Be sure to catch Justin Ready, MDGOP’s Executive Director, tomorrow afternoon on C4’s WBAL show tomorrow from 12-3.

For the next few weeks, I will be parsing the numbers to get a better feel for what occurred last night (other than the obvious). However, one thing I do know is that we need to Reform the Right. This election was not a rejection of conservatism. We need to get back to our roots and communicate our message in a way that voters can relate to (and through messengers that they can identify with).

On a local note here in Harford County, MD, the results are still not in for the MD-01 House race. One major concern is that Andy Harris (R) received only 56% (unofficial) of the votes. It should have been at least 10 points higher based upon historical patterns.

We have a lot of work to do.

The current success of the Democratic Party in recruiting new members and new voters can be directly attributed to two things:  the public dissatisfaction with the status quo and the co-opting of abstractions like hope and change that are shaped and molded by each individual into an American Dream of his own creation.

The simplicity of this strategy is brilliant.

The implications of it are staggering:  Few policy declarations need be made that require revision or repudiation at some later date.

Because it puts the responsibility for creating the vision on the voters.

And as a result, a leader can be elected on the basis of a collective illusion, based on abstractions that shimmer like a mirage in the desert, giving false information to anyone unfortunate enough to see it and move toward it, only to find that the oasis is always just beyond the next dune…or the next election.

Perhaps the better idea is this:  The GOP needs to offer a clear, concrete vision for the future of America that demonstrates in succinct, understandable terms, the benefits to the individual and to the corporate whole of adherence to conservative principles, especially if we are entering a period of slowed economic growth with declining tax revenues.

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Politicians on both sides of the aisle have failed to put aside their own self-interests to govern at both the state and national levels.  They have breached the trust of the public and enriched themselves and their friends by expanding the reach of government into our houses and now our banks.

We expect government expansion with Democrats.

But as the saying goes, “Fool me once; shame on you.  Fool me twice; shame on me.”  The national public apparently feels like it has been fooled by the GOP one time too many.

And after this election, we may all look like fools.

But as the party of limited government, the GOP must be willing to adhere to this basic principle:

Less is more.

In other words, limited government and fewer taxes enrich the majority of people in America.

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Yesterday I presented a series of the best possible election outcomes that may revitalize the GOP.

Jon Henke concludes with his final tactical observations:

Fighting against Democratic schemes to grow government and engineer society is what Republicans do best. Republicans are good as a minority party. Unfortunately, the Right has never figured out how to translate that limited government tendency into a governing agenda.

So, whatever the result of the 2008 election, the best result for the Right is to return to fighting Democrats and stop apologizing for Republicans.

This tactic would seem to be the Maryland model.

But it has not been effective here in Maryland, and I suspect that it won’t work anywhere else in the country either.

For the Republican Party to position itself for a strong run in the next few election cycles, it must clarify its vision, revitalize support and recruit new members to its ranks.

When we say that we are for limited government and under our watch government spending grows faster than hurricane over tropical waters, we should not be surprised by the economic damage caused by such a storm.

There is also political damage:  we lose credibility with our constituents.

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The CATO Institute has just released its Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors. Not surprisingly, our very own Gov. Martin O’Malley was given the lowest score!

The lowest-scoring governor, Martin O’Malley of Maryland, spearheaded the passage of a $1.4 billion tax increase in 2007, which was unique in its large size and scope. It increased the corporate tax rate, the top personal income tax rate, the sales tax rate, and the cigarette tax rate. It also expanded the sales tax base and raised taxes on vehicles. This enormous increase will hit Marylanders directly in the pocketbook, and indirectly through slower economic growth over time.

A Baltimore Business Journal report from July 2008 indicates that Maryland slipped two places on Forbes’ list of best states to do business.  The state ranked 40th in the country for business costs, which include the price of energy, labor and taxes to employ workers in Maryland.

And a Business Week report published October 3rd, indicates that Maryland faces a projected 7.7% budget gap, roughly $1.1 billion dollars, which places the state in the top ten states unable to pay for themselves.  According to the report, which cites data released at the end of September from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Maryland may well join California in going to Washington for a bailout to help pay salaries for firemen, teachers and other state employees.

We are living in difficult economic times.

But living in Maryland under the current administration is going to become more difficult.  Just look at the last two years to see the trends begin.

Since Martin O’Malley took office, nearly 8,000 jobs have been lost.  The state legislature passed a $1.4 billion dollar tax hike that failed to produce expected revenues when the economy and housing market took a nose dive.

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Maryland House and Senate Republicans issued a joint statement yesterday opposing the constitutional amendment authorizing early voting in Maryland.  Ballot Question 1 authorizes voters to vote as early as ten days prior to Election Day, permits voters to vote outside of the district and precinct in which they are registered and authorizes absentee ballot on demand.

With allegations of voter registration fraud mounting in other jurisdictions across the country, safeguarding the legitimacy of this year’s election is a concern among party leaders.

House Minority Leader Anthony O’Donnell

“Early voting without the appropriate safeguards threatens the legitimacy of our elections.  This amendment not only authorizes early voting but also allows people to vote anywhere in the State, regardless of where they were registered.  Given that Maryland does not require photo identification for voting, this provision is ripe for fraud.  We call on the citizens of Maryland to protect the integrity of their elections and reject this constitutional amendment.”

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The Maryland GOP needs to get it together.

On the one hand, the Senate Republican Caucus takes no vote on the Slots referendum, but speaks out against the amendment to the State Constitution.

Then, the House Caucus decides to come out against the Slots referendum, but with a slots plan of its own, which has no chance to pass in the legislature, and which also unnecessarily offends those in the GOP who support slots.

And now even former Governor Bob Ehrlich has weighed in on the current slots proposal.

What on earth is going on with the Republicans in Maryland?  Is there even a plan?

From the looks of things, the GOP must look inside for some answers.

As the minority party in an overwhelmingly Democratic state, the GOP leadership needs to focus on the issues that will unify the party base and galvanize it to act.  The leadership of both caucuses needs to sit down and decide what exactly the priorities of the Republican Party of Maryland are and then aggressively market those priorities in a unified effort to draw voters, new or otherwise, to the GOP as a viable, attractive alternative to the tax and spend Democrats.

But as the saying goes, “A house divided cannot stand.”  The mixed messages of the Senate and House Caucuses clearly indicate that there is a unity problem in the GOP.  And if we cannot reconcile ourselves to each other, how can we attract new constituents to our party and grow, especially when we are alienating key members of party for no reason?

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The Baltimore Sun reported last week

The Maryland Senate Republican Caucus voted unanimously…to elect Sen. Allan H. Kittleman as minority leader and Sen. Nancy Jacobs as the minority whip, elevating a moderate and a social conservative to the leadership posts…

So how should the election of minority leadership change the way Republicans “do business” in Annapolis?

The majority of the state’s Republican voters support smaller government and fewer taxes.  And in light of O’Malley’s recent cuts to the state budget, you would think that the new leadership would have seized the moment to make a public announcement supporting the Governor’s action instead of complaining that the cuts hurt State employees.

To be the opposition party does not always require lobbing shots at the other side from across party lines.  It also does not require failing to recognize achievements on the other side that support your stated position.

In short, it is not the responsibility of the government to provide jobs for the people.

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