Republican Comeback a Grassroots Project

Republicans lost Washington because they blurred the differences between them and Democrats. If McCain had said no to the bank bailout he would likely have won. As it was now Obama captured the maverick status and McCain got stuck with a Washington insider chain around his ankle.

Obama is no maverick - he is a socialist in the European sense of the word and will govern as such. He has very far reaching plans for America but will be advised by Podesta and others to go easy, or else the Democrats risk another 1978 or 1994. They know that the only two times they have taken the White House from the Republicans in the last 40 years they have gone too far to the left, too fast. The American people have reacted resoundingly. Therefore, Obama will turn up the heat more slowly.

This will make a Republican comeback a bit more difficult, although there will be numerous opportunities for Obama to make mistakes and expose either his inexperience or his radicalism. But more importantly, Republicans need to re-connect with America's middle class. They have lost that connection, which president Reagan gave them.

The best way to re-connect with America is to do it at the state level. By showing that they can govern conservatively both as governors and as legislators, state Republicans can demonstrate their firm commitment to limited government in practice. This is something they have not been able to do, or interested in doing, over the past few years.

There are a number of state-level reforms that can drive a Republican re-connection effort. The overarching goal must be to restore state independence, cut taxes and liberate people of government regulations. But this must be done with the clear purpose to bring tangible improvements to people's lives.

Governors Palin and Jindal are two examples of a new generation of Republicans who can set healthy governing examples and bring the Republican party back into the conversation with the American people.