GOPideas... ideas done right

Tonight is a short hiatus from the site’s focus on ideas to instead focus on the recent elections. In short, the elections should serve as a great lesson to Republicans: focus on issues people care about, have something to say and be ready when opportunity presents itself.

First, Bob McDonnell ran a great race in Virginia --- against the same opponent he beat four years ago by 300 votes --- and beat him by 300,000 this year. McDonnell focused on the economy, was able to blunt charges that he was somehow anti-woman (watching CNN tonight, they refused to put up exit polls on how McDonnell fared with women; glad they’re unbiased) and used the internet effectively.  The bottom line is that this race was a thumping, whipping, dignity-taking romp that exceeded even the greatest expectations, executed by a smart, focused candidate with a good strategy.

Second, Chris Christie’s win in New Jersey was big because it is an overwhelmingly Democratic state and he was severely outspent. However, let’s keep in mind that his opponent was a big spending, big taxing, Goldman Sachs millionaire worth hundreds of millions of dollars whose key campaign theme was: my opponent is fat. Regardless of the demographics of the state, if you have been governor for four years and your rationale for re-elections relies upon the relative chubbiness of your opponent, few rational voters would think that you have a plan for their future.

This brings us to NY 23 --- and the need for Republicans to be consistently competent, before worrying about ideological purity tests. Know some issues, have some ideas, have a rationale for your candidacy --- not hard. However, Doug Hoffman flunked that test with flying colors. I’m sure that I agree with him on 90% of the issues and that the nomination of Scozzafava was an all-too-familiar blunder by national leaders. In that sense, I’m glad that she got run from the race. However, any candidate that doesn’t take the time to know the local issues or live in the district deserves to lose: Republican or Democrat. Am I happy the Democrats will pick up a seat, no. Do I hope that the national media calls out Dick Armey for saying that lives affecting district residents are too parochial to be discussed in a campaign, yes.