Conservatives Must Listen and Look for Common Ground, But Not Give Up on All of Our Principles

In the aftermath of the 2012 general election there are many things that we (Conservatives) must consider going forward. What things should we expect from each other? What should we expect from our elected officials? What should we expect from the media? If expectations are met, then what should we expect from our country?

Immediately after the election the blame game started. Many conservatives started complaining and began looking for someone or something to become the scapegoat. The twiterverse, blogs and news sites exploded with stories and messages that the Republican Party and Conservatism are dead. Some of this is to be expected after a close election. It is not easy to be on the losing end. However, I would note that politics is not a sport in which everyone gets a trophy. Therefore, it is important for us to be gracious in our losses and generous in our desire to work towards a better America.

Our desire to work towards a better America does not mean that we give up on all of our conservative principles. What is does mean is that we need to learn to better explain to our fellow Americans what those principles are and why we feel they are so important to our existence. In turn, we must be ready to listen to liberals and independents. What is it that they believe to be most important to them? There has to be a compromise that we can reach that will serve the best interest of all Americans. There is a saying that there are two sides to every story and somewhere in between is the truth. We need to find that in between.

We must expect our elected officials to work for what is best for all of us. This may mean that they step outside of what is generally expected of a “liberal” or a “conservative.” This may not sit well with some. However, what doesn’t sit well with most is the fact that Congress fails to get anything done. We have to decide what we want to hold on to more. Is it most important for our elected officials to hold on to a conservative ideology or should they work towards a compromise?

While our elected conservative officials must work towards a compromise we must expect the same of their liberal counterparts. President Obama is the leader of the Democratic Party and should set the example for reaching across the aisle. He could do this is many ways. In his victory speech President Obama vowed to work with Mitt Romney. Why not be like President Lincoln and bring in someone that has been his rival. We need to ensure that we do not go over the fiscal cliff. If President Obama would be willing, he could bring in Mitt Romney and utilize his vast business experience to his advantage. This would be the example that Congress needs that shows compromise can happen and will work.

Finally, we need to have a news media that is not afraid to tell the American people the truth. We are sick and tired of bias reporting. Polls have shown that the American people trust the media less than we trust our politicians. That also has to change. We must hold the news media accountable for the service that they provide. Our news media should not be biased one way or the other. Their job is to provide the news in a fair and balanced way. There should be no glossing over of any information based on whether or not the media outlet likes or dislikes a politician. To quote Sgt. Joe Friday, we want “nothing but the facts.”  So when any of the media fails to tell the truth we must hold them accountable.

I heard a song by R.E.M. today that made me think of the election and its outcome, It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine). I laughed when I heard the song as I thought about the post election world. No matter whether President Obama or Mitt Romney won, the world was not going to be the same. We have to make changes because our country is not sustainable the way it is. We are heading towards a fiscal cliff, unemployment is out of control, and immigration needs to be addressed along with a number of other key issues. Therefore, it is in the best interest of the American people, the president, our Senators and Representatives to work towards a compromise to change our current path and ensure a bright future for all.