By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel
CHULA VISTA, California –The Republican Party needs to be introspective at this time of our country’s history. As I think about the collapse of the Romney campaign for the Presidency, I think Gov. Romney missed several opportunities to win this election. Part of the problem has a lot to do with branding. Obama branded Romney as the political candidate for the rich and powerful. Throughout the campaign, President Obama and his campaign strategist David Axelrod promoted class warfare in one of the nastiest elections of recent memory.
The Republican Party produced a candidate who reminded us of Robert Young’s Father Knows Best. But this television show was very popular in a culture where white men ruled the day. However, given the various liberation movements of the latter half of the 20th century, our society has changed. Women’s Liberation, Civil Rights, Gay Liberation, as well as the large influx of Asian and Latino immigrants have radically redefined the texture of our country’s demographics. Now it is true that many outstanding interracial leaders spoke at the Republican Convention, but the majority of our country did not watch or hear these wonderful young leaders.
I hope Mia Love, Mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah, and Alan West continue to reassert themselves and run again. I suspect that when our country’s economic woes increase, Americans will realize the need for real and meaningful change. Abraham Lincoln lost several times, but he was not a quitter. He lost eight elections, twice failed in business and suffered a nervous breakdown. He could have quit many times – but he didn’t and because he didn’t quit, he became one of the greatest presidents in our country’s history.[1] Young Republican leaders who lost should look to Lincoln for their example.
When Romney chose Paul Ryan as his VP choice, I had a bad feeling. True, Ryan was very articulate and appealing; however, his Catholic views on abortion and birth control were out of touch with mainstream Americans, who happen to be non-Catholic. Mixing politics with religion is never a good idea. Religion must remain in the sphere of privacy when it comes to matters of personal lifestyle.
He should have made Mario Rubio his VP instead. Such a choice would have demonstrated that the Republican Party was becoming more inclusive in its vision of the ideal type of government. Having a VP who is a son of immigrants would have made every Latino in our country proud. It would have demystified the notion that the Republican Party is the last bastion of white male power. I think even Alan West would have made African Americans proud.
I also think the Republican Party has to seriously reconsider its official position on abortion and gay and lesbian marriage. A far better approach would suggest that these issues are a matter of personal conscience; it is not the place for the government to dictate what personal choices Americans make. I realize this may alienate the Tea Party and Christian Right—but the Republican Party will not be successful until it learns to stop stigmatizing people whose personal lifestyles conflicts with their religious values. As a conservative, these words might sound like heresy, but it is a view that is consistent with the Republican political philosophy that purports big government has no place in the private economic lives of the American people.
The Republican leaders who opposed all abortion—including abortions that are the result of rape and incest—ultimately harmed Romney, as did Ryan. The Republican Party needs to understand that not every American shares the conservative Christian view that life begins from conception.
It seems to me that Romney also failed to make the most of his debates with Obama. He was very aggressive in the beginning, but he adopted a supine approach in the last two debates. On foreign policy, he should have mentioned and quoted the “60 Minutes” reporter Lara Logan, who was gang-raped by the Muslim Brotherhood thugs in Egypt during the “Arab Spring.” The Republican Party should have made Lara Logan the poster child of their anti-Obama campaign. An outstanding and articulate woman like Lara Logan would have struck a visceral fear in every woman of the kind of “allies” the Obama presidency is currently courting.
When the debate turned to Israel, Romney should have mentioned how Obama called East Jerusalem, “Occupied Arab Territory,” which shocked the Jewish and international community. Romney should have mentioned how Obama insulted Netanyahu when he chastised him in public, when he tried to force Israel to accept 1949 armistice borders. Romney could have also exposed the various czars of his administration, who have historically excoriated Israel’s existence. Yes, Romney could have had a field day in the last debates.
Romney said almost nothing about the Benghazi cover-up; he should have had the fathers of the slain Navy SEALS appear with him and share their stories about Obama’s hypocrisy and duplicity. There are many unanswered questions about the Benghazi attack and Americans deserve to know the unvarnished truth.
There were other problems that contributed toward Romney’s loss. The Republican campaign did not realize that the demographic realities of our country have changed considerably from the 2008 election. They also underestimated the power of the incumbency.
Lastly, Hurricane Sandy along with Gov. Christie’s “bro-mancing”[2] of Obama, deflated the Romney campaign and Americans forgot about the Benghazi cover-up. MSNBC Newscaster Chris Matthews said something that other news channels also expressed, “I’m so glad we had that storm last week because I think the storm was one of those things. No, politically I should say. Not in terms of hurting people. The storm brought in possibilities for good politics.” Let us paraphrase Homer: “Yes, the gods conspired against Romney.”
Notes:
[1] Lincoln was a champion and he never gave up. Here is a sketch of Lincoln’s road to the White House:
1816 His family was forced out of their home. He had to work to support them.
1818 His mother died.
1831 Failed in business.
1832 Ran for state legislature – lost.
l832 Also lost his job – wanted to go to law school but couldn’t get in.
1833 Borrowed some money from a friend to begin a business and by the end of the year he was bankrupt. He spent the next 17 years of his life paying off this debt.
1834 Ran for state legislature again – won.
1835 Was engaged to be married, sweetheart died and his heart was broken.
1836 Had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months.
1838 Sought to become speaker of the state legislature – defeated.
1840 Sought to become elector – defeated.
1843 Ran for Congress – lost.
1846 Ran for Congress again – this time he won – went to Washington and did a good job.
1848 Ran for re-election to Congress – lost.
1849 Sought the job of land officer in his home state – rejected.
1854 Ran for Senate of the United States – lost.
1856 Sought the Vice-Presidential nomination at his party’s national convention – get less than 100 votes.
1858 Ran for U.S. Senate again – again he lost.
1860 Elected president of the United States.
[2] “Bromancing” is an expression used by Saturday Night Live’s portrayal of Christie and Obama’s “chummy” relationship.