Postmortem II

Gov. Jeb Bush offers the blunt truth in his recent thoughts about the future of the GOP.

I would suggest the conservatives need to do the math of the new demographics of the United States. We can't be anti-Hispanic, anti-young person, anti-many things and be surprised when we didn't win.

Republicans, it is time to wake up! Bush has the gravitas within the party to make such a bold statement. I have voiced a similar opinion many times before but some fellow Republicans chastised me for making such statements. One Republican even suggested that I had wondered off the reservation.

The only ones that have wondered off the reservation are those in Republican leadership...especially here in New Mexico. Their poor organization, leadership, and internal politics contributed to the worst election for Republicans since the Watergate era. They refuse to recognize their failures, evaluate their mistakes, and offer new pragmatic ideas. The party will remain insignificant if they continue their business as usual mentality.

The GOP is suffering from a deadly identity crisis. The Republican image is tainted and the well of ideas have turned stagnant. Republicans must continue to evolve certain policy initiatives in order to effectively compete with Democrats. They should seriously address issues pertaining to the environment, health care, and education. Pragmatic solutions, rooted in conservative principles, must be proposed to the American people.

Leaders must engage the issues of our time and convince Americans that their solutions are attainable, efficient, and best for the country. The resolution of problems must take precedent over rhetorical opposition to all things Democrat. Leaders and operatives must adopt zero tolerance for corruption, practice to limit government and spending, put working families and small business first, and spearhead reform. This will improve the image of the party and renew a partnership of trust with the American people.

The party has the opportunity to be the true agents of change if they choose to be. Republicans must harness the winds of change to navigate this once great ship of practical idealism back to significance in American politics.

The New Mexico Politico will continue to expand on certain themes addressed in the Postmortem series. It is critical for new ideas to enter the continuing discussion on the future of the Republican party.