It’s now been a little over a week since Barack Obama was elected to be our next president (wow, is saying that ever going to take some getting used to), and I’ve had some time to reflect (read: talk myself off the ledge…just kidding). Mostly, my reflection has consisted of just straightening up occasionally and saying silently to myself, “what in the (insert choice word here) just happened?” Of course, since my aim here is to somewhat tackle what exactly did just happen, I’d be lying if I said that this piece will be anywhere in the neighborhood of well-structured. No, if I were you, I would instead expect something more along the lines of a random collection of thoughts.

Shall we?

First of all, this election was not a repudiation of conservatism. In fact, though Obama will quite probably be the most liberal president we have ever had, he largely was elected running on a conservative platform of tax cuts for the middle class. Of course, there won’t actually be any tax cuts from Mr. Obama, but that’s not the point…the point is that in America today, a liberal like Obama still has to pretend to be at least quasi-conservative to get elected.

Keeping with that thought, one of the reasons that an unqualified radical like Obama even had a prayer in the first place was because Republicans and George Bush had strayed so far from the conservative principles, namely small government, that elevated them in power in the first place that the American people would have elected Mickey Mouse if he was on the Democratic ticket. I wish he were…I’d rather see him and Minny in the White House than Barack and Michelle, but I digress.

Speaking of George Bush, while I think history will be much kinder to him than the present is, he must accept good deal of responsibility for the public spanking that Republicans have taken over the past two elections. First, Bush’s altogether lack of fiscal restraint the last eight years all but destroyed the Republican brand in the minds of the voters. Secondly, W did an absolutely putrid job of communicating the who, what, where, when, and why of the events of the day and his reactions to them. Don’t get me wrong, I respect that fact that George Bush doesn’t make decisions for popularity sake, or that he is self-assured enough to not be swayed by the biting attacks from the left-wing media. I also understand the drudgery it must be to have to seemingly set the record straight daily. However, as a two-term president, the importance of having even mildly effective public relations skills has nothing to do with securing one’s own legacy but instead everything to do with creating a positive image of one’s party for one’s successor. President Bush really shirked this responsibility, and Republicans ended up paying dearly for it.

Then again, elections are cyclical, and often times voters just want to throw the bums out regardless of events or policies…hopefully in 4 years the Dems will be the new bums.

All that being said, this was still a winnable race for John McCain…very winnable. In my opinion, he made one crucial mistake. When the stock market crumbled, John McCain was offered on a silver platter the opportunity to show America why he is different from Bush, different from Obama, and why Republicans are the ones best suited to take on the financial crisis. He failed this test badly, and he really, really needed to pass it…especially given that the electorate was already placing all blame (wrongly in most cases) for the crisis right in the laps of Republicans. I truly believe that if McCain would have just opposed the bailout that he would be our next president. Think about it. John McCain’s whole campaign was based on the fact that he was more experienced and more ready to lead than Obama, yet when presented with a grade-A dilemma, he reacted the exact same way as Obama…and that was the ball game. I have to think that a certain portion of the voting block said to themselves, “well, if there isn’t any difference on how Obama or McCain would handle the issues, then why would I pass up on the this younger, cooler, smoother, and historic candidate for another old white dude?”

Of course, McCain’s decision to support the bailout wasn’t the only reason that he lost. Outside of the fact that the political climate for Republicans was absolutely brutal, McCain just wasn’t the right man to lead the GOP. He is an honorable man and a war hero, but he is not a conservative. Given the importance of economic issues in this election, hindsight would say that Romney may have been the best nominee, but that is all just speculation. What is not speculation, though, is the fact that running a moderate does not energize the base, and if there is one thing that George Bush in 2000 and 2004, and even Obama this year, taught us is that you don’t win without first exciting your base. The base of the Republican Party is still made up of conservatives, and as long as the GOP moderates and elite think that we should forget that and spend all of our time trying to “reach out” to Democrats and Independents, the Republicans will continue to be on the losing side of each and every election.

Case in point…Sarah Palin. Say what you want about her, but you certainly can’t argue that she’s anything but conservative. Well, guess who the people came out to see? Guess who injected some life into the party and gave McCain a fighting chance? A conservative. It’s pretty simple, Republican leaders, if you’re listening. Stop trying to out-Democrat the Democrats…sheesh.

One of the biggest stories of the election, though, was the disgrace to objectivity that was the mainstream media. It was actually quite astounding. Scary really. I don’t even need to say more.

You know, Barack Obama may be the luckiest politician of all time. He has no real experience; he has no accomplishments of note; he is extremely liberal, and yet he was still elected president amidst a financial crisis and two wars. Of course, the fact that he spent nearly $650 billion (maybe half of that coming illegally from overseas, but who’s counting) on the campaign, or that he received a protective covering along with fawning praise and adulation from the media 24/7/365 helped. Unbelievable.

It seems to me, though, that this election more than any other wasn’t about issues. People wanted change…but what kind of change? Ask those seeking it, and they couldn’t even tell you. People wanted to be inspired by glowing speeches…but at what cost? If I had a nickel every time I heard someone talk of how Obama made them feel, I’d be a rich man. People wanted to make history by electing the first black president…but at what expense? Colin Powell and many others sadly chose race over principle.

Nevertheless, America has chosen. Soooo, what now? Well, with Democratic majorities in congress, a socialist in the White House, and many tough decisions to be made over the next 4 to 8 years, the damage to our country could be catastrophic.

However, here’s the silver lining. The “what now” question also demands that Republicans get back to the basics of conservative thought if they want to survive. If they do, and I think they will, they will increase in favor with the American people. That in itself should embolden them to at least try to block every crazy idea that Pelosi, Reid, and Obama dream up….and you can be rest assured that they will be shooting for the stars. You see, liberals like Obama know that their views don’t line up with the views of most Americans, so during election season they mask them and try to push their agendas using the inch by inch boil the frog approach. Every so often, though, they get cocky and let the curtain drop (think Hillarycare). That’s when the American people go, “oh crap, what have we done?” Let’s hope that happens again…the “oh crap, what have we done” part, that is…not socialized medicine. I shutter at the thought.

Soooo, what now? Well, folks…we lost this battle, but the war is far from over, and let us never forget how quickly things can change. Remember, it was but a few short years ago that Bush was reelected, and the GOP increased their majorities in both the House and Senate. In fact, I own a book that was written in 2005 entitled “One Party Country: The Republican Party’s Plan for Dominance in the 21st Century.” Man, that book got outdated fast! That’s the point, though…Republicans and conservatives are down, but we aren’t out. We live to fight another day.

Friends, patriots, allies…all of you who care about the future of our Republic…Christians, conservatives, Republicans…those of you desperate to take America back…I urge you to join me in this fight.