Post Election Hangover – Winners, Losers and the Forward

What just happened?  Who is to blame?  What should we do next?  If you happen to call yourself a conservative you are undoubtedly experiencing the post GOP election hangover blues.

So many questions with so many answers as to why and how President Obama beat Mitt Romney for a second term back to the White House.  The answers are found in taking a look at the real winners and losers of this epic political battle that reached $3 Billion in costs.

President Barack Obama – Winner

The President beat Mr. Romney with an effective ground campaign that once again focused on raising small amount donations from a lot of contributors.  His ground team assault in battle ground states was more effective at getting out the vote initiatives and his targeted message to minority groups and women ultimately won Mr. Obama a second term.

President Bill Clinton (The Clintons) – Winner

During the Democratic Convention President Clinton went to bat for Mr. Obama and hit a homerun with his layman explanation for government financing.  But it did not stop there.  Mr. Clinton was the uber political surrogate sent to Ohio, Virginia and Florida to drive home the President’s message for re-elections.  The Clintons are looking good right now and you can bet we have not heard the last of them – can you say 2016.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie – Winner

On the campaign trail Gov. Christie played his cards well by supporting Mitt Romney and securing a primetime appearance during the Republican Convention. However, you may have thought Christie was doubling-down with Obama after Hurricane Sandy ripped through the Jersey shore area. Christie’s complimentary comments in response to the Obama administration’s response to help may have done more damage than Sandy.

Look to see a lighter version Gov. Christie in 2016 and making a run for the GOP presidential nomination.  But remember the GOP elephant has a long memory and that knife felt in your back may be from your own party governor.

The Losers

Beyond the obvious with Mitt Romney loosing the presidential race Karl Rove – the engine that drove the Bush administration and FOX News has to be the second biggest losers.  After spending more than $3 billion to get Mitt Romney elected all Rove and FOX News got was the status quo and the appearance of looking very much out of touch with middle America.

The Tea Party movement is dead on arrival.  I think it’s safe to say that most Americans have moved to the middle politically in both parties.  A political philosophy dictated by W.A.S.P. is gone and both parties especially the GOP will have to go back to the drawing board and develop a platform that speaks to the new majority of Americans being Latinos, Women and African Americans.

Moving Forward

After licking their wounds Republicans should take note of how the White House was lost.  Recognize the new majority in the United States are minorities. President Obama may have won big in the Electoral College but by the slimmest popular vote margin.

President Obama does not have a mandate but he and the GOP better realized Americans are tired of a partisan approach to working on Capital Hill, appealing to the business community, creating jobs, taxes and budget reduction.

After a little soul searching Republicans should realize the war on women’s health issues, support of radical immigration policy and being a party that is too old, too white and too male is not going to help in 2016.

Moving forward Republicans need to take a page from Democrat’s outreach voter campaigns in particular in the aggressive way they used voter-targeting data for how they mobilize conservatives the next go around.

The ball is in hands of Democrats right now but Republicans need to be patient and wait. Our time is coming, now is the time to do some platform and issues house cleaning and be ready.

Heck Romney is already old news as now the President and Congress prepare to deal with the looming “Crisis Cliff” and first real test to bipartisan.