We Should Be Winning

This is going to sound a bit like a pity party, and you're invited! Break out the Donald Trump party hats. 

There is no reason on Earth that Republicans should be losing this election cycle. None. We have a President presiding over an economy that hasn't seen GDP growth of more than 3 percent during his term. His average has been 1.5 percent. When he leaves office he will be the first President in HISTORY without a single year of 3-plus percent economic growth. It's pathetic.

Meanwhile, the Democrats' signature achievement of the last century, (other than those glowing moments when their guy Bull Conner was releasing attack dogs on black people in the streets) Obamacare is costing the average American thousands more per year. 

Also, remember all those times the President said, if you like your doctor you can keep him? Lie.

Remember all of those times the President said Obamacare was going to bring costs down? Lie.

And yet, it appears that voters are about to hand the keys to the White House over to the woman who once said, "Before it was called Obamacare, it was called Hillarycare." Sweet sassy, she's going to double down on that dumpster fire of a healthcare policy. And it's awful. (Remember how Republicans warned of this VERY problem? Remember how we also warned about death panels? We were right last time, so you know: Think on it.)

Here in Kansas, the Sunflower State is one of the bright spots in the nation where state revenues are concerned. It physically hurts me to say this, because I am an advocate of starving the state beast--I mean starving it down to supermodel-before-a bikini-runway-show size, and we're not. And I don't like it, but that's not what everyone else in the herd is upset about. No, Kansans are stompy mad, because we aren't spending enough. It's the most baffling thing I've seen in quite some time.

Personal incomes nationwide are down. The American populace hasn't had a real raise in decades. Despite that fact, Kansas revenues are up. Schools are receiving more money than they've ever had--not that student scores are improving. Lawyers argued in front of the Kansas Supreme Court last month that student scores are so bad we should be giving schools MORE money.

Meanwhile, it's nearly impossible to get the truth through to anyone. I could run around all day stapling pamphlets of reality to people's foreheads, and it would do no good. Kansans drive on some of the best roads in America--daily. Sunflower state drivers can't swing a steering wheel without hitting an orange barrel, and yet, Kansans appear to be clamoring for more money to be spent on roads, because, I guess, someone told them we're not spending enough on roads. I do not understand believing a line of lobbyist propaganda rather than believing your own eyes--but that's where we're at.

I know what entity I blame, but I'll spare you, because that's not the point. The point is this: Everyone has lost their minds. Conservatives SHOULD be winning this election up and down the ballot by numbers that make Reagan's 1984 landslide look like a nail biter. 

Numbers suggest that we're not winning. In Johnson County, Democrat advance ballots are pouring in. (There are more Republican ballots pouring in as well, but not enough to stem the Dem tide at this point.) It looks like Republicans may be losing in Kansas and nationally. I'm going to spare you all my thoughts on why we're losing nationally. I'm sure you can figure it out. If you haven't I'm sure the Republican circular firing squad festivities scheduled for Nov. 9 are going to be something really special. I'll make sure you get your invite.

However, I'm happy to explain the problem in Kansas: We're not good at messaging. Yes, conservatives must deal with a nearly Satanic media who will stop at nothing to make conservatives look silly or stupid. Surveys consistently show that the American populace--and especially Kansans--are right-leaning people. If we could lay out our ideas (and stand by them), we would be winning the debate. But we have to work on explaining those ideas. We have to work at getting the message out, preferably without being insulting or ridiculous. (I'm not going to name any names, but if you need examples, call me. I'll provide them.)

But that's not our only problem. The other part of our problem is near universal refusal to stand on principle without waffling. I think we're going to see massive amounts of squish coming from our party in the next few years. So much that I'm going to have to carry a barf bucket around. It's going to be that bad. 

We are going to have to decide what we stand for if we want our party to survive. At this point, I don't have a clue what we stand for at all, and I'm kind of afraid to ask. 

I'll just say this: People admire and value consistency in messaging, thought, and deed. Even when they disagree with you, they value and understand when you have a principle, and you stick to it. We need to figure out what it is we stand for, and then practice standing for it without looking like Loony Tunes.