The Republicans Never Made it Personal (Lost Election)

You know, I've seen all the excuses and speculation about how the election turned out as it did.  But, the answer is rather simple. 

Does that sound like overstatement?  It isn't.

The straightforward fact of the matter is that the Republicans had the winning issue.  Over and over again, the populous stated unequivocally that the most important issue was and is the economy.  The problem is that no one took the time to educate the public as to how the economy works.

Here's a simple experiment:

Ask any acquaintance or complete stranger what the Federal Deficit is and how it effects them personally.  I guarantee the answer you receive will be, either, woefully incorrect or merely a blank stare. 

This is the country that relishes watching washed up celebrities dance poorly as a form of entertainment.  This is the country where you can be famous for trying to be famous.  This is a country that sits in front of a television amused by the antics of spoiled youth.  It is not a country, any more, where efforts are made beyond immediate gratification and self-interest.  Unfortunately, the Republican party never played to immediate gratification or self-interest.

The Republicans never went beyond naming an undefined entity as existing in the form of $16 Trillion.   Think about that.  Romney/Ryan and a vast collection of political candidates across the country always stated that we must get that $16 Trillion monster under control.  How much time did they spend associating that monster with the benefits and entitlements voters collect on a daily basis in a detailed basis?  How often did they state, "you know, unless we reel in this Federal Deficit right now, you John Smith are not going to collecting that social security check tomorrow."

The Federal Deficit is amount by which a government's expenditures exceed its tax revenues. The difference is made up for by borrowing from the public through the issuance of debt.   Do you think most voters out there even understand this concept?  I'm willing to bet that you can go to any street in any major city and ask complete strangers to define "Federal Deficit" and you will be lucky to receive a 20% response anywhere near accurate.  But, that's not even the issue.  The main argument should have been how that effects the individual; how it effects the individual voter who may be receiving food stamps, Social Security, Medicare, unemployment, or any other benefit of entitlements.

Eventually, we will no longer be able to borrow at our current rate.  As the outlook for the financial future gets more dismal, the credit rating of the entire country could (and should) be downgraded once again.  This will disallow the country to borrow money effectively.  At the same time, the revenue base from taxes levied on a disintegrating working class will continue to get smaller until there is no way to subsidize any and all government programs.  At that point "goodbye  Obamaphone...goodbye freebies...and welcome to the Apocalypse."

This election was always about the economy.  It still is.  Unfortunately, no one on the Republican side ever made a direct connection to the masses about how the current state of affairs and more of the same will effect them PERSONALLY.  No one put it in understandable terms to a country that spends and exhorbinant amount of time watching The X-Factor and the like.  No one made an effort to eclipse the ignorance and self-interest of the electorate.

Compare that approach to the Democrat position.  "Here...have some free stuff...don't worry about where I got it...it's yours."

That's why the Republicans had their lunch handed to them.  They never made it personal.

ADDENDUM:

Somewhere along the way, the term repercussions lost all relevance.  If a major car manufacturer produces products no one wants and overloads their debts to accomodate a demanding unionized workforce, they don't go out of business...the government gives them money to go on.  If a sex offender gets caught he is placed in rehabilitation and released to try again.  If you lose your job, there is a continuously expanded safety net discouraging a raging effort to regain further employment.  Repercussions are not what they were.

The absolute biggest and most relevant repercussion will be when the Federal Government no longer has these "gifts" to hand out.  When that happens, there will be a purposeful and egregious education levied on the masses.  When that occurs we should seriously consider swapping out the Eagle as our national symbol for the Phoenix.  Because, by that time there will be nothing left but rising from the ashes.