Republicans Have Lost Their Hannity

Some say the 2008 Presidential election was a message to the Republican Party to clean up their acts. Others call it a blow out by a re-energized Democratic Party. A party that saw its candidate fully utilize the internet to keep a clear message and raise unheard of amounts of money without the need of special interest groups. A party that finally delivered on the youth vote as well as a strong black and Latino turnout. All in all, you could just say the Republicans were treated to a dish of revenge, served cold by the American people who were tired of the last eight years of Republican rule.

From Harold Meyerson’s op-ed in the Washington Post:

“The Republican Party reeling, its base shrunk to those Southern, Plains and Mountain West states where rural cultures still predominate. The party’s smarter strategists are arguing that the worldviews of the social conservatives and free-market extremists who dominate the GOP are either irrelevant or ridiculous to voters in the middle of the political spectrum.”

Now, if the preceding paragraph offends you, then you are exactly who Mr. Meyerson is talking about. So, with their tails tucked firmly between their legs the Republicans will sulk off to reorganize, reevaluate, and reconsider their plan of attack for the next big push in two years. If you are a Republican then you can only hope that in the late night strategy sessions to come the new leadership reconsiders the use of talk radio pundits like Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.

As for me, Limbaugh I can take, he hasn’t drunk as much of the Kool-Aid, although the Operation Chaos skit did more harm than good as many moderate Republicans were offended by such a cheap stunt. But let me turn my full on rant towards Hannity. Republicans should call your team mascot the Toxic Avenger since he has been the kiss of death in the Republican Party for eight years. Let’s face it; save for Bush who was going to be elected by hook or by crook, Hannity put the meloiks on everyone he publicly supported.

Why?

Here is one man’s opinion. I used to be a Republican. My sensibilities lean toward a strong military and less government. I don’t mind that people want to have guns, just don’t point them at me. But the Republican Party lost me for good over issues like stem cell research, abortion, gay rights, privacy, and foreign policy. In essence, they became exactly what Mr. Meyerson talked about and Hannity spread the Gospel everyday without even the slightest room for negotiation with the Democrats. His bile filled rhetoric turned off moderate Republicans en mass. Republicans who just might have given McCain a shot had he picked a different running mate, but that’s a different subject.

I guess the best way to describe my feelings toward the Republican Party is best articulated by our current Commander-in-Chief, “Fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.” Get your acts together, run legitimate campaigns, and stop using talk radio as your bully pulpit, it’s not working.