Democrats are going to be in charge soon. We ought to learn from the Republican mistakes so that we don't repeat them. And let's not rest in the comfort that nothing will go wrong. Of course things will go wrong--but not everything will go wrong. And if we handle adversity well, we can control Congress for decades.
What's wrong with Republicans?
1. The primacy of the emotional over the cerebral.
This fundamental flaw takes several forms. The most obvious one is the adherence to religious beliefs in the face of scientific facts. Stem cells that might be harvested to cure seemingly incurable diseases are prohibited because they want to save the tiny little souls in the embryos. Evolution is treated as a theory and a dangerous one at that. Accurate information about sex to young people is seen as promoting sin not as preventing mistakes.
http://www.bioethics.net/...
http://emporium.turnpike.net/...
http://www.theocracywatch.org/...
However, this goes far beyond science vs. religion. Bush's decision-making style is dominated by gut instinct. Analysis is not so much ignored as ridiculed. Policy wonks who have devoted their careers to really understand important issues are laughed at. Political operatives who can construct a cute phrase that might fit on a bumper sticker are prized.
2. Fear not hope.
Right now the only thing the GOP has going for them is fear. "We are safer, but not yet safe" is their mantra of the 2006 elections. http://www.youtube.com/...
There are lots of things to fear, I suppose. The GOP has the entire terror thing going for it. There are the illegal immigrants out to take your jobs and suck resources out of local governments. North Korea and Iran are rushing to develop a nuclear capability. The GOP has a pretty good list of fright. But what they lack is hope.
When politicians try to scare me into voting for them, my antenna goes up and I get very suspicious. I want politicians to tell me what is possible...tell me their vision for a better America.
3. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER admit a mistake.
What happens when things go wrong? Suppose you have laughed your policy wonks out of the room and they turned out to be right?
"No one could have imagined."
"I did nothing wrong, made no mistakes, but will (graciously) accept responsibility. The buck stops here."
"Let's not waste time on the past, but look toward the future."
"Mistakes have been made, but our progress has gone unreported by the liberal media."
Sometimes its best to just change the reality. For example, in the middle of a tragic bureaucratic meltdown, "You're doing a heck of a job, Brownie." Or give the Metal of Freedom to the ones who have made some of the worst mistakes.
Perhaps the problems in the Bush Administration are too pervasive to take this approach now, but admitting in detail the mistake, taking strong corrective actions and making it clear to everyone throughout the Administration and Congress that failure has real consequences would be my approach.
If the Republicans embraced the reason over emotion, spread hope instead of fear and took ownership of all their mistakes, would we have a wonderful government? It's hard to say. But I am assured we would be much better off than we are today.