The way I see it...

Democrats:

Social Issues: Freedom and equality of rights.

Economic Issues: Socialism and equality of results.

Republicans:

Social Issues: Christianity and Corporate Interests.

Economic Issues: Capitalism.

Note that corporate interests in social issues includings things like copyright laws, net neutrality, universities being required to spy on students to prevent piracy, and other things that have no effect on the economy, but deprive us of our social freedoms for the sake of a few companies who THINK they are at risk. While economic issues refers to taxes on business, healcare and the like.

Honestly I hate both parties and wish that one came along with the Democratic social stance and the republican economic stance.

I always have been registered as independent. I have never voted for a party, only candidates. If the Republicans want to earn people's votes they need to communicate WHY people should vote for their candidates instead of the others. I don't like the Dem party because they tend to pander to the special interest groups and don't like the Rep party because they tend to pander to big business. I would love to vote for someone who doesn't pander to any groups but instead will actually work for the benefit of the citizens of this country. A Common Sense Party is needed.

Very accurate. I don't see it happening any time soon, since those special interest groups / big business are the ones who foot the bill of actually having a party.

Republicans need to start grooming a rock star and raise a lot of cash. Apparently experience is not a requirement anymore, just need to look good and speak well (and read a teleprompter). This is not a slam against Obama, the election is over and it is now fact.

Other things that don't matter:

Prior military service (whether the country is at war or not).

Past associations.

Perceived lack of patriotism (like the refusal to recognize the National Anthem).

And the big favorite, that has remained a constant of all recent elections, the ability to keep all campaign promises (with president elect in the we'll see category for now).

yap... I am thinking the republicans need to find some sexy women who are members of mensa and are excellent orators (and have never been in politics before). It will be a landslide win.

And it will have the benefit of appealing to the "firsters"... now that we have the first black man... they will want a first woman in the white house.

Good God! Name a single politician that ever met that one!

The republican party needs to reffer back to the days when Lincoln was arround.  When Republicans were liberals and Democrats were conservatives.

Lincoln was not a liberal.  Nor do we want to harken back to those days for either party.  One was for slavery.  The other suspended all rights for those it did not agree with.

Those things would matter in the normal course of things.  This year they didn't because a couple of things trumped them.

1 - Anger at government, which the people (with the help of the media and the Dems) placed on Bush and therefore the Republicans

2 - A poor economy or the perception of same

3 - a Wall Street Panic less than 30 days before the election

4 - a failure of the Republicans to articulate why they could make a difference if (re)elected

That's why I ended with the line about actually delivering on what you promise.

I second that request.

And as Mason said on another thread - when has a politician actually done that?

Good article and questions, Zubaz.

This is the way I'm formulating it....

We're stuck with Obama and I'm guessing that if he makes good on his campaign promises, he's going lead the Pelosi, Reid, Barney Frank, Chuck Schumer type Democrats to the Far Left...

The result is people will see through life experience that Liberalism/Socialism aren't happy systems to live under...they don't produce happy people....big government is a burden to the people and giving up freedoms is not going to go over well.....by the time the next election ...2 years from now....the Republican party and what it stands for is going to look real good even to some of them..

In the meantime the Grand Old Party is going to have to re-group, revamp, and re-organize. We are going to have to weed out the RINOs and launder out the Rockefeller Republicans.

Liberal Republicans are phonies and drag the party down...the conservatives is where it's at to keep the party on target...and becasue the media is not even remotely fair and impartial, we've got to develop other ways and better ways to get our message out to the people. I think the answer is strong grassroots and good effective communication.  

The second part of my last response is an email I got from a friend who was kicking around some ideas about what to do from here....as you can see he thought of even changing the party name. I don't think we've got to go that far!  

I've hated the republican's a long time.  If they were to make a few changes though I'd vote for them.  

1.  Campaign Finance reform.  My dollar should mean more than Coca-Cola's dollar.  

2.  Religion issues should not be part of politics.  This country was founded on separation of church and state.(screw you england!)

3.  If they actually brought jobs back to the country instead of shipping them over sees.  

Democratic part has had my vote for some time but issues I have with them are the following.  

1.  Campaign Finance reform.  My dollar should mean more than Coca-Cola's dollar.  

2.  Spending on oversees involvement should end.  I'd love to be more isolationist.  Lets help ourselves before helping others.  

3.  Stop worrying about Raising taxes and inflation and worry instead about the Value of the dollar.  I don't need to make more money if my money was worth more.