What's a "jackalope" again? Oh, yeah... combination Jackass and antelope. I just love a twisted political analogy that implies perverse animal husbandry!

I know, it's supposed to be jack-'rabbit' but consider the national symbol of the Democratic National Party (a kicking donkey) and the jackass is more apropos than the bunny anyway.

Maybe some folks, like me, share some of the beliefs of the Democrat Party but tend to vote for the Republican candidate. In a sense, we're all jackalopes.

Most of us fail to adhere 100% to the party line of ANY political denomination. Maybe the term should be "jack-a-phant"?

As fun as this word-play is, the interesting question today is how the republican party identifies itself moving forward. Will the platform continue to be one crafted by the dying breed of good ol' (Caucasian) boys?

In reading the article, I was really waiting for Jonah to reach for McCain's defeat to argue the "stay right" point. Unless I missed it, he didn't go there. I'm glad.

Some partisans are foolish enough to claim that a "true republican" would've faired better in the election than a "pseudo-republican" (i.e., Sen. McCain) did. Maybe "ersatz-republican" is more accurate, but the argument is still ridiculous.

No true right-winger could've achieved what Senator John McCain achieved in this election. The cards were stacked against him: 1) the average American voter believed that the republican party caused the economic melt-down, 2) the republican administration has us in an unpopular war and 3) the democrats nominated a charismatic, articulate and shrewd opponent. With the timing of events it was impossible for a republican to win the white house.

Even with these insurmountable circumstances and further handicapped by a VP pick that backfired, McCain managed to garner 46% of the popular vote. The message to the republican party should be crystal clear: moderate/centrist politics will move the GOP forward.

The recent "we've abandoned our conservative roots and that's why we lost" GOP backlash is absurd. I pray the party recognizes this and moves further away from "we're the party for conservative principles, traditional American principles and apple pie" toward a more reasonable and thoughtful position.

I consider the election a referendum on party politics and think a majority of us are ready to see the GOP evolve. (Oh yeah... ix-nay on the evolution-eh) The Bush 41 "compassionate conservative" label is appealing. But it has to be more honest and less a campaign slogan.

McCain must become more the true face of the republican party and less "the maverick".

From a Jackalope to the Republicans: abandoned hard-core positions on single issues such as "pro-gun", "pro-life", "pro-religious fundamentalism" and "anti-big government"!

Make an honest attempt (and this'll sound even more absurd!) to fashion a platform that is honest about the parties intentions and bring how you market yourself together with what you really stand for. (er, "straight talk".)

Finally, Stephanie mentions "free markets". Although it's coming from someone without a partisan agenda, in a political discussion, most readers interpret this as republican-speak for "anti-big government".

I'm an MBA with a sincere and deep-rooted belief in capitalism; nonetheless, what is happening GLOBALLY TODAY is a testament to why government must temper the profit motive of our markets, particularly financial markets, with reasonable constraints.

The dust is settling and the picture should be clearing up for all of the pundits and the political strategists: old-school partisan politics won't secure the place of the GOP in the future. . . . and this jack-alope is glad the party's over.



 

I sincerely doubt that there is one person on the planet that agrees with everything either party has to offer. So no matter which party you favor, I agree that some transparency would lead to progress. If you are this way or that, just say it. The middle won't cut it, though. By that I mean, the middle of what you say versus what you mean. Say what you are about and stick to it. Both of these candidates were speaking with forked tongues, figuratively, if not literally. That is why I chose to vote AGAINST one of them rather than FOR one of them. They never knew it, but it made me feel good doing it!