it and another opportunity to elect conservatives to the House and Senate…and a President. Gird up your loins; the fight is not nearly over.