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Blood and oil, Bill O'Reilly and Keith Olbermann, freedom and religious based values... try as hard as you care to, they aren't mixing.

Sen. Demint is critisizing the only things that made John McCain appealing at all. I think people are opening their eyes to the fact that today's Republican philosophy doesn't make the grade.

John Mccain and the rupublicans betrayed us the moment he or they chose Sarah Palin as VP. How dare he insult our intelligence by choosing her!

Thank you mcain and palin. You have created a new wave of domestic terrorists and reenergized kkk and the like. You should be tried for inciting violence against AMERICANS. I hope your proud. This could turn more tragic than anyone can possibly realize.

Thanks alot from all real americans.

Senator DeMint ignores history and misreads the election results. The Republican party has no brand. It does not believe in smaller government, or it would have enacted smaller government in the 6 years it controlled both houses and the White House. In fact, no one believes in smaller government. We Americans like our small business loans, our disaster relief, our Medicare and Medicaid and all the other benefits we get from our government. We'd like somebody else to pay for them, but the business of leadership is to make us act like adults, even against our will.

Similarly, Republicans have no claim on religiously based values. Many such values, such as pacifism and communal responsibility, are anathema to Republicans. But perhaps Senator DeMint really means hostility to homosexuals. Certainly many Republicans sought to display such hostility in the name of religion, as other Republicans (including, apparently, Senator DeMint himself) seek to define the party by its hostility toward immigrants, or the environment, or even those with foreign-sounding names. Senator McCain's great accomplishment, and great favor to Republicans, is that he did not allow it to become the party of hate during his campaign.

Senator McCain is an honest, independent conservative whose views are much closer to the American mainstream than the views which Senator DeMint espouses, but has not brought into being. McCain's failure was largely due to the petulant Republican base, which should have flocked to him once it was clear he would be the nominee. This would have allowed him to seek support from independent voters throughout the campaign. Instead, he had to placate his base, and it cost him the election.

I see. McCain wasn't conservative enough, so voters instead went with "The Most Liberal Senator in the U.S. Congress." Makes sense to me.

I find it very interesting that John McCain has remained dignified and very much the elder statesman while his party begins the cat fighting, and even more interesting that nowhere in this artical does it mention any blame being portioned to Sarah Palin.

I am a Democrat and after 8 very long years, I am loving watching the GOP trying to figure out what went wrong – not that difficult just ask any working person trying to make ends meet in this country for the past 8 years or anyone who objects to civil liberties being infringed or fighting a war we lied about from the get go – but I digress..

Sarah Palin was until her fellow GOP Governors put a stop to it, appearing on any TV news channel that would have her and not accepting any responsibility for her part in McCain's defeat – this from the woman who wanted to be Josephine 6-Pack ordinary working mom while spending $150,000 shopping while the rest of us tried to figure out how to survive the worsening economy or keep the bank from foreclosing on our houses.

And while I think Palin's appointment to the ticket was a cheap attempt by Team McCain for the sole purpose of getting women fustrated Hillary did not get the DNC nomination (which women all over this country saw through thank goodness), I can atleast still respect McCain and hope that he does go back to being the Senate's maverick, the same cannot be said for Palin.

My bottom line – John McCain would be a good addition to the cabinet of rivals being put together by our next President, or as an advisor – Palin on the other hand hopefully will go back to Alaska and stay out of an area she knows nothing about – national politics – then again I would relish seeing Obama steemroll over her in the 2012 election and/or Hillary do the same in 2016.

Until the GOP gets how the people of this country are really feeling and becomes a party not for their base, but for the entire country, they are doomed to the sidelines – God Bless America

Sow what you reap, conservatives. You force your beliefs on everyone, ignorant to the fact that you aren't the only ones living here. No one is asking you practice what you don't believe in, but quit trying to force everyone to convert to your beliefs. That's called "dictating." Otherwise, it seems rather hypocritical we are we thousands of miles away trying to instill democracy. THAT is the problem with your party, and the results of the election underlined this.

WHY DONT ALL EVANGELICAL RIGHT WING SOUTHERNERS FORM THEY OWN COUNTRY AND LEAVE THE REST OF THE COUNTRY ALONE.

GOP,you can thank Carl Rove for your demise.R.I.PThe great divider won for Bush,but lost for the GOP for many years to come.He created the hate in the party,and now like a worm the hate is eating the party from within.

Conservative is another name for a closed minded person you easily be led by the nose and unable to think for them selves. We need to let the evengicle christians that this country was founded on the rights of the people to self govern and not governed by the church thus the reason of seperation of church and state. You extremist christians are a minority trying to push your belief on the majority and now the majority has spoken and that is why McCain lost. If McCain had picked Mitt Romney he might have won but the extremist in the GOP wouldn't accept him claiming he was not a christian....

The Republicans need to stop looking back and start looking forward.
If they really want a conservative platfor..go back to the democrats of the 1950's because for America in the year 2008 THAT IS CONSERVATIVE.

Time moves on gentlemen, move with or fade into a footnote of history. These ARE your only choices. You know, or become like the libertarians and greenies, an irrelevancy at the electoral level.

It is time for the "conservatives" to figure out what to be conservative about. This wretched religious lip service , denial of modern science, and insistence that somehow their out dated economic theories actually work despite all evidence to the contrary, is ushering in some creepy Republican Dark Ages.

And we don't want any, thank you.

This man is a complete idiot. He's actually blaming John McCain and the two others for the problems of an entire party. Its mostly Bush's fault. I definately was not a McCain supporter but, dont try to use him as a scapegoat for the Republican party's issues. If the Republicans were a little MORE moderate and supported a some of the issues John McCain pioneered they would have had a better chance. Its because John McCain embraced the more conservative philosophy that he lost the election. Religious based values huh....thats going to work again...look how it helped Bush

Northwest Washington – it is already happening. Lookup the libertarian party. I am a right leaning independent that feels like i don't have a place in neither the republican or democratic parties. I found the libertarian party and feel right at home. They believe in small government, personal responsibility, and live and let live.

http://www.lp.org

Well Paul Begala called it.

Let the Republican in party knife fight begin.

It was the lesser of two evils, really. Knowing that either one of them would destroy this country it was very easy to let the Democrats be responsible for the disaster that's about to befall this nation.

It's funny. Liberals are all about "tolerance" unless one happens to disagree with them. Then they send out their hate squads to steal or destroy our "Yes on 8" placards. They claim to be for human rights, yet completely disregard the rights of the human fetus in the womb. But God forbid a convicted murderer be executed. And as for "separation of church and state", please find that in the Constitution for me. You can't, because it doesn't exist. It merely states that "no official religion" be established (akin to the Church of England). There was no intention to separate religion as a whole from our government.

You are all moronic retards!

DeMint is correct. The pervert media and the socialist pseudo-Republicans (e.g., Arnold Schwarzenegger) pushed this far-left political hack John McCain with the full knowledge that he had minimal allegiance to conservative principles. Most younger Americans are brainwashed against conservatism; most older Americans have forgotten about conservatism. Any true conservative running as a Republican would have won this election by a landslide, as it would have been a very refreshing change from the liberal deterioration that festered during the previous dozen years.

I don't want to hear repubs critizing George Bush they fought like crazy to get him elected in TWO Elections. Now they have to sleep in the bed they made, period!

The Republican "Brand" stands for:
Wealth – For the Wealthy.
Power – For the Powerful.
Freedom – As long as you don't dare to disagree with Republicans.

The Republican "Brand" stands for the sort of "Arbeit macht frei" mentality that very nearly destroyed the world in the mid twentieth century. Sixty years later and they still haven't learned.

To the Republican "Brand", "spreading the wealth" is Communism and Marxism. To people who are not blinded by ideology, it means spreading opportunity, education, fairness, equity and equality, a basic belief in the dignity of human beings. A chance for a better future and hope for tomorrow.

All of these things are alien and repugnant to the Republican "Brand".

McCain did what he had to do to try and win and if it meant jumping ship he was prepared to do it......anything to win the election!!!!
So you see his moto of " COUNTRY FIRST' was just that...a moto, it never did mean anything of significance.
Of course they are all out there now blaming each other for their loss, that party needs to re evaluate it's principles....it has definately lost it's way and needs to move into the 21st Century.
Too many " white" faces, we don't live in a "white only zone", we have moved on, well we Democrats have and they need to wake up and get with it.
By, the way that is not a "racist" comment it is just a true fact of what we saw during the election at the McCain rallies.....I happen to be a white lady who feels it's way past time for us to come together.

I like the George Congressman who says Obama is a Marxist and Hitlerian and is about to establish a totalitarian state. While 74% of Americans according to latest polls expect Obama to a very good president–in other words, he starts with overwhelming positives–a group of Republicans gets attention shouting the most over-the-top rhetoric. This is red meat to the base while the rest of the population drifts away from the shrinking GOP.
The Republicans began killing their own brand with Bush and some of them haven't learned a thing. Keep it up, fools. We love it.

McCain didn't lose because be betrayed "Republican values."

He lost because:

1) His opponent is an incredibly charismatic person who has a gift for speaking.

2) He abandoned, then tried to reclaim the mantle of a moderate who could reach across party lines.

If anything, McCain was far too loyal to a terrible president and a Republican base that ultimately didn't support him anyway.

When the cat goes away.. the mouse will play. LMAO, oh How I love to watch this party self destruct.

Matt in Canoga Park....

McCain barely lost??? I don't think so. He lost BIG! And it wasn't because of the economy either.

The economy tanking is Septmeber is just an excuse. Because if Americans believed McCain could take care of our nation they would have voted for him.

Obama 's campaign proved he was innovative and forward thinking while Clinton and McCain, used old tactics. That's why they lost.

Our nation is in a crisis. We need innovation not partisan politics.

Independent Voter

This deMint guy probably still wants to blame Lincohn for setting the slaves free. My god, freedom, religious-based values and limited government? Aren't we still in the midst of a nightmare because of GOP's versions of those three things:
- freedom for the haves to kill, torture, grab riches,
- religious-based values to discriminate and exclude,
- limited government to exercise state-sponsored terrorism in the form of illegal wiretapping, pre-emptive strikes, and working on behalf of special interest groups?

Just like most of their supporters in those red states, the GOP leaders are delusionsal and doomed – being 'conserved'. to eternity.by their out-dated conservative ideologies

Betrayal? He elected Palin as the VP and he did it just to satisfy the conservatives. Unfortunately, Palin is a religious nutcase and an airhead who doesn't know anytthing and who can't answer questions. I was thinking about voting for McCain, the only reason being I wasn't sure if Obama's talk was just that – promises that can't be kept. At one point I wasn't even going to vote, but once Palin came on the scene, I made sure I voted to keep her out.
Obama kept saying McCain "Just doesn't get it". And he was correct. McCain and most conservatives who have a view of the way they think the country should be. They love guns, war, warmongering, protecting Big money at all costs, and lately what seems like Xenophobia. And as Phil Graham said we're a nation of whiners and McCain said the economy is strong the same week that it collapsed. Christopher Shays of CT said the same thing, he got canned and it was good to see. They are there to serve us, to help us, not to lie to us and insult us. And speaking of insults, nominating Sarah Palin was an insult to most people's intelligence.
People have no jobs, they can't pay their mortgages, they've lost their life's savings, inflation is going through the roof, banks pay no interest, the stock market is useless, any kind of investment strategy is not woking, you can't get loans from banks. If you do have any money left, there's nowhere to put it. Health Insurance companies are price gouging everyone, drug company's are price gouging everyone. People are being taxed to death. And with all this, the country is being hemorraged by a stupid war.
The Greedy Old Pigs protect the rich, they always have. But now, because of their greed and arrogance they have been unseated. It's time to take a look in the mirror. They have to stop living in a delusionary world like Rush Limbaugh and realize they have to change. If our government has started to get more involved, it's their fault it happened.
I agree – there should be less government, less taxes, stricter immigration, better moral judgement on TV, and GOD is all important and I'm pro-life.
It's pretty sad they they blame McCain, he's a good man. I dont' think any Republican could have won after what Bush has done. People are also sick of the right wing radical wackjobs like Limbaugh, Hannity and Coulter ranting their hatred and want of a one-party system in this country. It's not a great system, but that's what we have, so if you don't like it, move someplace else.

TRADITIONAL CONSERVATIVE VALUES? You have got to be kidding. The TRADITIONAL conservative value is limited government – nothing more nothing less.

The people turned on the REPUBLICAN party because of their abandonment of the CORE value. War of choice paired with tax cuts to the two top tax brackets. A trampled Constitution.

McCain is the man. If, say, Huckabee was the nominee the results would have been worse for the GOP. Hopefully the GOP can return to the FUNDAMENTAL principle so I can start voting for them again.

Don't you dare throw McCain under the bus.

We need more Senators with open minds to try and solve problems of our age – close minded senators, like the Honorable Senator Dewitt have blinders on and try to force their ideals on others. These folks, whether ultra-liberal or ultra-conservative border near criminal behavior. While that appears strong their blind faith in the pursuit of their issues causes extreme reactions from their counterparts and is truly unhealthy for all of us.

This is so messed up. The things this guy is slamming McCain for are some of the few things that McCain got right!!

I'm glad I don't live in South Carolina and have to be represented by such a backward thinking person as him.

We should be thankful that senators like John McCain are the leaders of the republican party and not this DimWitt

Ha ha ha ha ha. Yes. That's exactly why the GOP lost, because it wasn't MORE conservative, it wasn't MORE right-wing. Apparently, the right-wing and the very right-leaning independents decided to support Obama because you weren't conservative enough. Yes, that makes alot of sense. Just make sure you keep going more and more to the right, because that's clearly what this country wants. Thanks (signed, Dems).

These wackos on the extreme right will never get it.

They actually believe their beliefs are in tune with what America wants.

McCain lost because of signing on to Palin-like policies, not because he was a moderate.

The right has become so stupid it's almost funny.

They keep looking for another Reagan even though it spells their political doom.

Bill Dingle

Your an idiot! The only way out of this mess is for the government to spend and create jobs via infastructure and so on. We have this problem thanks to George Bush and his deficit spending. No president has spent more money than republican George Bush. You want to talk about Ideas your candidate John McCain had zero ideas. Spending freeze, what a bunch of idiots.

Demint has it backwards,

It his is brand ideas that betray republican philosophy. The republicans need to get back to their roots. I miss the traditional conservatives. Demint is a neocon, and necons are morons.

What is so pathetic about this talking head is that he just doesn't get it...

I am a Democrat who at one time actually flirted with voting for John McCain because he is such an honorable person. But, after listening to the right wing of the GOP venting their rage and not taking any responsibility for the events of the last eight years...It was no way McCain...However, I would be trilled if Obama saw it fit to add McCain to his cabinet and McCain finally dump the GOP like he almost did in 2000.

McCain is too much of a respectable and decent person to still be a part of that "dog pound" which the GOP has denigrated into over the last eight or more years…

Hes just jealous that McCain is mtg w/ O on Mon and has an IN with the bi-partisan approach that will save this country.

And so they begin to feed on one another. I was wondering how Senator DeMint came to the 'conservative principles' he enumerated. These are those foisted on the GOP in the last 20 years, but would not so closely resemble those of the traditional GOP of, say, 1950, where collegiality and genuine conservatism were more the rule. Of course, McCarthy took care of that.
This tired notion that madly drilling in the Arctic will somehow rescue us is bunk. After billions invested in such a scheme and the inevitable destruction of the environs, we would harvest a modest supply of a couple years worth of oil, along with some natural gas. This with the equipment in scarcity and aging. The problem is that we are trying to solve our fossil fuel dilemma by more fossil fuel. It isn't buying time; in actuality, it is costing time that would more valuably be spent on other energy sources.

Maybe he should run for President in 2012 and represent the Republican Party (wink,wink)!!

Americans, even a lot of Republicans, are sick to death and disgusted with the judgemental, self-serving values DeMint seems to hold dear to his heart. That's why his party lost – a few small items like years of corruption and greed, their hypocritical holiness (sanctimony), the good ole boy's club garbage. You can include that rag Palin and McCain's catering to first one group, then another, ad infinitum in a frantic effort to get himself elected, disproving his banner of "Country First" as quite a bit of the reason they lost but, mostly, it was because of the ideas that DeMint et al nurture in their heart. People aren't as brainwashed and stupid and closed-minded as they used to be, even a lot of older people I know decided to leave the Republican Party out of sheer disgust.

quite your whinning the election is over, prepare for 2012 and the elections in between.

I'm by no means pro-McCain.. but...

I think part of the problem with the republican party is that they're so rigid. So, if you're part of the republican party.. you're not allowed to have individual ideas? Welcome to the new puppet party republicans.. this goes against the very concept of being an American.

THE REPUBLICANS HAVE TO GUT THEIR PARTY AND BELIEFS AS THEY ARE OUT OF TOUCH. TO MANY OLD GUYS RUNNING THEIR PARTY AND THEY NEED TO GET YOUNGER PEOPLE INVOLVED. GEORGE BUSH SET THIS PARTY BACK AND IT IS GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME TO BUILD IT BACK.

Blame, how about the WHOLE Republican party. A month did not go by without another Republican dropping from a scandel. The War good or bad was a kiss of death. The Republican party is a joke, about values , what values. The only one left was pro-life, stealing, lying and bribing are not religous based values.
Then the mortgage melt down, the GOP sucked their thumb in the corner , which delayed the whole thing and sent the country into a panic. Should I go on. If it had not been for pro-life issues, I WOULD HAVE VOTED DEMOCRATIC. So we better get use to the Democrats for the next 8 to 12 years unless Obama falls on his sword.

The Republican party has not represented a good portion of American people for the past 8 years. And p l e a s e keep religion-based things out if it....hasn't anyone heard of separation of church and state?

Quite your whinning! the electon is over. Unite and prepare for
2012 and local elections in between.

Dimslie,
Your revisionist history is off the mark! Republicans, only, chose President Ford over President Reagan (may he be praised forever)–so your "we" is inaccurate. In my opinion Reagan was a great president; but he was not a god.

I grew up in South Carolina in the sixties and remember ULTRA-CONSERVATIES (then they were called DIXIECRATS led by Strom Thurmond) wanting to do everything in their power to hold onto their segregationist ways. Based on the election results of Nov 4th, I believe some of the same people in my home state of South Carolina would rather lose everything than move forward in this world economy. The US of A is much better than that!

GOD BLESS ALL OF AMERICA!

it seems to me that TRUE AMERICANS WANT A TRUE AMERICA
we have the world in HOCK and people are still pointing the finger
we know the shap this country was in before Bush and we we know the shap it is in now and it is sad that people of America donot
want to see American people back to work that is insain
the republican selfish party need to think about who REALY
take care of them

I look at it this way. McCain had about 48 million votes. 48 million. 48 million people gave their vote of confidence to McCain and his "Republican Conservative principles". Trouble is DeMint adamantly believes Richard Nixon's "silent majority" are ultra conservative. No matter how loudly his yells or how aggressively he blames others, the fact remains they are wrong and completely irrelevant to the 21st century. DeMint and others will go to their graves screaming the sky is falling and the Earth is flat. Still doesn't make it true or acceptable.

This is how the the zealots lash out when that party advocates anything that appeals to mainstream America... They are Hosed

Add yourself to that list there, Sen. DeMint. There's nothing special about you, either. You're just another stupid politician. But, thankfully, you're in the minority now. You and your party won't be able to rob America for at least another four years. Enjoy your obscurity. You've earned it.

DeMint is delusional. The Republicans lost not because McCain did not fit the label. They lost because the label has lost its dreadful appeal, never to be persuasive again.

I thank Senator McCain ran a great campaign. I thank the RNC coud have much, much more for him to obtain the presidency in this last
election. Looking at the mount of people he lost by wasn't so bad.
He did not have the financial backing that President Elect Obama had.
Finances have alot to do with winning anything so I have noticed over the years. And also we must remember there sits a president that has done very little for this country the last 8 years who was a Republican also. We must look at this also. And look how many times the republicans would block things in the Senate and in Congress. I am a Democrat who voted for John McCain and Sarah Palin. I truly thank that if it were not for the so very many black leaders and television host, that Obama wouldn't have would not have stood a chance. It is all Finances, Finances, Finances. Not the person running, as Mr. Obama really lacked so much experience. So hay the election is over, quite pointing fingers as it could come back and bite you in the butt. I thank that Senator McCain and Gov. Palin should be commended on what they did. They also made history in this last election. And lets do what Senator McCain said to do. Mr. Obama has been won the election we need to stand behind him and be supportive right now. This country is in a terrible mess. Lets start working to clean it up and not start pointing fingers. Excuse me he
didn't quote in those words, but we did get his message. So thank you Senator McCain and Gov. Palin. You did an outstanding job doing what you did with little help from the RNC. If the election were hald again tomorrow you would have our vote. We new on just prior before the election things didn't look good, but we couldn't be swayed not even then. Again we are Democrats that voted for McCain, and there were many more out there. But the people making bad comments about Senator McCain and Gov. Palin need to stand behind them even now. Thats the problem in Washington, finger pointing is like the flue, so many catch it.

Keep opening your pie hole DeMint, your brand of conservatism is dead! As long as you keep spouting, the voters will flock to the left!

Yeah, DeMint is definitely deluded. A Palin candidacy in 2012 would preclude the worst electoral defeat in the history of the party. She is okay to look at, but once she starts talkin', and the folksy drawl and hockey mom talk comes on, it's an immediate rush to the exits for anyone with a lick of sense. I still find it difficult to believe W was elected (ever), never mind twice. Hopefully the age of American Ideological Idiocy has come to an end. Electing the formerly drug addled/drunken/conveniently religious dim bulb to run the show was a catastrophic error. Coincidently, of biblical proportions. Now that it's over we can all see the effects. Obama will need 8 years to clean up the mess.

THey really do not get it the GOP is in self destruct mode...its sad

You know, sense and sensibility seem to be creeping southward. Virginia, North Carolina both went blue so I suppose that Demint better watch out and hopefully he will be the next Elizabeth Dole casualty!

Yeah, I'm one of those who believes folks Palin and DeMint represent winning majorities for Democrats. Their battle cries for "religious based values" will alienate voters who might agree only with their economic conservatism. Obviously the Republican party has years of self-definition and infighting to overcome, and it might be years before they have an agreement on who they are. It bodes well for progressives, like me. But it is a shame that Gerald Ford type Republicans are ostracized and a thing of the past.

LOL!!! While Senator DeMint's remarks about what he perceives to be the "future" brand of the republican party might play out well in a backward state like his own, South Carolina, it will have a devastating effect on the electability of the GOP for years to come. What they need are NEW IDEAS, not he same old FAILED ONES......THAT is what this party needs to comes to grips with.......By the way: GOOD LUCK!!!!

I do not think blacks and gays get along very well. When Obama is not involved i think blacks may someday vote for republicans because of all the meanness and hate coming from the gay left.

The 45 million votes the Republicans got were all for Sarah Palin--without Sarah it would have been a popular vote landslide instead of a 6 point difference-

McCain was out of touch from the beginning-had no idea how to run a modern camapign--just as Hillary didn't either-

But Sarah Palin is only 44 years old and she's the Governor with the highest approval rating in the U.S.--she'll get it right in either 12" or 16'–
we view Obama as just an interim President who will fall under the weiht of the economy-

I've always found this kind of philosophy interesting after an election.

When the Democrats lose, they reevaluate themselves and gradually scoot over to the center lane.

When the Republicans lose, they reevaluate themselves and take a hard right turn.

It was evident at the end of 2006, and it's evident again. For some reason, Republicans think that the answer to people not electing them is to be even more conservative than they were before.

Why are all the Republicans looking to blame someone for the parties failures? First, it was choosing Palin as the VP. Which most Republicans are saying she recharged the party with her entrance. Now, they are looking to blame McCain for this loss. If I am not to mistaken I dont think the loss was the only position they lost. They need to look at the governor, senator, and house seats. Republicans need to quit looking for excuses, the problem this year was the R beside your name.

Add me to the ranks who won't vote Republican as long as they hold that "religious-based values" are a part of their platform. Code words for "Christian values only", "no equal rights for gays", "no equal reproductive rights for women", and a host of other positions that are an anathema to the droves of people leaving the Republican party.

this is exactly why the republican party is dead and will not rise again in our life time.

2012 Republican Ticket:

Sarah Palin/ Joe Plumber = OBAMA 2nd Term

OBAMA/BIDEN '12

The GOP has AIDS.BEWARE!

Help from CANADA!

Here this might help – try to find someone that has a recent University education and nows what "Gobalization" means!

"economic, cultural and tecnology globalization"

less about principles!

Throw out concepts like

"left vs right"
"liberal vs conservative"

they don't mean anything anymore!!!!

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE

"CHINA is a communist country but has one of the most sophisticated capitalistic systems in the world"

How much money to do you owe China?

This is typical American politics...back stabbers, liars, alcoholics, thieves, and two faced cowards. Conservative republicans, and their delusional evangelicals could drop off the face of the American landscape, and then I could draw a deep breath of unpolluted air. What do you say conservatives, can I breath in a clean lung full of air without your polluted pseudo doctrines.

mccain can re-sign up with obama on monday for his democratic-lite credentials. obama could make him a janitor at the white house.

mccain like bush was never a conservative and he may not even be a republican. what was the theme of his campaign?

"i am a DC insider with PC beliefs".

campaign finance, higher taxes, deals on judges, global warming and wants a deal on illegal immigration. since mccain knows nothing about economics and if possible obama knows even less. they don't realize that making illegals citizens would result in TWO uintended consequences. health care will be rationed and social security will be broke by 2012.

they refuse to see the truth 30% of mexico's citizens live in the USA.

Very true, the democrats only won a temporarily because of black racism and nothing else.

If the Republican party goes any more to the extreme right, it will need to change its symbol from an elephant to a swastika.

DeMint will need to comb his hair to the left and grow a short narrow mustache, just like 'American' Joe.

McCain did better than average considering. I'm not sure a Palin ticket in 2012 will do any better than him in winning independents and moderates.

Hey Dingle-Butt (Bill Dingle)!

Before you start accusing the new administration of things it has not even done yet, take a look as your republican history. My God, we are only talking 8 years here so it is not like you need to know ancient history – idiot. So how much money have the republicans and Bushy spent these past 8 years? Come on Dingle, wake up! The question is not that hard (well at least for most people) to understand. Seems to me Bush, Dick and the lot rolled over a lot of Democrats the past 8 years as well as The Consitution, Civil Rights, and just humanity in general. At least we now have someone that wants to unite and listen to opposing points of view versus the Dicktators you would prefer.

So, when and if the Democrats abuse their power as the republicans and Bush did, then you can opine til your hearts content. Until then, you just sound like the idiot your are!

Since the end of World War II, when one President retired he was replaced with a member of the other party in every election except one.

Democrat Truman was followed by Republican Eisenhower.
Republican Eisenhower was followed by Democrat JFK
Democrats JFK-LBJ were followed by Republican Nixon
Republicans Nixon-Ford were followed by Democrat Cater
Democrat Clinton was replaced by Republican Bush
And now Republican Bush will be replaced by Democrat Obama.

The only exception was in 1988 when retiring Reagan was followed by his Vice President, George HW Bush.

American politics is cyclical in nature. This year, virtually any Democrat nominated would have won, virtually any Republican would have lost.

For Republicans to blame McCain for his defeat just flies against the last 60 years of American political history.

Hay Sen. Jim DeMint don't worry about it, they only won because of black racism

In ancient times at Rome. Everytime a politic lost credibility, the rest started to conspire his death, normally by stabbing. Nothing has change since, except for the steel. GOP needs to change its name to GNP to prevail. In this case young politicias from this new party need start eliminating the old politicians if they want to prevail, otherwise the whole ideology will collapse pretty soon. They need to come out with new ideas and more diversification to survive. On last elections the world saw how this intolerant, elitist party still wanted to control power after so many blunders and violation on civil and human rights.
that motivated a natural alliance for change. This alliance strong enough to elect more presidents stood against hungry power politicians best known as Good Old Boys and no steel was needed.

The dying animal (Republican party) attacks its own body.

Like Ariana Huffington said, we need a Republican party, just not the one we have.

The current Republican party is too corrupted by venal and theo-facist rabid right wing extremists. In its present form, it must be allowed to die.

DeMint is correct. The pervert media and the socialist pseudo-Republicans (e.g., Arnold Schwarzenegger) pushed this far-left political hack John McCain with the full knowledge that he had minimal allegiance to conservative principles. Most younger Americans are brainwashed against conservatism; most older Americans have forgotten about conservatism. Any true conservative running as a Republican would have won this election by a landslide, as it would have been a very refreshing change from the liberal deterioration that festered during the previous dozen years.

"religious-based values" This is exactly why the GOP is failing to begin with lol.

Most of the country now is sick and tired of mixing religion and politics which is against everything this country was founded on.

GOP = DUH

And all the religious neocons always make a big stink about "liberals" being anti religion which is ignorant, most of us love religion but we believe in FREEDOM first and foremost and do not believe our religion should speak for everyone, because it shouldn't.

Just by them some Fine Wine, Johhny.. Perhaps that is what RePub stands for.. Hurray for People First and Politics Last !!

I lived in western NC for about 50 years, in a county that was registered 3 to 1 Democrats but hadn't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in recent memory (and didn't again this year). But the rest of NC finally woke up this year (and even voted out the hypocrite Dole when she played the religious card with a vicious ad against her opponent). Welcome to the 21st century, NC!!
I've always wondered how this Demint got elected. Given their overwhelming support for McCain, I can now see why. Sure doesn't speak well for the majority of SC voters. Maybe they will join this century before it ends.
P.S. I didn't do much better when I moved to Utah, to a city which is the reddest city in the reddest county in the reddest state in the country (and brags about it). Obviously, it's been a lonely 4 years for a yellow-dog Dem. But at least they register Republican.
The Dems are gaining ground here (in Utah) though. But as the majority still has the same narrow, bigoted, religious-based values as SC and, sadly, as much of the South, when voting, I doubt if I live long enough to see the change.

You go Sen. Jim DeMint – with an attitude like that we wont see another Republican House or Senate and President for the next 50 years. Your dig'n your own grave.

Another dips–t speaks

Can I say something obvious here? Religion is NOT the answer. America will get less and less religious over the next century, as more people realize that religion is usually the problem, not the answer.
I mean really, the whole crucifixion-raised-from-the-dead story is about 3,000 years old, not 2,000. For one reason or another, it finally stuck when the Jesus brand came about. You know how the original Batman movie in the 60's was really lame, but when it was revived in the 90s it really scored....same principle.
To all the religious Americans out there, do yourself a favor......have doubts. Its OK to question whether religion is really just a bunch of kookiness. Don't be scared about your soul burning in hell for eternity just because maybe you don't buy the fake stories anymore.
Hallelujah!

This guy is an idiot John lost election only because he was a GOP .But sen McCain is still regarded as agreat statemen unlike him

The McCain klan ran the Republican ticket as a bunch of racial renecks. They appealed to renecks and left everyone else out, during thier stump speeches. Palin was the worse of the two. In one stump she referred to herself as being a reneck. So, tell me how were they going to win, unless the country has more renecks. McCain, was running on nothing but his war hero statis. But everyone is fooled by him and him being a hero. He was no hero, he was a POW, PERIOD!!! He was never tested in his career. HE was and is a LOSER.

If these Republicans want to know who is to blame for the landslide loss they suffered they need to take a look in the mirror. The main problem of the Republican party is their lack of grasp of reality of what America is today – not all old white people.
They also need to drop these right-wing extremist religious nutjobs that they destroyed the Party trying to tell everyone else how they should live their lives. You can't say you believe in personal freedom and then think you can tell other people how to live their lifes while you hypocritically do as you please – perfect example – Sarah Palin, Ignorant, racist, clueless to the real world, religious extremist who preaches to everyone else and then gets convicted of corruption, ethics violations and abuse of power and ends up with a pregnant teenager which she parades around proudly. It''s sickening.
The Republican Party needs to get a grip and a new direction and the first thing they need to do is disvow and get rid of the very small base but overly influential relgious nutjobs in their Party. Start with making people like Rush Limbaugh and Fox News irrelevant and not your spokespeople. They are a joke and destroy your credibility as a valid political party. Ever heard of separation of church and state???

Oh, Jim DeMint and Rick Davis. What a great pair! Hope you run the GOP for years. DeMint doesn't know Ted Stevens from Ted Kennedy.

and, Rick Davis re Sarah Palin "We got her a gal from New York." A gal, a gal!

What a pair of idiots!

The reason that McCain lost the votes of so many Independents and other swing voters is that he caved to the Right Wing Nut Jobs in his party. By the end of the campaign he bore little resemblance to the "Maverick" who reached across party lines and was instead some kind of right wing caricature of himself. Had he stuck with his principles he might have done much better.
Little Rock, AR

Are the repubs really this dumb to listen to this man talk all you need to do is remain conservative on all issues and you will elected. I just don't believe they understand that not all issues are conservative or liberal – they are mostly moderate – any one who follows a far left or far right ajenda is only fooling himself – the electorate is just to smart for those kind of thinkers. This was proven when Mr Obama was elected on Nov 4.

Wait a sec...this was YOUR candidate, and when you chose someone espousing all the traditional "Republican" conservative values as VP, she managed to alienate even Republicans. The idea that less government now means more money for the wealthy, less money and services for everyone, and a war economy to boot, is not what Americans want any more. We see that drilling will not solve the basic problem of over-consumption; that educating our children will create employees for the future jobs; that shooting and bombing create more enemies, not peace. When the GOP actually has a solution for any of those problems, maybe people will listen to them again.
By the way, thank you to the Republican governors for NOT naming Sarah Palin to any committee, thus sending her back to her beloved Alaska with just about as much power as she had 10 weeks ago. Finally, a wise Republican decision!

AMEND

I have just one thing to say to Senator DeMint and the rest of his conservative Republican colleagues.

"The oppression of the Sith will not return. You have lost!"

(Jedi Master Mace Windu)

All of this Republican in-fighting sure in entertaining....let the blame game begin!

Keep in mind, Jim DeMint is also the mental giant who believes gays shouldn't be allowed to teach in public schools as if school kids are getting their heterosexual clues from straight teachers.

"Religious-based values" means government interfering in the lives and rights of citizens. It means Big Brother, not limited government. It means "Control Society", not "Land of the Free". Those who believe they should impose their religious beliefs on others should move to a nation where such behavior is excepted, because "Real Americans" don't need your fasicst kind here. Iran would be my first thought.

-A Catholic who knows religion has NO place in politics.

"freedom, religious-based values and limited government" seems contradictory to me. He talks of freedom when the church forbids gay marriage, homosexualty, or anything else that in not in the real of Catholicism. How can you elect people like this?

Yeah, this DeMint guy sounds like a typical GOP shill; everything he mentioned that McCain proposed and he was against were things that need to be addressed somewhat in the way McCain has addressed them. I do not agree with McCain on many policy issues, but immigration, global warming and campaign finance ALL need to be worked on. What an idiot this DeMint guy is and what a terriffic depiction of this backwards-looking party.

Sen. DeMint is making a fool of himself. During the primaries, McCain ran as a centrist, which nearly doomed his campaign until the New Hampshire victory and which forced him to woo the base during the general election; the precise time when political candidates are supposed to present themselves as centrists. If McCain's election strategy had been reversed, the outcome may have been quite different. DeMint is a fool for claiming a McCain "betrayal."

OH i just love the in-fighting and backlash. We`ll just sit back and watch the Republicans melt down for the next 4-8-12-16 years. We dont have to say anything, your own base is doing the work for us, attacking each other.
GObama!

I voted for Obama, but I hope the Republicans can come together with a contemporized brand, because some HEALTHY competition would be wonderful for this country. I'm concerned by all this talk about America being predominately center-right...maybe that used to be the case (I'm 28 years old, so I don't know) but I'm alarmed that it's being taken for granted so soon after the election. Shouldn't the GOP be sorting through the evidence for a while yet? I realize you have to move quickly when the leardership is wide open as it is, but if you re-build the party on false ground, the whole thing will come tumbling down again. Honestly, I hope the GOP has a great candidate in 2012, but if they keep TELLING Americans what the country is feeling instead of ASKING them, it will be for nothing.

Notice to Bill Dingle:

Obama is not president yet.

The Republican party will rise again. Bil Ayers stayed quiet during the election but now has bombed the White House.

Whatever Mr. Republican. Just put Sarah Palin on your 2012 ticket so President Obama can extend his legacy. OBAMA/BIDEN '12

This ticker sucks. They dump some of the comments they don't like.

The republicans lost the presidential election, and lost control of more seats in both the house and senate. Demint isn't too far off in his evaluation of why this happend either. Contrary to what many of you believe, conseravatism isn't dead. The problem that us real conservatives have, is that our leaders are in fact, not principled conservatives and really have nothing to more to offer to the electorate other than a give/take democrat light platform which is really inconsistent. On top of that, guys like DeMint have no clue how to communicate conservative ideals to young voters.

What conservatives should be pushing, is individual liberty. Watch out in 12', and 16' if we can find someone to match up with Bobby Jindahl of LA.

Jim DeMint is just another ultra conservative that won’t let go of their belief that “Americans do prefer a traditional conservative government.” Wrong again Jim, the people have spoken on a ratio of about 2.5 to 1 to reject your “ultra conservative” government concept. Wake up and admit it! Also the Democratic Party represents freedom, I enjoy religious-based freedom so don’t think your party has a lock on those concepts. And as far as “limited government”, Bush really made the government smaller didn’t he?

Obama is real African. In Africa when some one is elected to be a president, he appoints all the family members and friends to take positions in the government. A friend, senior advicer!

This kind of sheer bigotry and intolerance is exactly what's wrong with the GOP. Their "religious based values" is code for taking away the rights of anyone who is not a white heterosexual christian. That's what the Republican party now represents: HATE.

Bush killed the Republican party, John McCain Built the coffin, Sarah Palin promoted the civil war and nailed down the coffin lid, The Reverend Hagee officiated at the Funeral.

Republican Party RIP.

McCain and the Republican Party lost in a landslide because their STANDARD Bearer sold his honorable soul to gain the Right Wing Religious Evangelical Christian vote by choosing that BIRD BRAIN Sara {Palin to be in line to inherit the PRESIDENCY if McCain vacated the office. The 62% of voters who believed that Palin was illprepared for the office probably voted for OBAMA or one of the other parties. Americans were fedup with the negativity being spouted by PALIN and developed by BUSH/ROVE traind advisors. Americans want HOPE and that was why Reagan did so well.

The Republican "brand" is what got "blown" out the ANALS of history.

Wow... everything this guy is blaming McCain for are the only things I liked about him.

P.S. Separation of Church and State. Look it up. First Amendment.

McCain is a republican in name only and that's why he lost. What exactly was his message? Limit government spending yet OK the bailout – he had no message. Certainly a message that ressinated from the republican core. Limited government, accountablility, social and fiscal responsiblity, he was none of this.

Mitt Romney and Gulliani 2012. It will happen. Newt we need some leadership. The republican party is sooooo lost, it has no leader.

Republicans betrayed Republican principles. Otherwise Ron Paul would have been the Republican nominee. I say good riddance to the GOP.

Gerald West,

One question for you.

Who did YOU vote for, McCain or Obama?

If it was the latter, case closed about how nice McCain was.

Thanks. Are we reading the same blog? 80% of what is written in Ticker blogs is heavily biased toward Obama. The McCain bashing has been relentless, even after the election. The thing only worse than a sore loser is a sore winner, and these posts have been full of people kicking McCain and his supporters after they were down. Republicans are every sladerous name possible. McCain is refered to as McSame, McBush, McWar and worse. He is even called a traitor, when he has sacrificed more for his country than most will ever do, including Obama. Perhaps it's because you agree with these hateful comments that you find the CNN Ticker bolg 'more civilized'. Personally, I find that many of the comments are 180 degrees opposite of what Obama claims to preach. He claims to be bipartisan and wants to bring people together. Most of the blogs by his supporters have the opposite effect.

Imagine that, the headless snake (not that Bush had a head to begin with) is thrashing about. The reason for the mess :THE PEOPLE, which they clearly forgot. Blame McCain? Absurd, he has more honor in his little pinkie than all the Bush administration put together. More of the same will get more of the same: FAILURE. These dimwit dinosaurs will bully the party into oblivion. Its time they got down on the side of the people. Maybe then, they can regain some of the lost honor they claim to have now.

Don't worry the Republican Party will be back in 2 to 4 years. The US will not tolerate the idiotic liberal and socialistic principles that the Axis of Taxes will propose (Obama, Pelosie & Reid).

AS I expected most Republicans just don't get it. This party needs to move to the center, a more moderate approach and look to the Tim Pawlenty's and Bobby Jindahl's of their party. The continuation of the ultra conservative movement will get them nowhere which is fine by this Democrat. The daily dose of fear mongering and a total lack of a cohesive plan PLUS Sarah Palin lost the election.
Go ahead and continue the religious based values, fear mongering (which should be in total disagreement with each other) and lack of a plan and it will be years before you recover! Take a good hard look at your membership, no diversity, no youth, no nothing! That is why you lost!

Senator DeMint talks a lot about what he's against but, what exactly is he for?

Does Senator DeMint want to go back 100 years and get really cheap labor?

Does he want to deport everybody that doesn't go to his church?

Does he want everybody else to pay tax and leave his "kind" alone?

Just what is Senator DeMint's brand of republican? No code words or phrases Senator, let's here it plain and clear – what do you advocate?

Senator DeMint is very right, you know.

I live in Arizona, and was compelled to vote for McCain ONLY because I knew the alternative, who got elected based on a career of moral and physical cowardice and hanging with bigots, would be much worse.

The same guy who uttered the F-Bomb at Senator Cormyn for pointing out the dangers of Shamnesty is the guy who could have won the election by looking pointedly at his opponent and saying. "I have served this country my entire adult life. I have fought for this nation, and spent time in a prisoner of war camp, tortured. I have worked for all Americans. Mr. Obama, what have YOU done besides spend 20 years in a pew while a bigot spewed and vomited hate and you did NOTHING. Well, nothing except hang out with domestic terrorists and PLO supporters.

What he was willing to do to Cormyn he lacked the guts to do to Obama. Those who ran his campaign were keystone cops and gutless jerks like his old chief of staff, Grant Woods, a RINO. But they sure knew how to blame the only one who really was working – Sarah Palin, well, her and Joe the Plumber.

We need Conservative Leadership. Not guys like DeLay who resigned without fighting, but guys like DeMint, like Jindal, like Eric Cantor, who will FIGHT for us and for America.

"Republican principles": the oxymoron of the century!

The problem was not McCain. I would LOVE to be a Republican.
But I can't
They don't want anybody who isn't ideologoically pure, and this is not the hallmark of a governing party.
Sorry DeMint. The problem is YOU.

Now that I think about it, McCain did not betray Republican principals. He betrayed his own. This man became a totally different person for this race. He did a complete 180. He stooped to a level of dirt that had defeated him and it did not work. He tried to scare us. His campaign wanted us to fear Obama. FEAR is no longer an option.

The best Republicans, from the perspective of Democrats, are those currently saying that if only they were MORE conservative America would embrace them. I do hope guys like DeMint win out because their utter inanity will give Democrats winning majorities in congress for years to come.

DeMint is part of the reason that the Republican are in deep, deep trouble. He, and others who think like him, just don't get it. I think that there will be significant blood-letting within the Republican party for a long time to come. The Republicans increasingly have come to represent a jingoistic, unintellectual attitude that is all about blaming "liberals", immigrants, urban dwellers, etc for all the problems in the country; increasingly they need to look more at themselves.

Someone tell DeMint to just shut up. McCain held his own and barely lost in a election year where the opponent had more money then sense at times and bought his way to the white house. He is in the same party as the current president who is not liked by over 75% of Americans.

This second guessing and blame game from some idiot senator who did not even have the courage to run for office himself . If he is so rightous and perfectly conservative then where was his run? What has he done?

Don't you know you can't armchair quarterback a presidential election if you yourself did not have the "stones" to actually try and run yourself. If Romney, Huckabee, Paul or anyone else had said this I could accept it because at least they also threw their hat in the ring.

Next time this idiot is up for office kick him out please. Demint is a coward, McCain is a proven hero in more ways then just military record.

I could not believe that McCain voted for a government bailout. Where's his Republican DNA? He must have really wanted to be President. At least the Republican governors are talking about holding the tax line and stopping the health system takeover.

Now we have Obama throwing money at every fix it scheme imaginable. He kept saying jobs, housing and a world wide recession were Bush's fault so often the voters forgot to ask if Obama had any financial ideas other than tax and spend or job creation ideas other than a new WPA.

The word is out to have a filibuster proof Senate i.e. roll over the opposition. So much for working together in this united United States.

McCain is far more noble and honest than the politicians who control the Republican Party. He doesn't do deception and mud-slinging convincingly. He didn't lose because he was underfunded; he lost because he couldn't sell from the empty wagon that is the Republican platform!

Trying to impress with policies that would appeal to Democrats and Liberals is exactly why McCain lost. They would never vote for him no matter how far to the left he moved and truly amazing that he could not see that. One has to question McCains fitness to be President with such a huge miscalculation.

The example is demonstrated time and time again even right here in the responses denouncing Demint and Conservative values in this forum. Conservatives stayed at home this cycle since they did not have a candidate.

What Demint fails to understand is that what he considers the core values of the Republican brand have failed. When more then half of the religious right recognizes the perils that lay ahead if Climate Change is allowed to go unmitigated, it becomes clear that Demint is clinging to the past when he yammers on about the economic challenges of addressing Climate Change. It further highlights his failed way of thinking by ignoring the significant role the government will have to take to address the worst financial crisis since the great depression. Demint and the Republican party need a new vision if they want to be taken seriously in the 21st century.

wasn't the GOP and their talking head press just championing McCain the so-called "maverick"?

"Freedom" and "religious based values"? LOL. Good oxymorong there. Apprently the good Senator is not aware that, thanks to these "religious based values", adults in our country have been denied THE FREEDOM to use their money to entertain themselves by playing poker on the internet?

We should not be surprised to hear that kind of statement, this is the guy that stated gays and single mothers should be allowed to teach. I believe that Obama's education and healthcare plans would do some good to the republican folks.
At the same how do you argue with someone who rejects even global warming?
I am a Christian and I love my pastor to stay out of my voting booth, how do you argue with someone who says " the democrats stole the election and God wanted McCain/Palin in the White House, that's why it's called the White House."
How do you argue with a pastor that says "Lord, I pray that you will guard your own reputation, because they’re going to think that their God is bigger than you, if that happens."
This is madness and stupidity at its optimum.

DENITWITT SHOULD BE HIS NAME. I agree with Dixie in AZ. I have not supported McCain but I will when it come to this moron of a senator. are you living in a cave senator, global warming is here and it's here to stay and more people should be aware of it not ignore it. Oh and yeah, while we are at it, let's throw in some more religion.

Does the republican party even know what its own principles are? The party is so fractured and broken now – its "fiscal conservatives" are in direct contradiction and competition with its "social conservatives". It's almost comical to see this party breaking apart, from a liberal point of view. The republicans can't exactly tout "fiscal conservatism" when they racked up a multi-trillion dollar deficit under President Bush. Their "social conservatism" amounts to nothing more than a complete disregard for separation of church and state and a strict "Christian" regimen that they want to force upon everyone. Republicans are supposed to want "less government" when it comes to regulating corporations and environmental laws, yet at the same time they want to use government to enforce their "Christian" views in our bedrooms. Like I said, it's comical from a liberal point of view watching the finger-pointing and blaming. I think (and can only hope) that the republican party is in deep, deep trouble. They can blame their loss on the democrats' smart use of the internet, they can blame John McCain, they can blame Sarah Palin, they can blame the "liberal media", or they can blame mickey mouse for all I care. The truth is this fracture comes from their own convoluted "principles", plain and simple. I'm surprised it took so long, actually. And happy it came at a time when we have a really, really smart democratic president-elect.

"according to DeMint, should represent freedom, religious-based values and limited government."

DeMint needs to wake up and smell the coffee, the Republican Party that Americans want to vote for has nothing to do with religious-based values, the Republican party that Americans want is fiscally responsible, cuts waste, and promotes a positive view of the USA in foreign lands while respecting our individual freedoms. Barry Goldwater please come back!

Aren't my congressmen and senators supposed to represent my districts' opinions and needs first. Then their agenda second, that being the party's principles. And if there is still a lack of guidance their own morality.

The problem with the Republican brand can be clearly seen in two events. The Democratic Convention and the Republican Convention. One the party of a 21st century America the other the party of 1950's America.

The problem with the Republicans is that they never got supportive of each other. If anyone can recall the meeting with the bailout when McCain suspended his campaign, all the democrats were rallying to point out that McCain was not needed. Obama never had to say a word. The Republicans never came out in support of their nominee, much like the Dems did. It's kind of funny that the only one that supported him was Lieberman. We all know Hillary and Bill cannot stand Obama, but they ran with the party line and did what was right for their party. If the Republicans want a shot in 2012, they better find a candidate that everyone can support, that is young and intelligent.

Hey DeMint. Maybe it's the conservatives that are betraying American values. McCain lost because he tried so hard to pander to conservatives that he lost the moderate center of this country which believes that those religious values you're talking about are developed within and between us and God, not stuffed down our throats by "limited government". The GOP has a fundamental conflict between the social and fiscal/small government conservatives.

I hate to comment on anything that has to do with the republican party. I think, their campaign bus has lost all its wheel in every area of human endeavors. Gop, think present and future, not the past.

You mean your party has a worse version of McCain? My God, I couldn't imagine that would be possible. Of course, there is George Bush (H & W). I hope the Republican party is nowhere near the White House or in government majority for the next 20 years.

Some things to consider:

1. The people in control of the GOP are not conservatives, they are right-wing radicals. They give lip service to conservative values, then follow their own agenda, usually the opposite (since when is greed "fiscal responsibility"?) When Wilsonian or other moderate conservatives speak up, the "Conservative " leadership & punditry bash them more vociferously than they do the liberals. Let's call them what they really are: Radicals.

2. It's possible that the GOP leadership gave McCain the nod knowing they faced an unwinnable election. This allows them to now use him as a scapegoat for their failure, and by extension the failures of the Reagan/Bush excesses, the W venality & greed, and the Rovian political adventures. This also would stand as the ultimate reward to a maverick in a party that values loyalty to the exclusion of all else; a lesson to future members.

3. Let's be thankful they are as incompetent as they are venal. Otherwise, we would all be living in a totalitarian theocracy by now.

Republican Principles? I didn't know they had any!

wait, what ever happened to seperation of religion and state...the GOP is now the religious-based party. And I did not know that support for global warming is an anti-gop thing. Ok I am going to predict that the GOP will split into two different factions, the one that are crazy religious and the small gov't ones.

Like Sharon, I too live in South Carolina. Attitudes like Sen. Demint's is what is wrong with our state and likewise with the Republican party. Their loss was not totally due to Sen. McCain – their loss was due to being so narrow-minded and preaching hate if anyone dares to believe differently from them. It seems that the Republican party cannot recognize that the majority of people are moderates and their so-called core principles refuses to recognize that fact.

As long as the Republicans choose to live in the Ronald Reagan era instead of adjusting to the world as it is now, they will continue to turn off the moderate element of the electorate.

i find it ironic that DeMint chooses to lambast precisely those qualities that make McCain far less of an arrogant, fearmongering scumbag than his fellow Republicans. Way to denigrate the last ounce of integrity your party had, DeMint. Shame on you.

Branding is for cattle and cheap perfume. The public has spoken resoundingly about the by-products of neo-conservatism. Read 'em and weep: Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, Alberto Gonzales, Donald Rumsfeld, George Bush, Ted Stevens, Larry Craig, and SO MUCH MORE! Call now and get your free cowardly pull-string Jim DeMint who speaks up long after the string is pulled.

DeMint and the other neanderthal leaders of the GOP just don't get it and that's why they lost. Simple as that. McCain believes in global warming? yeah Jim, look at the polar regions you idiot. You're kind see the melting ice as a new opportunity to drill and keep us on the crude juice. There wouldn't be a need for cap-and-trade programs if the energy companies would do their fair share to be better stewards of the land and air. But because it cuts into their profits they are opposed to doing what's right for everyone. Pathetic...and the American people have finally woken up. ANWR? You still pushing that idea? Another reason why you lost. OK, Jim...here's the plan. You get to drill in the ANWR but EVERY drop of oil you get from OUR land STAYS in the U.S.!!! You and your liars and thieves WILL NOT BE ALLOWED to sell OUR oil on the open market. You still want to do the deal? Didn't think so you jerk. Adapt or die Jim...that's why your Grand Old Party is on life support.

I have a Republican friend that voted for McCain because he is not a religious wing nut and bases decisions on evidence (I would argue the latter). If McCain had run only to the base he would have gotten SC, Utah, and SD electorial votes and that is it. Homes of the religious nuts.

Here is my wish. Run Palin and her platform of Adam and Eve riding around on dinosours 6000 years ago, science is evil, greed is good, drill baby drill, no regulation for business, top down economy, and big government in your bedroom. The popular vote Republicans 50 million Democrats 150 million, states 0 to 50. Hourse reps 35 to 400 and Senate 20 to 80. GO PALIN!!!

Is that what they call repressive and oppressive actions – principles? The Republicans need to get into the current century. Obama's landslide was an indictment against all things Bush. Do you really think a person with very limited experience who chants slogans would be elevated to the Presidency if it were not for George Bush and his Republican ways? Give me a break.

In other words, DeMint is saying McCain is a disgrace to the Forces of Evil? I think that's a compliment.

Republicans are Coco for CocoPuffs! CWAAAZZEEE!!!! LOLOLOL!!!

"Republican values" be hanged. It's the economy, stupid. That's the main reason McCain lost.

This guy has either been living in cave for 20 years or, he's just d-u-m-b. John McCain has always done things he feels is right, regardless of the "party platform" (see McCain Feingold or McCain Kennedy).

They knew what they were getting when he won the Primary. And truthfully, McCain was the only possible electable option. Any "true conservative" would have been destroyed by. . . well any liberal including a Kucinich.

Why, because the conservative party has done nothing to address the attacks by the liberal machine (both media and party). Today, Republicans are synonymous with "bible thumper, war monger and racist".

In order for the Republicans to come back from this, they need to address those issues head on.

I just want to say how much I appreciate a civilized intelligent discussion on the issues I read on the Ticker, unlike the blogs on a certain other network. For the most part the posts here make points, form opinions and do not show bias. Even more so, they are not racist or bigoted and above all, most here seem to want to debate fact, not slander and rumors.

After being told repeatedly to get my a$$ back to CNN because I dared challenge the drivel and slop being posed over there, I think I'll take their advice and stick with the grown ups from now on.

It is interesting to note that the Republican Party, or it's predecessors, such as the Whig Party, held the office of president for about 64 years of the first century of American history.

During the second century, the Republicans held the office 4 years more than the Democrats.

During this third century, which we are just embarking on, the Republicans have held the office for the 1st 8 years.

There is nothing emanating from the Republican Party, or its talking heads, that would indicate they will ever hold that office again.

"Americans do prefer a traditional conservative government" ??

Um, I think Americans just spoke – that is exactly what they DON'T want.

Also getting the boot – along with your party: "religious-based values" in our government, complete disregard for global warming, and drilling in ANWR.

Don't let the door hit you....

If the Republican Party listens to this idiot named DeMint's from SC they will never win another election. I am an Obama supporter but I do know McCain to be an honorable man. McCains problem was allowing his campaign people to run him instead of him running them. The problem with the Republican Party was the Democratic Party that appealed to more people, the sitting President that was so disliked that the only reason he was not tarred and feathered was because it is not allowed, the economy that tanked on the Republican watch, one HATE SPEWING AIRHEAD named Gov. Sarah Palin, and one well run campaign by the Democrats that out spent Republicans by as much as 3 to 1.

Imagine. All those Republican primary voters sabotaging the Republican chances in the general election by supporting someone who doesn't believe in Republican values. What were they thinking?

One important advice – beware of Lieberman!

If Lieberman gets stripped out of his democratic powers, he will not hesitate to join the republicans to gain POWER!

All who gain power are afraid to lose it – especially Lieberman!

I am sorry. This does not help Republicans. It only helps CNN who tries to give negative talk on Republicans. CNN, you have lost a viewer today.

This "blame game" should surprise no one. DeMint is a nut, and everyone knows it, but at least he "came out" and stated his beliefs for everyone to see. I'll take that over a "closet" neo-con any day of the week.

Funny thing is, his thinking represents exactly what the Republicans say we should fear about Muslim extremists that want to destroy our country and way of life.

Ponder that.

It seems ironic to me that a politician from South Carolina, the state that saddled us with "Duhbya" in the 2000 primaries, thinks that he has a single bloody thing to say about the state of the GOP.

DeMint failed to mention that his "Republican brand," has led the US and the world into economic shabbles and hated throughout the world. We are on the brink of third world countries being stronger than the US( see China's economy) therefore- the Republican Brand he is talking about is subversive and anti-american. They want the people to be led by barely literate leaders like Bush, McCain, and Palin. Frankly, 21st century problems are complex, leaders here should be calm, reflective, and extremely intelligent, with a good heart for the people. The Republicans prefer to nominate, mediocre, rabble rousing, do nothings. They appeal to the Deliverance segment of our population. They don't care about the Country. Their "Country First " slogan is meaningless.

What beat McCain was a bad economy, the last four years of the Bush Administration, and bad luck with the Stock Market tanking in the last 6 weeks of the race.

The truth is McCain did better than any other Republican could have under these circumumstances.

Also have to give Obama his due. He was a very good candidate and the fact is they had a better political machine than the Repbulicans and people wanted change, starting with the Democrats saying no to Hilary Clinton.

Religious based values? This is exactly why I will NEVER vote Republican. Few things are more offensive to us non-Christians then to be told that we are not Americans if we don't follow the Christian religion. If this moron DeMint could have a conversation with Thomas Jefferson, he would understand why separation of church and State was so important to Jefferson when crafting the Bill of Rights.

The Republican party is truly starting to look like one of those radical religious hate groups in the mid-east. They want to turn our beloved federal republic into a theocracy! And they continue to fuel the fires of hatred and xenophobia in the name of their "faith". Now that's scary.

Also, it's people like this guy DeMint who give a bad name to the majority of Christians and Southern Whites who are kind, tolerant, and decent people.

As long as any Republican identified him or her self with the failed policies of the past eight years, they were going to lose. A war that we should not have been involved in that did nothing to improve our security. An economic policy so lax it has led to a collapse and lack of tolerance. I see so much anger and hatred from fellow Christians it is disgusting. We do not have to be angry to disagree with people. And the lack of common sense on global warming. The Republicans deserve to lose everything, until they wake up.

Enough with the bitter grapes! It's over! Bush poisoned the election simply by being Bush, Sarah Palin appalled many voters who normally would have voted Republican, and the economy was the deciding factor. Plus Obama has youth, aq clear vision and ran, a focused campaign and McCain had too much against him: age, health records he did not completely disclose, a desperate scattershot campaign, and Palin. It would effect a lot of Republicans.

Mr. DeMint and all his ilk in the Republican party are exactly why they lost so convincingly in this election, and why they will continue to lose if they don't make the Republican party more inclusive. Their "values" amount to exclusion for anyone who doesn't follow their failed platform of: anti-abortion, global warming is a myth, gays and lesbians are less than real people, all illegal immigrants should be shipped back to where they came from, e.t.c. ad nauseum. As long as the Republican party allows this right wing fringe made up of people like Mr. DeMint to control platform and policy, then the Republican party will continue to lose elections and be relegated to the compost pile of American politics. One of the primary reasons John McCain lost the election was that he allowed his campaign to be co-opted by Mr. DeMint and those like him.

McCain choose Palin to excite the base, something he was unable to do. Problem is these right wing nut bars will not win the general election for you . Unless the GOP get back to some fundamental core values that the American people can identify with they will continue to come up short. George Bush has harmed this party like never before and because of the economic break down and the pain that just keeps getting worse the American people will not forget. The GOP need to repackage the brand under competent leadership or run the risk of a 3rd party rising and leaving them in last place.

Shhhh!

Everyone just stay quiet and allow these delusional Republicans to believe the wrong thing.

The longer they go without "getting it", the better off the nation will be.

As one of a few democrats in SC I can tell you some things about out of touch people and Senator Demint is one of them BUT most people in SC think he is the greatest....the deep south will not change their political views until a politican like Demint tells them otherwise...most are head strong about the GOP & will not vote otherwise regardless of the other candidate & especially if the other candiate is not a grumpy old white man....The only good thing about John McCain choosing Sarah Palin for his running mate is that it forced the head strong republicans to vote for a woman otherwise it would have never happened...The GOP should realize their problem is due to the extreme right wing christian conservatives who will do anything to get a candidate to spew out their right wing agenda....

Republicans are a joke, Palin is a fool, the GOP is finished !!!!!!!!!!

Typical Republican finger pointing. Let's dish out blame instead of working toward a solution. Well, if you're not part of the solution then you're part of the problem. So sit in the middle and suck on it.

Now I know Why McCain (Palin) lost; were Republicans like Sen. Jim DeMint lose interest in McCain and did not campaign for him(or worse, not voting). It’s us Republicans to blame for not standing united whomever the candidate is. There weren’t to many religious-based folks campaign either, shame on you folks too. I didn’t care when Sen. Dole was our presidential candidate, but I was just as proud of him as I am proud of Sen. McCain. To bad Governor Schwarzenegger is not able to run for President. Governor Sarah Palin in 2012.

Fiscal Responsible Government … Every Republican President that has followed a Democratic President has increased the national debt at a faster rate than his predecessor. President Clinton had, after man years, gotten us to the point where we ran a budget surplus. We could have begun to pay down the national debt and unwind the national leverage… but then came George Bush … and a manufactured excuse to go to war and spend TRILLIONS of dollars. President Obama will restore the path to balanced budgets that will position us to eliminate the debt and will once and for all label the Democrats as the Balanced Budget Party.

oUt of toUCH, ouT Of tOuCH, OUt oF tOucH, oUt OF tOuch, OuT oF
tHIS is exactly why the GOP is in disarray. Their own party members dont know who to blame.

THE gOP is out of touch, out of ideas, and out of time.

AMERICA HAD ENOUGH AND VOTED A REAL MAN INTO OFFICE

Can't tell you how much so many of us are enjoying the GOP crying in their beer. John McCain was and is a decent man who compromised his views to run for office. And as an aside, I can't wait to see Sean Hannity waiting tables at some dive in Cleveland. (no offense, Cleveland.)

Just more denial,.....

The day after the election, I heard two Repulican analisysts on the radio say that "If the Repubican Party wants to regain promanace and respect with the American public, the one thing they CANNOT do is think and say 'We weren't conservative enough. we didn't say less government enough, didn't focus on terroism enough, we didn't stick to our principles enough, we didn't ,...'

Well the very next day here on CNN.com there is a joker saying ALL those things and that "Conservitives NEVER lose elections. Since were weren't Conservitive enough, that is why the public voted the way they did.

WHAT?

"Conservatives ALWAYS win?

What about all those non-Conservitive governors, senators, congressmen, mayors, city & county executives that are elected every election,....more so in some parts of the country then others.

Even if he ment to say "presidental elections" , what about when carter was elected in 1976 and the back to back Clinton election wins?

With compleate, utter denial like this, we may see the rise of the Libertarian party as one ofthe "big two" political parties, and the Republican party in the "Number 3" spot.

NOT because they have a conservitive agenda or ideas, NOT because the are not liberal in their thought, and NOT because they refuse to change. Because many refuse to show GROWTH or PROGRESS, which they fear is compleate change. They have become stagnant in their line of thought.

I know so many comnservatives that have become Independants, Democrats or Libertarians because of this.

Why did Obama get elected?

Because he also gained the vast majority of the young voters who are looking for much more flexible lines of thought. And that is only going to be the continuing trend in this nation the more diverse it becomes.

I wonder what DeMInt (honestly) thinks about that.

Republicans need to figure out what they are. If they're for smaller government, less government intervention in peoples' lives, then they need to drop the "pro-life" stance, drop the Christian bias (government shouldn't interfere with anyone's religion), tdrop gay bashing, and settle on some values that aren't so contradictory and hypocritical. Republicans during my lifetime have been big spenders (Reagan, W) who want to control peoples' lives rather than shrink government and increase freedom.

rep. demint can take his religious base and shove it. the one thing i'm sure of is that we've had a pretty religious nut in the white house over the last 8 years and look what's happened to this country. perhaps the religious south should start their own party – better yet, how about their own country and then we'll finally get rid of them and their ridiculous family values

Noting the issue of campaign finance reform as a reason for Republican defeat:

As I rememer it, when contribution limits were raised (to $2,000 per person - I believe), the Democratic members of Congress were thought to have signed their own political death certificate - after all it was the wealthier Republicans who could make these higher $$ contributions.

In this election cycle we have seen a great democratiztion of the campaign finance as exhibited by the many millions of small contributions. I've read a number of Republican critiques as to why Obama won was because he had such a large campaign fund. As we know it was so large not because smaller numbers of large contributions but rather its converse. I think blaming campaign reform is just an excuse for a party bereft of real solutions to what faces us as a society today.

Does Jim DeMint know what happened to the $700.000.000 bailout we just gave to the eight largest banks?

The Republicans are headed for a split, just like what happened to the Democrats in the 1960s. Democrats and Dixiecrats. LBJ said when he signed anti-segregation legislation in the 1964 that he "delivered the South to the GOP for a generation with the stroke of a pen."

Now we're going to have Republicans and Dixiepublicans.

It's all about courting the Southern electorate, and has been since the founding of this country. The saddest thing is that while I'm sure that there are many people in the South who are not bigots, racists, and generally afraid of everything that isn't The Other, the South as a voting bloc generally wants to go backwards to somewhere before 1860 when white landed gentry were in complete indisputable control.

DeMint is an idiot! He's just as much a failure as the rest of them! So much for that little "Contract With America" thingy you all talked so much about back in the Clinton years when the GOP gained control of both houses of Congress!!!! I remember DO YOU?

Is it DeMint or DiMwit?

It wasn't McCain who strayed from the principles of the GOP–the GOP strayed awayed from the needs of he American people. Knuckleheads like DeMint would prefer to keep the GOP in a political Dark Age, rather than accept the fact that the world is changing around them. If they choose not to change with the rest of the world, they will become irrelevant.

Hah. Jim Demint is stupid. I hope he keeps building up power, because if he's in charge the republicans will just keep on losing. They aren't going to win on no abortion, gay marriage, and low taxes anymore. Get a clue, Jim.

oh , the phrase i was looking for was "waitingk moderation".
so still it is. good day sir !

I sure hope that all republicans think like this bone headed senator and that they choose Sarah Palin as their candidate so that we'll win in another lanslide next time! The REAL reason they lost so bad is because by sucking up to their base they totally lost the middle. They believe the Earth is just a few thousand years old, they're against science, etc. They're going the way of the Neanderthals. The Neanderthals couldn't adapt either and look what happened to them...

What's incredibly sad in all the blame he laid on Senator McCain, is he forgot the one thing that was most apparent – the use of fear, hate, and race baiting as a foundation for his presidential bid. Do Republicans not see this as a problem? And if not, where can they go from here? I personally think McCain owes us an apology for unleashing such hate, and pitting us against each other just to win.

and you too Brutus?

John McCain was picked by the voters in the Republican primaries because he represented solutions that made sense to most Americans. Those in the Republican party who cling to outmoded ideology doom their own party future defeats. Also putting forth social conservatives is another fatal error. A great philosopher once said "render unto Caesar what is Caesar and to God what is God's."

I support Obama but have to say that outcasts like this Mr DeMInt made Obama's race easier. These are probably the Republicans most people do not believe in

I didn't vote for McCain, but he doesn't deserve this from his own party. When will the republicans realize that they lost this election because the american people no longer want a religious based party in power that only thinks their beliefs and values are the right thing. Sarah Palin was a poor example of their kind of Christian. As a moderate christian, I will never vote for the republicans again until they get their act together and come into the 21st century rather than living in the past. When will they wake up and realize they are now the minority in this country, not the majority. We are a nation of all different nationalities and faith.

NOW THAT THE ELECTION IS OVER THEY ALWAYS GOT TO BLAME BS. ON THE OTHERSIDE SO ALL YOU HATERS CAN HATE MORE. THATS BECAUSE YOUR JUST NAIVE LITTLE MORONS.

A party based on fantasy. This guy is a joke.

No place else to make my comment....

If we bail out the auto industry, they will be back with nothing to offer me in the way of a compact, efficient, and low-cost car than they have had the last 20 years.

What is wrong with manufacturing cars for relatively low-income people? Look at who bought the Volkswagens! And the Model A's and T's!

Forget all the fancy stuff!

So the fat cats won't make a huge amount of money. Too bad!

Keep it up and you will be De-Mintized in the next election. Keep beating the same old drums of "resolve, freedom, war on "terrorism," gay marraige, etc.
American are finally awake, bubba.

are you still gonna put my comment under evaluation or whatever you call ? it is just a test

DeMint is of the ultra-conservative breed of Republican – A lot of us moderates here in South Carolina do not like this guy. The hilarious thing is that he, not John McCain, represents the skewed and extreme partisan direction towards which the Republican "core" has recently moved. I considered myself a Republican up until about 2002 – the party has moved so far right since then even that now I would be seen as a liberal here. Jim DeMint represents the faults of the party – not McCain – and if anything lost the election for John McCain, it was listening to the advice and "religious values" of those such as DeMint by trying to appeal to this right-wing Republican "core" that barks much louder than it bites. Earth to Republicans : The religious right-wing was never your core – it is called "extreme radical." Get back to your old core and older, more solid stances (maybe focus less on moral issues and more on the country, you know, church separated from state?) and you will get your old votes back.

mmmm.... sorry, commentators.. I type and read too fast. I'm an opinionated old Indian woman... who happens to be a teacher in Texas. Do what you will with these posts. They come from my heart and my desire to see all of us wake up and be the human beings we were meant to be. I do the best I can.... sometimes my human frailities come through.

Even though the leaders of Russia, Venezuela, Iran, Cuba, Afghanistan, and, now, China have formed a line to get a piece of Obama the fools who voted for him still don't have a clue. This is an exact replay of what happened when the first Jimmy Carter was elected. In 1976, we rejected our conservative candidate Ronald Reagan (may his name be praised forever) and went with the "moderate" Gerald Ford (who had never won any election outside his own Congressional district). Now comes Jimmy Carter 2.0.

Bob 1942

I'm with you. My only question is, of course, what does Sarah think about all of this ?

I love to hear when people think John McCain betrayed conservative principle. He was never a conservative. I listen to all the people I work with and it became very clear the reason they did not vote for John McCain was Sarah Palin and the devise campaign tatics. They felt after 8 years of being divided, the country needed a new direction. When in politics, you need depth in thinking when it comes to issues and John McCain had it, but Sarah Palin did not. Its back to "you can put lipstick on a pig, but its still a pig". Some people will say I am calling Sarah Palin a pig, but think about it in the context of depth. You need substance not rheotric. She is the reason republicans did so bad. So the republicans need to remember the 11 commandments of Ronald Reagan... John McCain make a tatical error in choosing her or better yet John's campaign did. They were only counting on Hillary's 18 million votes. Campagins are won on strategy, not gimmicks. .

DeMint also mentions Bush along with McCain abandoning traditional conservative values. 22% of the people still approve of Bush. Who does he think these people are? They are the right wing traditional conservatives that get their news and information from Rush, Ann Coulter, Mike Savage and Fox News. Bush didn't abandon DeMint type conservative principles! He exposed them as a bankrupt, failed and discredited ideology that has no place in the 21st century.

WHY MY COMMENTS ARE ALWAYS UNDER MODERATION.......????

Those thumps you hear are the bus rolling over McCain and Palin.

The GOP is a ruthless, out-of-touch of hate mongering fools.

I was wondering when America would wake up and refuse to be led around like lemmings by the pseudo-Christian bullies. I hope this is an indication of a change in the Republican party... they need a new, more thoughtful, more reasonable base...

A Little constructive critizm, The people don!t seem to realize that
John Sidney McCain was involved in the Lincoln Savings & Loan fraud
& recently his son Andrew, in Silver Bank Nevada, This is a Felon
Even now with the current Bailout, people in High office will look to fatten
there own Wallets, [ Much like Contrived Gas Prices we paid during
Bush term]

If McCain had stayed true to himself and been more of a moderate, I may have voted for him. But he kowtowed to the backwater, medieval sect of the Republican party and lost my vote, and a lot of other votes as well. Nice to see the old John McCain back again after the campaign. I bet he's relieved.

I kinda hope the Republican party does lurch further to the right. That'll put them right where they belong – a regional backwoods political faction that consistently loses nation-wide elections. It'll play well with Pat Robertson, Rush Limbaugh, South Carolina, and white supremacists. So godspeed, Senator DeMint, firm up your base!

Forever Conservative -except 2008, please do not be confused!

These people do NOT care about the environment because they believe we are in the last days of Revelations. That is how they rationalize every corrupt thing they do! As well they believe that human beings create souls... .thus the more we have, the more are saved from the pits of hell. Like they are not bound there with their corrupt ideas and actions!

My belief is that God creates Souls, we simply create a body for that soul to inhabit. And I do believe that God will judge our stewardship of this planet our Earth Mother that we were given to live on, respect and care for... in the beginning of our time here.

But then who am I.... just a simple Indian Woman walking the Good Red Road as best I can. Aho, mitakye oyacin.... All are my Relations... even the ones who can't think for themselves yet.

As an avid Obama supporter I have one thing to say:

"Please, oh, please make Rep. DeMint the leader of the Republican Party."

Nothing could help the progressive movement more than DeMint's position becoming the voice of the Republican Party.

Let DeMint - and other Republicans, too - keep talking that way, and the Republicans will keep losing.

If they go back to the three principles of freedom, faith based values, and limited governent, they will lose even more of their base. Soon, they will have to learn that supernaturalism (faith as opposed to fact) is obsolete, that naturalism (science) is the only way to progress morally and culturally. The probelm is, most sensible people are learning to hold these four basic thoughts in their head at the same time: 1. god is omnipotent 2. god is omniscient 3. god is just 4. there is evil in the world;
and thus realizing that they are not mutually consistent. Going back to faith based values is dangerous, as we have seen globally. Leaving religion behind is the only sensible answer.

Still for McCain!!!!!!!

God help this country being led by Hussein.

Welcome President Biden................

I find it laughable that Republicans want to pick and choose which "science" they want to support or undermine. Scientific method is scientific method. I say if they don't want to believe the science of Evolution and they don't want to believe the science of Global Warming, they should be allowed to benefit from the Science of modern Surgery or Medication. We need to simply deny them the benefits of all scientific progress until they can figure things out correctly. Want to believe in Creationism? No problem. You can live without electricity, combustion engines or modern medicine until you change your mind.

Gotta agree with "Texas Tim" on all his points. Reading through DeMints comments blew my mind. It was completely reversed from common sense. Oil is not inexhaustable so drilling everywhere is a temporary solution. Drilling in pristine areas of the planet will eventually speed up the upset of natures balance. Arent we all immigrants?

It all seems to run against the basic tenets of the religion that conservatives claim to adhere to. Treat people as you would like to be treated, take care of the home given to you and spread some happiness right?

It all comes of as hypocritical and just plain sad.

DH

THE REPUBLICANS HAVE BECOME PREDATORS OF OUR

ECONOMY, MORALITY & FREEDOM. THEY PREACH GOD

TO GET ELECTED THEN ROB THE COUNTRY & MAKE

THEIR ROUNDS IN AIRPORT REST ROOMS STAMPING THEIR

SLEAZY FEET. GUTTER RATS HAVE BETTER MORALS.

The republican label should have a skull and cross bones on it since the republican party has brought us this depression.

The republican party lost because there is no more to steal – they have it all!

Mr. DeMint: Well, well, well, a Republican finally "mentions" George Bush has responsibility for this crisis that we are in. I have voted for him three times, since I'm a conservative from Texas, and not until about three years ago did I begin to see him for who he really is. This TRAITOR has virtually destroyed this great nation in eight years while you "Republicans" sat quietly by and even participated in the destruction!! Of course, the United States has to be weakened morally, economically, and militarily before the North American Union can develop. You politicians and all of us are responsible but when we elect a Chief Executive every 4 years, we expect him to do what he is mandated to do: "FAITHFULLY EXECUTE THE LAWS OF THE LAND". Bush has been more of a dictator than a president and Obama, seeing how it is done, will abuse the office even more against conservative principles. CHANGE, CHANGE, CHANGE!!! YES, THE UNITED STATES IS GOING TO CHANGE.

I agree with Sen. DeMint. The Bush administration tried to out spend the Democrats. A lot of work must be done to rebuild the Republican party. Important to connect with young people, Latinos and the people on main street.

I went to high school with Ted Stevens. I joined his table at the last reunion. He is a fine individual and I hope the best for him. I was C E O and major shareholder of the largest steel wire manufacture in the U. S. and Canada. I spent a great deal of time in Washington and that experience shocked me. I am afraid the old saying "we have the best politicians money can buy" is close to being correct. Washington needs to be cleaned up and Republican's need to find some strong leaders young and old to do the job, it will be monumental.

Did the Senator also discuss how HIS party has placed this nation's citizens $10 TRILLION in debt?

The GOP is a dead party. Good riddance.

I love it when they play the blame game! It's so much more fun than the game of monopoly they've been playing for the last eight years. And they are so grateful to spread the blame to others.

It looks like it's also shaping up to be a real Republican thanksgiving and they are serving themselves as the turkeys! I notice Sarah Palin's Pitbull Pie is conspicuous by its absence. Hooray for that! Greed stuffing with mixed nuts is also on the menu. Humble pie is also a holiday favorite.

Appetizers include cheese with their favorite whine, Wah Wah Wah vintage 2008.

One more whack job. Just keep it up. Stay a regional party and stay out of power. America has spoken! The era of right wing "lug nuts" is over and "good riddance to bad rubbish".

The conservative base stayed at home. A few voted for Obama out of sheer rage, and a small few voted third party–myself included. The feeling among conservatives was that John McCain, if victorious, would permanently disenfranchise conservative values out of the party–a goal he has pretty transparently broadcast for years.

Fourth down and McCain? Time to punt. And now the Democrats–and Obama–can take all the blame for the hell that is set to follow in the next four years.

Conservatives did not go away. They denied one enemy to the benefit of another.

This man seems to think that the majority people still believe in these principles of his. I suppose his problem is that he cant accept this and therefore the reason for the loss must lay elsewhere.

DuhMint hit on all the issues that McCain was actually right on. DuhMint does not understand that McCain lost despite these positions not because of them. Had he taken these positions, he would have lost by a much larger margin.

While I have at all times been an Obama supporter I have to say that I thought McCain would not have been a bad alternative up to the point he picked the language mangling pit bull in lipstick as his veep. If the Repubs have any brains or freedom of thought, they will keep her as quiet in Alaska as possible and push moderates like Jindal or Pawlenty as the future of the party.

A closing thought – why is it always the "Pro-life" people who also support the "Pro-Death" death penalty and "Pro-Death" wars, not to mention "Pro-Death" environmental issues? What hypocrites.

So Palin represent what the GOP wants to lead their party.......Thanks to her we now have stories like this...........................................One of the most popular white supremacist Web sites got more than 2,000 new members the day after the election, compared with 91 new members on Election Day, according to an AP count.

The Republican party should know that voters would vote for McCain anyday then Palin.....

when I hear "religious-based values" I fear the intolerant so called "Religious Right" forcing their beliefs on average Americans. freedom OF religion should also mean freedom FROM religion.

I guess people like DeMint want a Christian version of the Taliban in Afghanistan or the Saudi Wahhabist "Religon Police" in that country running things here in America.

NO THANK YOU

What plan can the Republican Party possibly come up with that will unite and not divide this country for the common good?

PALIN VOTED FOR OBAMA.......Google her interview at the voting polls...when asked who she voted for she quoted her right to privacy......she could not say herself because she knew it was a lie AND GOD WOULD NOT APPROVE OF THAT!!!!! True Christian to the end!

THE RNC HAS NO PERMISSION FROM THE ALMIGHTY GOD

TO EVEN MENTION THE NAME OF GEORGE SOROS. WHILE

THE REPUBLICANS ROB THE POOR, SOROS FEEDS THEM &

THEIR CHILDREN. THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN MY MIND

IS ANOTHER VERSION OF THE NAZI PARTY.

Why does South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMented wants to push his party further off the cliff?

"religious-based values " ??? Yea, that's right DeMint. Have the GOP keep beating people with your bibles. That's a good way of getting more people to vote Republican. NOT !!!

Republicans lost because you keep practicing divisive politics. Rhetoric that incites near riots at your campaign stops with your dicipiles calling for domestic terrorist acts against Democratically elected officials, is not the way to bring people to the GOP.

The founding fathers put seperation of church and state in the constitution for a reason, you idiot !

DeMint is missing the point. McCain lost because the country is tired of Republican rule. The same rule that is screwing up the country.

If McCain used more common sense, had a centralist VP (not a luney bin right winger); had a campaign based on issues not baseless attacks. Embraced common sense and realized that we can not drill our way out of this energy mess, and explained that we need to change our energy

From what I see, these are Republican values:
-We can drill our way out of our energy mess
-We should ban gays people, they chose to be gay. (not the fact they are born gay)
-Global warming is not happening
-we should get rid of most social programs (people should be able to afford what they need. If people can afford something they need, it is their fault. )
-Dirty campaigns with outright lies are fine.
-pollution is fine. The earth will "fix itself".
-We must bring Christian religion into government (even though the Bill of rights says that Church and state must be separate).

When real Republican values come back (IE not the extreme right wing), I may consider looking at voting Republican again.

McCain can still hold his head high and at least declare that he does not pal around with terrorists. CNN how come Ayers present statements of not being remorseful and that he is just like a serial killer that takes time before his next kill. I say with recent events and the sale of his book will give him the money and notoriety to start again. CNN you better keep a close eye on this guy and cross your fingers he does not start again. You have to admit he still is not satisfied with the outcome and has a chip on his shoulder, but I guess you don't see that.

DeMint is detached from reality. What he fancies as his principles, many times are just principles of good governance (like the fact that power corrupts). And to get into the blame game of who destroyed trust in good governance or fiscal responsibility in the Republican Party you need more than McCain (e.g. Craig, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Bush, etc.). You will not replace for voters the importance of these principles by shoving social conservatism down their throats Senator.

DeMint - Please don't advise anyone else –McCain wasn't conservative enough for 4-5% of the voters,or he would have won.

If they had listened to this buy, the landslide would have been an even greater landslide. If this is what the GOP means by looking ahead, they will be in for a "surprise"...

You democowards amaze me, you denegrade religion and morals while your liberal judges let off child molesters and illegal aliens that kill Americans. You critisize Republicans for holding to their beliefs while you Nazi goose step your way to the polls to vote for a traitor and a Anti American. You reap what you sew, and Osama Obama is about to turn your country over to our enemies. The democowards have succeded were the Nazi's failed in destroying this country and inviting every violent leader in the world to come attack us because the incumbent administration couldn't defend it way out a wet paper bag. I hope you Democowards get use to seeing your children slaughtered in the streets by our enemies, but you can't complain because you just elected the leader who doesn't care about your children, he only cares what Rev Wright has to say, what Louis Farrakan has to say, what Bill Ayers has to say, and they all want America destroyed. You are a bunch of Obamorons.

The republicans need to figure out that people aren't as interested in "brand name", "labels" and "packaging" as they used to be. This is the kind of talk that turned off so many people.

And on a side note, the phrase "religious based values" makes me sick. Religion should have no say in our government and the inference that if one does not have religion then they have no values is bigoted and ignorant.

DEMINT
YOU AND MANY LIKE YOU ARE THE REASON MCCAIN LOST. HE STOOD UP TO YOU AND PUT HIS COUNTRY FIRST. BUT THE NON SUPPORT FROM IDIOTS LIKE YOU HANDED HIM THE LOST.

YOU DESERVE WHATEVER YOU GET NOW. DO NOT EVERY BLAME JOHN MCCAIN AGAIN. AND THIS IS COMING FROM A FORMER DEMOCRAT TURNED INDEPENDENT WHO SUPPORTED AND VOTED FOR MCCAIN.

I gotta say this is the first time I agree with most of the posters here. Ronald Reagan is no hero and saint. He wasn't a great president and trotting his bones out won't save the Republicans from themselves. They are completely out of touch with most Americans. For this idiot DeMint to blame McCain for not being conservative enough is ludicrous. If the Republicans continue a policy of getting back to their 'roots' then they will disappear in a couple of generations. All I can say is good riddance to them

Another politician stuck in the past. I'm an independent and only the Democrat seemed to get it during the last election. I'm tired of the same ol' politics we seem to spew every so often. I'm very hopeful that Obama will use his intellect to see past these people who ARE bitter and DO cling to religion and guns as a form of national policy. This is the reason people like DeMint are so in love with Sarah Palin – she fits all of his litmus tests but doesn't address ANY of the issues of the 21st century. It's time to move on...

DeMint sounds like a sore loser to me. The Republican party can thank GW for its failings. There isn't much that John McCain could do to separate himself from that label. A Republican is a Republican, and in politics labels are the only things that matter.

DEMINT YOU AND MANY LIKE YOU ARE THE REASON MCCAIN LOST. HE STOOD UP TO YOU AND PUT HIS COUNTRY FIRST. BUT THE NON SUPPORT FROM IDIOTS LIKE HANDED HIM THE LOST.
YOU DESERVE WHATEVER YOU GET NOW. DO NOT EVERY BLAME JOHN MCCAIN AGAIN. AND THIS IS COMING FROM A FORMER DEMOCRAT TURNED INDEPENDENT WHO SUPPORTER AND VOTED FOR MCCAIN.

Delusional! The infighting is getting ugly!
The Republicans are imploding and the
Democrats are uniting!
Who would have thought?

That is great news. The GOP needs to be more conservative. The Mc Cain attempts at reaching out to the middle needs to end. The GOP shoud go back to cultural issues and the evangelical base. The GOP should make Palin their leader.

PS: I am a liberal San Francisco Obama voter

Usual republican tactic. Point fingers at someone else and never admit what their party has done to our country.
Can they not realize our country and our government needs
change? Not more conservatism, not more religious right,
not more immorality, but someone who puts their country
and the peoples desires and needs first.
They have strayed so far from this doubt if they ever get back.

If the people who are so stupid that they could NOT see the corruption of the Bush administration, then they deserve McCain and Palin. Why don't all those people just move up to Alaska with Palin and run your own personal witch hunt on each other. And let the rest of us get on with cleaning up this mess, and supporting Obama in doing so! A new United States of America is on the verge of emerging!

If you don't want to be part of it... if you are so proud of the condition this country is in... if you can't see what YOUR Party has done..... then you deserve your FREEDOM to worship and go down the tubes with YOUR party! But trust me.... the Big Guys will NOT go down the tubes.... only the Poor Fools who support them!

Tired of listening to the blame and lie game! It was real and sometimes it was fun... but it was NOT REAL FUN, or we would not have voted you bozos out!

First rule of holes, Sen. DeMint; when you're in one, stop digging. Those who think making the Republican Party even more rigid, narrow, doctrinaire and exclusionary than it is now as the way to fix its brand should really run to a dictionary and look up the word "irrelevance."

Keep it up and the Party will be representing the views of no more than a couple of states in the South by 2012. Works for me.

The Democrats don't even need to do anything. They can just sit back and watch the Republican Party destroy itself.

I'll take Obama's "religious-based values" over those of republican fools and hypocrites any day.

What saddens me is that the Party continues to state, as DeMint said, that it stands for Religious-based values, but it seems that fewer and fewer live by those values. Unethical behavior, criminal behavior, none of these match up with what I've been taught regarding my religion. It seems that most of the Party now just uses religion as a platform, and not a tenet for the way they live their lives.
Sad.

PJ451
"oh for the good ole days when the romans knew what to do with their christians?"

ouch.

and dyinglikeflies is absolutely right.

McCain deserves better than his Party dished him. Oh for Obama to offer him a juicy morsel on Monday. Switch Parties, McCain. You and Cindy can afford it...her tax returns reflect she is writing off enough bounty for a better break than mine!

Republican has moved away from Lincoln's principles and the core of democracy. Government is of the people, by the people, for the people. As long as govenrment acts to protect and serve people and promote the goodwill of human society, and not abusing power, there is no small or big govenrment debate. Conversative by name, is NOT open-minded. It simply won't fit the fast path of 21st century. They need to understand why great majority of young generation are leaning toward Democratic party now.

CNN, did you reset the comments format and mine didn't get posted?

**************

From DeMint's description, John McCain doesn't sound so bad after all.

Perhaps McCain will accept a position with the Obama administration, allowing Arizona's Democratic governor to appoint his Senate replacement.

Republican conservatives say they are for freedom, as long as it does not apply to gays or pregnant women. What a joke.

Senator DeMint can certainly believe that, because if the GOP believes that then they will cement their minority status for a long time.

The Republicans will not win another election trumpeting limited government - nobody knows what that means, anyway. Everybody dislikes government, until you actually need government services, and then all of a sudden the government is just okey-doke with everybody.

The Republicans will not win another election on "freedom", because nobody is against freedom, and the electorate I think has figured that out.

I pray (no pun intended) that the Republicans don't win another election on religious-based values because it is just offensive to think that a) Republicans have a monopoly on religious-based values, and b) Republicans actually believe in those religious-based values they espouse. All major religions emphasize charity for the poor - does anybody really believe the Republicans do that? All major religions emphasize humility - does anybody really believe the Republicans (USA! USA!) do that? Many religions value the sanctity of *all* life - does anybody believe the Republicans (death penalty, environment) believe that? And the list goes on.

It's not that Republicans are bad people - they have embraced a philosophy that fits on a bumper sticker, and that philosophy doesn't have much to say about the complex world we live in. Until they can look up "nuance" in a dictionary and take it to heart, they are going to have a rough road of it.

I think the biggest probleme for the GOP is the exclusion ideas they have, the american people have moved on. If they don't change there policies of "conservatism", they will lose more ground et will become a minority underdog party for good.

This guy is clueless. The republicans lost the election because their ideas are bad, not because their candidate wasn't conservative enough. The fact that people as stupid as DeMint run this country terrifies me.

Mark, I agree with you. I don't know why I always get moderated. I'm not a flame-throwing anything, but CNN doesn`t seem to want to post anything I write. Instead, they post every type of illiterate, badly-spelled piece of Palinesque garbage they can find.

And CNN, do you dare post this?

It seems like a lot of Democrats and independent voters have to stand up and defend McCain. It's a sad statement of the Republican party that they can't even stand by their own candidate, a person they voted for overwhelmingly during the primaries.

McCain burned too many bridges when he pick Caribou Barbie Sarah Palin!

GOP IS NOW A BRIDGE TO NOWHERE!!

GOP IS NOW A BRIDGE TO NOWHERE!!

GOP IS NOW A BRIDGE TO NOWHERE!!

GOP IS NOW A BRIDGE TO NOWHERE!!

GOP IS NOW A BRIDGE TO NOWHERE!!

GOP IS NOW A BRIDGE TO NOWHERE!!

GOP IS NOW A BRIDGE TO NOWHERE!!

GOP IS NOW A BRIDGE TO NOWHERE!!

GOP IS NOW A BRIDGE TO NOWHERE!!

The Republican Party is OUT of TOUCH with this Nation! They are still appealing to the base far right of their party... we should have learned by now that they are NOT the moral MAJORITY.... but the morally hypocritically fast-growing minority! Praise be to the Creator!

As we become a more educated populace, we are not so easily controlled! And that is going to be MORE the case as the years go by rather that less! We, the People, are waking up finally! And the Republican Party Smoke Screen is simply NOT working anymore!

As a liberal, Sen. DeMint's comments warm my heart. He clearly does not understand the demographic shift that took place in this election. Yes, Senator, old Southern white me prefer the type of government you describe, and Sen. McCain represented them well. But you are no longer an electoral majority. The Republican party will have to move beyond this base to compete nationally.

The shortcomings listed by DeMint are all what made McCain a viable candidate! That is, until he picked Palin. A truer conservative would probably have been beaten much more soundly than McCain.

Since JMc held his word and accepted public finanacing, the bulk of the campaing money came form the RNC. The RNC held the purse strings for JMc's campaign and sent their message to the world. These mis-mashed politcal values intertwined with religious extremism are the kind of "values" that ruined the repubilcan party chance of winning this time around.

Now, the weak links in the RNC (DeMint) are blaming the patsy for the loss and they will blame the other guy (BHO) when he institues radical policies that may just change the very core of this country.

Republican should stop the blame game. They should regroup and plan a carefully organized strategy to reshape the public's image of the RNC. Complaining about the election results is not productive and only hurts the RNC's image. Stick to action, booting Stevens without knocking JMc for statrters.

"Bush and Stevens, he said, had corrupted the party brand by expanding the size of government and engaging in wasteful government spending. Had Republicans not strayed from their core beliefs in recent years, DeMint argued, the election results might have been different."

"Strayed"? Squandering a multi-billion dollar surplus, running an un-provoked war with no battle plan, filling the bank accounts of companies like Halliburton with no bid contracts, cutting taxes during a time of war, borrowing trillions from China to be able to claim that taxes haven't been raised, failing to rush to the aid of hurricane victims, deregulating the financial and real estate markets resulting in a greed-induced collapse of trillions of dollars of equity: strayed from the core GOP values? "Betrayed" those values completely , I would say! DeMInt tries to make it sound like the GOP was only guilty of not properly recycling their paper goods and aluminum cans! Please!

ANd, come on: weren't all of these folks sitting in Congress while this was going on for 8 years? How many said anything against these policies before now?

Yeah, yeah, yeah...the fact is, you guys ALL stood loyally by George W. Bush's side for 8 years, so you're ALL responsible for the mess you're currently in.

But do continue–I do so love the sound of the GOP eating their own.

This country has had more than enough of the republicians brand of conservataism...time for a nice slide to the left!

Sen. DeMint should be saying that Sen. Demint is part of the Republican Party.

John McCain was your saving grace. If not for him and the fact that a lot of Americans DO hold him in "high regard" the election would've resulted in a bigger land slide. The problem was the right wing ideology of the Republican party. American voters chose to reject that ideology and the sort of campaign that represents the Republican brand of fear-mongering and distracting from pertinent issues.

At the beginning of the campaign, before the selection of Sarah Palin (another ultra-conservative, female version of George Bush), I was one of the moderate Democrats who might've been willing to vote for John McCain or who would've at the very least been hopeful of change if he had won .

Lurn_Me, Saipan, CNMI

I am glad Senator DeMint spoke his mind on this key issue.
Let us prepare the senator for 2012!

Sen. DeMint can't be serious. His attempts to scapegoat Bush and Stevens are hysterical. The Republican party (including DeMInt) has been in control of the Congress for nearly 20 years. The Repube Congress wrote and enacted the laws and policies that raided the Treasury, gave billions to their wealthy donors, authorized an illegal war, de-regulated finance, and created the mess we find ourselves in today. Stevens has only one vote and Bush (the R. Party's own choice) doesn't have a single vote in Congress so how can DeMInt blame this fiasco on Bush and Stevens. The Rebulican "brand" is bankrupt and needs to dissolve.

This Senator believes that most Americans prefer a traditional conservative government? On what planet! Obama smoked McCain in the electoral college and won 52% of the popular vote. Ignoring this fact proves that Republicans are out of touch with the American people.

All this time and I thought the only problem with the McCain campaign was Sarah Palin, at least that's what McCain and his staff would have us believe. McCain may have been considered a Republican in 1998 but in 2008 he ran farther to the left than the liberal democrat. His disdain for the conservative base became apparent on election day when conservatives, other than those that voted for Governor Palin, returned the favor, showing their disdain for McCain and staying home...again.

McCain wasn't being true to his values...that's why he lost........and of course Palin sealed his fate !!

You didn't lose because of those reasons. You lost because many Americans like myself, don't want religion in our politics, believe the SCIENCE and evidence of global warming, are smart enough to realize that "drill baby drill" in ANWAR wouldn't substantially change the supply of oil in the world market, and last but not least, we're tired of being lied to by conservatives who try to scare the uninformed with smoke screen issues like gun control, abortion, socialism, taxes etc.

McCain joins the ranks of the few GREAT Republicans I have come to Admire in our Nation's history...following the political bloodlines of Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt.

This guy DeMint honestly thinks that McCain's rogue stray from the traditional platform on issues like ANWR and amnesty are what lost the election?

Actually, he may have come closer to victory had his rebellious streak cut loose in his fiscal policy, rather than energy and social stands. In a failing economy, it's a really tough sell to the majority of Americans when the highest earning 5% make no apology for demanding lower taxes on earned money they will never spend in their lifetimes.
Didnt work for GHWB, and again failed the otherwise quite admirable Senator John McCain.
Shame on the Clinton era (and equally, its Congress) for leaving our nation in good economic times at just the moment GWB gets an eye for the job.

What a bunch of self-serving hypocrites! Besides the fact that they are clawing their way over each other to garner support for themselves, and they've abandoned their party to do so, they historically say that they want smaller government. Alas the percentage of the GDP that the Republican adminstration has co-opted has risen from 17% to 22%.

How is that smaller government???

America doesn't want the traditional government. We've had enough of it. They've taken our livelihoods and sold them overseas, they've taken our brothers, sisters, fathers, and mothers and set them off into a horribly mismanaged war that has scarred lives across the globe, and have only alluded to the fact that they planned it stupidly.

We've given up the heart of a generation becuase we feel our leaders don't care about us. If the soldiers we send to protect us can't even get care and help when they get home, when they have to fight to get benefts, then they've shown us that not even the greatest sacrifice matters.

Obama may not be the savior, that so many condesendingly refer to him as, but he is not the same. This isn't about conservatism or liberalism, this is about the hope that someone might actually listen to the people again. Time will tell. But we've had 8 years of the opposite. Now someone else gets a turn. And if he can't do it, then we try again.

Sour grapes.

Of course, even if you beieve that McCain betrayed the GOP, you also have to deal with the Demcorats who betrayed the United States, and continue to do so.

Conservative Republicans think that straying away from conservative values is what cause them the election. As a liberal i believe that most people are conservative in nature. What most people aren't in nature is MEAN. That is what conservatism has come to be synonymous with.

If Republicans want to come back they have to stop listening to the marketing/management consultants and stop refering to their philosophies as a "Brand".

Talk like that just sickens people. It cheapens them and makes them seem interested primarily in "selling" their "package"

So, stop listening to the people telling them that a polital party is just like selling anything. Stop marketing the Republican party and just get back to a movement.

This is why I voted McCain because he is his own man and thinks for himself vs. going way liberal or conservative.

Oh sure...right DeMint, the Republicans lost because they weren't conservative enough. You go ahead and believe that idiocy and see how long your party wanders the political wilderness.

Oh, Puleease....De Mint, your party has come to represent the gap-toothed, willfully ignorant voter, who spends little time with the idea that problems are more complex than the 'solutions' the GOP has attemtped to destroy this country with.

McCain was actually trying to run on a campaign of non-issues, since your ridgidly orthodox ideologes on issues runs counter to notonly common sense, but the individual liberty of others. Particularly the religious-based so-called' values' that has turned the GOP into the American Taliban.

Look, you lost the high-income, highly educated, most of the urban and inner suburb area voters, and were left with the 'Deliverance' voter...not a good sign.

No, he did the right thing....the GOP brand is toxic. Good riddance. The rest of us the in the rest of the America who you hve shown great disdain will not miss you.

The Republican party is their own worse enemy. They don't seem to get it. Not checking George Bush was their first mistake. Their divisive brand of politics their second mistake. The me vs. them, If you don't agree with us then you are unpatriotic, branding Democrats and Liberal as not liking America hasn't helped. Thinking only about your base and not reaching out to others is a big problem. Letting Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glen Beck and other right wing talking heads be your spokes people who do nothing but spew hatred and divisiveness is also bringing the Republican party down. After eight years of George Bush and the divisiveness coming from Republicans, most Americans are just plain sick and tired of them. The past two elections have tried to tell them but Republicans choose not to listen.

He's 100% correct. My vote was not so much a vote for McCain as it was a vote against Obama and socialism.

Romney 2012

Im not republican but if republicans were like he said they shoudl be, I would vote republican.

They just don't get it. McCain lost not because he was too moderate, but by swinging too far right and pandering to base. The base did support McCain even if they weren't wild about him. And they loved Palin. Let the right wing Republicans keep deluding themselves with rhetoric like DeMint's and they'll find themselves on the sidelines for a long time. They're living in the past. A party of old white men.

DeMint doesn't get it. His "brand" is outdated and appeals to a shrinking demographic. The irony is that McCain was their best shot at winning the presidential election. I think its funny that the so called "conservative" wing of the party thinks everything will be peachy if they just return to Reaganism. Might have to look deeper than that, boys.

He is right mc cain just mr suck up to bush and kennedy and he open border guys as long he is living in gate community just like all liberal elitis

JOHN McCAIN WAS THE WRONG MAN TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT THEN ON TOP OF THAT, HE PICKED THE WRONG RUNNING MATE..
THERE WAS NO WAY THEY COULD HAVE WON THE ELECTION.

Sen. DeMint, you idiot.

Did it ever occur to you that it was your own party members who selected McCain to be "your package"?

Setting the bailout aside, the Republican primary voters were well aware of his support for campaign finance, global warming, cap-and-trade, and amnesty for illegal immigrants - AND his opposition to drilling in ANWR.

If McCain didn't fit the party "brand," it's because the PARTY ITSELF rejected that brand!

But by all means, continue to push this line of rhetoric. The real blame for the party's ill fortune lies with extremists like you, and your profile rising within its ranks should be more than enough to ensure its continuing failure.

What a silly comment from Jim DeMint. Republican VOTERS voted him to be the nominee therefore McCain represented the true Republican principles regardless what DeMint said. McCain did not win because Republicans underestimated Obama's ability, capacity, intelligence, and determination of winning the presidency. C'mon, who would ever believe that a half-black would win the highest office in USA even in 2008. Hillary & Republicans both underestimated Obama and there were no alternative strategies or plans to defeat Obama's.

Do not blame McCain, he tried his best . Repblican like Jim DeMint should blame himself , his party, and his fellow Republicans for being too confident & not helping him win presidency.

Don't blame McCain for being McCain. The problem is the Republican party has winner-take-all states, and McCain played them to his advantage. A true conservative, like Mike Huckabee, would have had a chance without the winner-take-all.

The 'conservative principals' just don't play well in a sour economy, especially when people perceive that conservative deregulation allowed the economy to go south.

Because of the Bush policies, the Republicans were ripe for losses, regardless of who the standard bearer was. Just look at the percentage of registered Republicans nationwide. People are getting tired of the parties and are registering as independants.

Sorry, Jim. Your off base on this one.

Jim DeMint: if you voted for the long string of disastrous domestic and foreign policy decisions advocated by George Bush the past eight years, America has a message for you: LOOK IN THE MIRROR. Blame yourself DeMint. Everyone in the GOP wants to blame somebody else. That's precisely the problem. If you voted with George Bush, you facilitated the worst Presidency in American history. Live with that.

The republican leadership still does not get it!!! This guy is just as clueless. Let me break it down to you, no one is interested in that conservative crap anymore.

The conservative message is narrow, exclusive–as opposed to inclusive, and borderline racist.

Why do you think McCain was the republican nominee? There were "conservative" candidates. No one is interested in that mess anymore.

Please do try it again in 2009, you will ensure Obama 2012!

Unfortunately, it's a really old brand the South Carolina Senator is speaking of, like "Ovaltine." Coming up with a new brand might be advantageous. Joe the Dinosaur is not going to help them.

Senator DeMint is a fine example of all that is wrong with the Republican Party. He tells you he believes in freedom and limited government and religious based values. So he believes that the government should get off the peoples backs and out of their lives, except that you can't have an abortion, you can't marry if your gay, you can't pull the plug on your brain dead wife, you can't end your own life if your terminally ill, no sex ed only abstinence training and by the way I'd rather you didn't use birth control or get a divorce but I can't stop you yet because I don't have the votes. President DeMint isn't going to happen so put away your 2012 banner Jim.

DeMint is a part of the legacy of blame for the problems with the Republican Party. The country has moved ahead of the Redneck policies of the South. Global warming and climate change are real, this country was never founded on religious principals of fundamentalism founded on stories of creation stolen from the Egyptians. Add DeMint to those who should be removed.

Oh yes, McCain lost because he wasn't Conservative enough.

Republicans have learned nothing!

McCain campaigned on a platform of war, hate, racism, nationalism, and fear mongering.

...How did he betray republican principles again?

Seems to me he was a shining example.

That list includes the only things i like about mccain!

They can talk all they want but until the Republican Party start accepting more that it's on race of people you will continue beening loser!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the type of guy who will keep Republicans from ever winning again. I had always voted Republican until this election. When someone who wants to lead is so ignorant as to actually be against addressing global warming is not smart enough to lead. Also a person who believes a party should lead based on religions principles has missed the boat. This is not Iraq, his mythical beliefs have no place in government.

"Religious-based values".......that is what to blame, hun. Religion has NO place in politics, period. NONE. There is 6 billion + people on Earth and 6 billion + Gods since NO one thinks exactly alike. Face it. Church members in a congeration cannot even agree on every issue. Politics should be based on sound, intelligent reasoning using the best scientific and expert advice available, not on faith in some imaginary, invisible cloud being. As long as the GOP continues to push religion down people's throats they will continue to fade in power and be UnAmerican by rejecting this basic part of the constitution.

Um, Senator DeMint? You may have missed this: The voters soundly rejected the conservative principles you call "Republican," during the primaries! McCain walked away with the nomination. The voters said "No" to Huckabee (who appeared to be the favorite of the Religious Right) and said "No" to Romney (who appeared to be the alternate to Huckabee).

The people spoke back at the beginning of 2008: they voted to step away from the conservatives.

Because becoming more conservative would have won them more votes...

Republican party is irrelevant now. Let's remove any remaining signs of this corrupt, disgraceful party in 2010, and 2012. Republican principles have consistently failed to address modern issues, and none of them fail to recognize it.

Poor John....you had to have known this was coming though right?

Besides the fact I voted for Obama, I think its said that Demint blames Mccain. Didn't the Republicians vote for him in the primaries?? IF he didn't like his choices I think maybe he should have run. Mccain ran a bad campaign. If the republicians didn't like his record why did they vote for him , if they wanted a conservative they should have been voting for Romney or Huckabee.. Sad...

Where was this guy on the campaign trail?

This makes not sense. They did not believe the conservative was conservative enough so they voted for a Democrat.

I did not vote for John McCain, but this Senator from South Carolina, Mr. DeMint, is a moron. Yes the republican brnad is in turmoil but I'm going to guess this guy doesn't believe in conservation (when it comes to the enviornment) because he wants to "drill, baby drill" and seems to think Global warming is a myth. I think this "high powered" senator shoulr rethink his own values before blaming it everyone but himself.

These folks just don't understand that there is a sizable portion of the country that don't like what the GOP "brand" represents.

That's right! For those who forgot it – Republicans don't believe in global warming, they do believe we can drill our way out of an energy crisis, they are against amnesty for illegal immigrants, and they want small a government – too small to stand up to Big Business – and what government we do have they want to adhere to their particular interpretation of the Bible. These are their core values, the values McCain betrayed. Personally, I want everyone to know this is where the Republican Party stands.

Sorry Senator McCain's ability to stand up to his own party is why I voted for him over Obama. If both candidates were purely liberal or conservative I probably would have voted for Obama.

Of course hes not a conservative. He's what the majority republican party has unfortunately shifted to; "neo-conservatism", following the great leadership and political prowess of the great Ronald Reagan. Instead of fiscal conservatism, these neo-cons support large amounts of government spending, especially on the military, but also on social programs usually pushing the "agenda" of their religious right (see abortion, gays rights, etc.). Whats more is they want all these large spending programs while keeping taxes low, which means less revinue for the governmnet to spend on these programs. This is called "deficit spending", or fiscal idiocy. They also heavily rely on the theory of "trickle down economics", or as I like to call, bs economics.

I find it confusing that repubilcans want to protect the unborn but not our planet. The extremeofa freemarket destroys an economy and yet they still feel Gov't has no role. The issue for republicans is buidling on cnservative principles while being more responsive to the changing world. Conservative principles are good as a base but they must evolve while maintaining the findamental objectives.

Does this guy livein the real world:

"His support of global warming, cap-and-trade programs that will put another burden on our economy. And of course, his embrace of the bailout right before the election was probably the nail in our coffin this last election..."

the stabbings have begun...

I think this clown DeMint doesn't really know what he's talking about. The American people ere ready for a new progressive government from the left. They are tired of living in the past. Thank goodness for Obama.

The reason the Republican party is in disarray is because there is some strange mechanism in the conservative brain that prevents you from questioning authority, party leaders, and god.

Any deviation from what is know to be "common knowledge" is considered subversive and anti-american, anti-republican, blah, blah, blah.

You people have no capacity for abstract, grey-area thought. Its always black and white. You don't support the war? You are a terrorist sympathizer. You don't support George Bush? You are anti-american or anti-republican. You criticize government when its run by Republicans? You are a leftist, liberal, commie-pinko.

I've never seen a political party so boxed in by themselves. The reason you are in the shape you are in isn't because you have left your values and roots, its because you have followed them. And that is a painful lesson you will eventually learn when Palin gets 3 electoral votes total in 2012 and the dems win 65 senate seats. The brand is stale.

The problem with the Republican Brand of freedom, religious based values and limited government is that those principles are incompatible. By imposing their religious based values on others who have different religious based values, Republicans take away the freedom of others and expand the power of the government over others.

Wow, Republicans just dont get it. The world is changing and so is America. The old republican brand does not resonate with mainstream America. Big government vs. small government... sometimes the government needs to act for the best interest of the people. Global warming is a perfect example. DeMint suggests McCains support for aggressive environmental programs like cap-and-trade are a reason for defeat. I disagree completely. If McCain was against any real programs to address global warming, he would have lost the race more soundly. His shrinking base would like it but the majority understand we need to lead on reducing our carbon output to provide a better world for our children. Americans believe themselves to be leaders in the world yet the republican brand represents greed over vision.
Healthcare is another example...
Republicans are on the wrong side of these issues in terms of what mainstream America wants and needs. Well run government bodies that are fiscally conservative can provide needed programs to help America without wasting money. How can Republicans believe they represent religious-based values yet not support healthcare for all Americans?

I love how the wingnuts think that McCain lost because he wasn't conservative enough. Do the negative numbers for Sarah Palin tell these people nothing? A right-wing agenda is about as popular with Independents (which is how you win elections) as The Plague. A conservative candidate has absolutely no chance to win a national election any more: it was tried, it failed, and nobody except registered Repulicans (whose numbers get smaller every year) are buying it. Your ideology is finished, conservatives; deal with it.

Stop moderating my comment and post it!

What do they put in the drinking water down in South Carolina? First we get the catholic priest demanding that Obama voters go to confession because they committed a mortal sin by voting for a baby killer, now we hear from DeMint that, and I am busting a gut laughing here, the GOP must represent religious based values! Oh for the good old days when the romans knew what to do with their christians.

They just don't get it! If the Republican Party is going to stress "religious-based values" they will continue to lose ground. Many of my friends and work colleagues told me that they were staunch Republican supporters and never voted for a Democrat until now. Why? Because They are tired of the GOP's fixation on pushing THEIR religious values on everyone else. This has infuriated them to the point that they have said they will not vote Republican until the GOP kicks out or marginalizes their religious right wing,

If Republicans follow DeMint's advice, they'll become even more of a minority party.

The problem with the GOP is they have turned themselves into a party of White, Heterosexual, Evangelical Christians with only two litmus tests; an anti-abortion platform and a hatred of all things Gay or Lesbian. Their numbers are dwindling because the American Population is turning into a more inclusive place than their narrow agenda would allow.

If the distinguished senator is correct when he defines the Republican Party brand to include "religious-based values", then the party can forget my vote.

Bite me, Senator.

Crying in their beer it seems. Got clobbered and are deaf, dumb, and blind to it all."Typical of a right wing nut case like Demint, Bush, Cheney, Palin, and yes McBush. I mean McCain. Talks out of both sides of his mouth and believes it to gospel truth. With people like him around the Republicans will be wandering in the wildnerness for a long, long time.
Better yet! Maybe, just maybe the Republican Party will go out of business altogether and be replaced with a centrist type Independent party.

We've got a great head start on one here in Minnesota.

I'm registered as "NO PARTY", the fastest growing "party" in Louisiana and the U.S. I won't support "freedom, religious-based values and limited government" as espoused by the Senator and most other Republicans when their version of freedom trumps the common good, religous-based values blurs the separation of church and state, and limited government doesn't value the dreams and aspirations of most citizens.

These people are still living in the late 19th and earliest 20th centuries. They have no concept of what America is now. They can only yearn for what America was then! If they keep nominating the Sarah Paylins of the world, they will never regain a majority in this nation again. It will mean the end of the 2 party system and that would be very bad for our country.

Its sad the Republicans have to toss names around. They are all at fault!....Not just a few. Their greed and hate made them lose....not just one guy!....They need to revise there behaviors and attitudes to make a change. They all seem like a bunch of little babys at the playground. Calling names and such....so imature! Thats what you need to thinhk about! I didnt vote for John but dont just blame him. ITs ALL your fault!

This is yet more evidence that the GOP has a very tough road ahead for the next several years. The Democrats' worst case scenario for this past election was a John McCain candidacy, which the GOP seemed to back into almost by accident.

The fantasy that the GOP lost because McCain was "too darn liberal" is something they are going to need come to grips with sooner rather than later.

You forgot to mention Sarah Palin, she is a cancer on the GOP

As usual the Republicans get it completely wrong. Senator Demint wants to blame individual members of his own corrupt and immoral Religious Right neo-con Party for the rout that effectively destroyed the Conservatives on November 4th. If you really want to look for a scape-goat then pick Sarah Palin. What were you Republicans thinking? That you could foist this brainless clueless relic of the 19th century on the American people. What happened on election night in the voting booth was not the "Bradley effect " but the "Palin effect" . Many Republican voters just couldn't bring themselves to vote for this woman. Americans want to live in the 21st century, not the 19th!

I live in South Carolina and DeMint represents everything that is wrong with the Republican party. You notice his reference to religious-based values. What he means is his narrow version of Christian values. I think the American people are sick of right wing fundies like DeMint. However, I hope he continues down his stupid path since it will mean another republican loss next time around.

Who cares! We all know that the GOP has lost direction...and it happened way before this election.

Great 20/20 hindsight after a Republican defeat

Let this great Senator toss his name in the hat for 2012 and put his money where his mouth is !!

No one takes Jim Dimwit seriously in South Carolina, so I don't take his comments too seriously now. It is the very idea that Republicans should run on a religious-based platform that has turned off mainstream America. So, I'll have to somewhat come to McCain's defense, although i didn't vote for him.

I have never defended McCain before, but DeMint is just another Republican pointing the finger of blame at his own party members. Sen McCain you should have dropped the Republican party a long, long time ago. I did.

This joker has it backwards. John McCain presenting himself as MORE conservative than his senatorial record would indicate...THAT is what cost him the election. The majority of America has moved past "traditional conservative values". It's only a matter of time before the deep south finally does the same.

What a donkey! McCain has strayed from the Republican brand? The entire Republican party has strayed from their "brand" of being the party of fiscal conservatism. Bush ran up the national debt from 1 trillion to 10 trillion. Republicans went for deregulation and created this financial meltdown. Republicans took us to war on false pretenses.

Democrats are the new party of fiscal responsibility. The "tax and spend" label doesn't stick. Republicans just spend and spend, with no end in sight, and no taxing to pay for it. You think war is free? Clinton reduced the national debt.

Shame on you, Jim DeMint! Republicans in congress like yourself ruined things long before McCain was ever a candidate!

DeMint like McCain is shooting blanks. The nation is broken by 8 years of waste, and yet the Republicans have less of a clue about REAL lives than they did 8 years ago. McCain just repeated those same hate and fear -based buzz words that talk-radio gives the GOP each election. 56 % of us heard you crying wolf, and to blame McCain when the Republicans are without plans is ludicrous. You lost your soul in George W. and you can dance the bones of Ronald Reagan around the room in revisionist history, but it still will never change the fact that you bring nothing to the table. Greed, intolerance, and fear define the base of the Republican Party. Spin that!

I feel bad for McCain, Ive always liked him. The GOP and Republican party forced him to abandon his "Honorable" role, in exchange for mudslinging, fear mongering "Rove-ian" tactics. Now they turn on him, because we the people choose a more optimistic figure. Hey John, you may be old, but Im sure Obama is willing to put you to work somehow.. just check your Sarah at the door.

Goodness, DeMint should have stumped for McCain; those are exactly the things that might have convinced me to vote for him.

No, Mr.DeMint, what sunk McCain and the Republican bid for president was the fact that he turned into the quintessential Republican politician, scare tactics, mudslinging, and all. He played to the conservatives in his party and scared off the moderates in our country, not least by his pick of an ignorant, corrupt, right-winger like Palin for VP.

Republicans should not bring religion into politics, it is not and can not be part of a free society. It only draws attention to issues that are not the governments concern, and takes attention away from what the government is really to be doing.

The problem with the conservative movement is they don't really know what they are. I always believed the GOP stood for less federal government control,some control on spending, a balanced budget and states rights. Those things, I think would actually attract the populace. Not the social crap and being a voice for big business, they have been in at least the last 8 years.

Republicans as a whole governing collective have abandoned their party's principles. This is why I no longer vote for them. Ridiculous comment by Sen. DeMint.

Well, since Sen. DeMint happens to represent me in the Senate, for better or worse, and since I vote Democratic, let me just say that I hope his Republican "brand", which doesn't smell very much like what Lincoln might have stood for, carries on into the next election cycle. If it does, then I suspect that we'll see a repeat of the last two cycles and the Dems will be in even firmer control. He and Ahmedinejad sound like bosom buddies until you realize they are talking about different religions. And his version of "conservation" and energy policy would leave us and our economy even more vulnerable to future disaster.

McCain got 46-47% of the popular vote while a President of his own party was in office 8 years with the lowest approval rating in the history of polling, and in the midst of a full-blown stock market crash. Does this idiot DeMint really think ANYONE else could have even come close to that?

If he would have stuck to the conservative principals he would have been beaten worse. The GOP appeals to too small a group of people. If he would have campaigned as well as he made his concession speech he would have done better. His campaign was just too negative. If the GOP stays as such a conservative party they are finished as a national force.

Blame whomever you want: the GOP problem is the GOP.

Get back to us when you mean something.

Nothing like watching a party collapse upon itself.

Right.

It was all the GOOD things that he did – accept global warming, try to implement campaign finance reform, try to reform immigration – that is unacceptable to the conservatives. The Rovian tactics, selecting an imbecile for VP etc. are all considered fair game and fine Republican principles.

Keep it up GOP and you will lose the few moderates that are still in your camp. Then you will truly and finally end up as a party of white, ultra-religious men. And that will NEVER get you to 270.

Good luck!

The Republican Party that I grew up in NEVER suggested that we should be governed by "religious-based values." When the religious right hijacked the Republican party, and attempted to legislate morality, I bolted, and now vote Democratic. The Establishment Clause in the First Amendment saves us from people like this guy. The problem with his idea of religious values is that there is no general agreement about just what constitutes morality. Even among Christian sects, there is wide disagreement about what is right and wrong. Just whose values does he suggest we adopt?

We are thankfully a secular country, and here's hoping it stays that way. The Republicans got shellacked in the last election because they are out of touch with mainstream America. Sure, McCain's inept course corrections and his choice of Sarah Palin didn't help, but Bush's deviation from the mainstream and the Republican's narrow-minded religiousity sealed the deal.

What is interesting is that the complaints this guy lists about McCain are the some of the few things that make McCain appealing to most people.
It is the nasty campaign that he led and the fact that he sold out and acted more like the other GOP politicians (e.g. bringing moron Palin in) that help him lose the election. If he had been more of a centrist, he would have had a better chance.
Get a clue GOP. You guys suck!!!

Let me see. Limited government, yes. Limited spending, yes. But religious values (which women, and their mothers, read as no abortion but also no to many forms of birth control), AND global warming is not a problem AND we should drill in the anwar? Well, it sounds like the GOP has become the party of the old, the ignorant and the out of touch with our times. Is it no wonder young people are abandoning it in droves. Grumpy Old Party, your time is over.
Sign me, a former GOP member.

McCain didn't betray repubilcan principles. The Republican Party betrayed republican principles...they have been doing so for years now.

A feeding frenzy that will further weaken and narrow the Republican Party. If this keeps up the Republicans can hold their next national convention in a small church in Mississippi.

You should put the blame where is belongs. It is awarded to Bush. You can't call a 10 trillion deficit small government by any stretch of the imagination. McCain tried "brand" when he picked conservative Sarah Palin for his VP. That didn't work out so well., did it?
Yes, throw the felon out (Stevens) and make jokes about a dying man (Kennedy). The Republicans are a dying party with no followers, no ideas and no leaders. I suspect it will take them many years to regroup and they will spend a very long time wondering in the wilderness.
Good luck moving forward Republicans. I can't imagine ever coming back to my former party.

DeMint is yet another koolade drinker hanging out on the far right fringe. When will the far right and the far left learn that the real thinkers and innovators are those willing to come to the middle to meet the other thinkers and innovators to create real change for the people. That's where McCain is. It takes zero courage to run your mouth off Mr. DeMint, engage your brain first.

But DeMint was a senator as well! Does he accept the blame himself? Every GOP elected official should do so! The basic premises of the party are dated, obsolete and unresponsive to young voters who are much more diverse, worldly, intelligent and tolerant. They put Obama in the driver's seat. The GOP must change now as well or die out and make room for a new second party because it has now become the party for whites only!

To be fair, Sen McCain ran for president just as he has conducted his Senate career: he was/is a maverick. He has pursued his own ideals which are mostly in line with Republicans but he has reached across the aisles many times. Also, the democrats have also reached across to him at times. Sen McCain has put country above party, which is admirable but it cost him the presidency, unfortunately. Even with McCain's "maverick" ideals, he would be a much greater president that That One who was just elected because of the Republican splits.

South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint is just the type of person we DO NOT want in public office, another right wing dirt-bag........

Hmmm...actually kind of surprised that Bush's boy Demint actually criticized him...he generally supports anything Bush proposes, the more fanatical the better.l DeMint represents the far right in SC, even more so than Lindsey Graham. Not surprised that he's critical of McCain, though.

It's not McCain's moderate views that lost the election. It's all the bible-thumping, immigrant-hating, gay-bashing, corporate-supporting, right-wingers that were behind him in the republican party. The only way the party is going to survive is if they all realize that they're going to have to bring their platform to the 21st century.

I really hope that the republicans are able to take stock of this defeat and realize that they're going to have to start to appeal to a broader base of people.

For someone who is a conservative more than a republican at the moment. I could not agree more with Senator DeMint. This is for the republican party members to listen to and accept responsibility for their failures. Lets get this party back to Reaganism.

While I don't think Senator McCain ran a great campaign, and his choice of Sarah Palin was disastrous (I did not vote for him), I don't think that it is fair to say he "betrayed" Republican principles. if these principles include not addressing global warming, for example, or keep pandering to the far right wing, the Republican party will have no chance to recover from the hole it has so diligently dug for itself.

The Republican party's random campaign message certainly provided little reason for support. this election season. The Republican party needs to revise the freedom, religious-based values and limited government. message because there is an inconsistency between (individual) freedom and religious-based values. Although I may individually hold dearly my interpretation of values, I do not want any group telling me what those values should be as long as my vaues do not impinge on your values. Individual freedom and liberty are the cornerstones of this country. Don't support inconsistent postulates.

Steve, Harvard, MA

"One of our principles is that power corrupts, and you need to disperse it," DeMint said.

This is funny stuff. The Bushies and their handmaidens in the Pelican Party "dispersed" power to wall street, the energy industry, the banking industry, the soldier of fortune industry and so on. What we got from this dispersal is an unnecessary war, a collapsing economy, wildly fluctuating energy prices and so on. DeMint should be careful because the dispersal's the American people indicated they are interested in a week ago involve sending him and his ilk far, far away...the Pelicans have worked hard to preserve their inheritance....and it is the wind.

Another partisan Republican sounding off as if a potential Presidential candidate attempting to broaden his base of support. Also, he seems to be a member of the Republican throw under the bus crowd. DeMint sounds credible among his own kind, all 40% of them. Once again it comes down to the Independents to decide the Presidential "who" question.

Once again, Sen. DeMint is absolutely wrong. I suspect that Sen. DeMint (a Member of Congress at the time) was one of those responsible for the attacks on Sen. McCain in 2000 that propelled W to the nomination that year which has ben a worldwide disaster. Does Sen. DeMint believe this Type of Conservativism is good for this country?

Sen. McCain is a Patriot and always will be. He has served his country and his party with honor and dignity. The Republicans losses this year aren't about Sen. McCain abandoning the "conservative" myth. The Republicans lost because they insist on focusing on such labels rather than offering a plan to make this country better.

Unlike the Senior Senator from South Carolina, Sen. Graham, who understands that elections are about making the lives of people better and making this country better, Sen. DeMint appears to proceed in the conservative myth that if allowed to persist will lead to the demise of the Republican Party.

You know, I think is easy to blame it on Senator McCain. Plus, last time I checked, the GOP selected him this year so I wonder what the GOP really wanted...

I think is easier to blame Senator MCCain because he is in fact, Senator MCCain. I just don't think is right to blame someone who arguably was your only chance to win the election. I mean, who was gonna win it for you, Gov Palin? Gov Palin was arguably the nail in the coffin.

I think is too easy to blame Senator MCCain...

DeMint is right. The only things he did not cover were McCain's frequent campaign blunders, such as telling his supporters to quiet down on the hot-button issues, such as Rev. Wright, and his own soft-peddling of important issues when he could have come on strong. He as a clumsy candidate who shot himself in the foot even when he was the only one holding a gun in the fight.

In the frenzy caused by such unprecedented GOP defeat, it is normal for sharks to eat sharks

Demint and the rest of the republican party should take an introspective look and realize that they are out of touch with average Americans.

Same old same old from the republican party. If they want to regain their momentum they must move away from wedge issues and they must realize that moderate America does not want to embrace the old core "religious based principles".

Jim DeMint is one of the hardest of hard core righties and unfortunately one of my states senators. This does not surprise me in the least, he is one step away from advocating a theocracy for America.

What principles?

I apologize that I got the name wrong but the message is still the same.

This man, DeMint, represents all that is wrong with the Republican Party. Narrow minded, Narrow focused, No concern for "the people" and continually trying to insist that everyone must believe and follow those same narrow minded and narrow focused beliefs.

Now he comes along and puts blame on the people who are trying to live in "the real world" and deal with the reality of that world instead of looking more closely at the foundation of his rants and how out of touch he and those who listen to him really are.

Where were you when McCain was nominated at the Republican Convention? He was not unknown for his very views. He still would have got elected he would not have swayed from his principle to " what you call conseravtism" . The very conservative principle from southern belt and chatters on Fox noice will drive this great nation to STONE AGE.

I can't help but feel that there is going to be a split in the Republican Party, one a religious far right wing and one of conservative right of middle, non-secular focus.

the problem with the republicans is they keep on saying they are going too far away from their roots.

The problem is your all forcing your religion down everyone elses throats qhile being utter hypocrites. Its the entire republican party that is corrupt. Stop sleeping with men and screaming about how evil gays are, stop telling us how you are going to reform corruption and then take money and gfts from big oil.

Just stop. Nobody buys your lies any longer. not everyone is as ignorant as your bible and gun clinging base.

I have to say this is exactly why the GOP is failing. All of his ideas of what they as a group should stand for are from a by-gone day. The GOP needs to look for young news relevent ideas. They need to take a leap into the 21st century and stop looking to the past with all their OLD blood.

ALSO, HE WAS A CHICKEN ATTACKING HUSSEIN OBAMA. HE COULD DESTROY OBAMA AT THE BEGGINING, OF THE CAMPAING, HOWEVER HE FREAK OUT WHAT THE MEDIA COULD SAY.

I would be a happier individual if all REPUBLICANS jump in a large deep lake with no life preservers.

How can "freedom" and "religious-based values" coexist within the party, especially when the "religion" they profess has everything to do with enforcing their will on others who do not share their religion?

This man, Witt, represents all that is wrong with the Republican Party. Narrow minded, Narrow focused, No concern for "the people" and continually trying to insist that everyone must believe and follow those same narrow minded and narrow focused beliefs.

Now he comes along and puts blame on the people who are trying to live in "the real world" and deal with the reality of that world instead of looking more closely at the foundation of his rants and how out of touch he and those who listen to him really are.

The election wasn't even close. Conservatives need to stop the blame game and accept defeat. They are making themselves sound like a bunch of winey children.

And those comments by Mr. DeMint are EXACTLY why the republican party will continue to lose at the national level for years to come. Those comments may work in bible-belt SC but not in the country as a whole. Stick to being fiscal conservatives and many independents and democrats will cross over. Leave the religion out of it. Quit trying to tell people how to live their lives. Stop worrying so much about what gay people do and focus on the issues that matter to the other 70% of the population. Try being tolerant of other religions, or no religion at all. Recognize that this country was founded by and continues to need immigrants, and that this is a hot button issue for Latinos, so building a giant fence and calling for deportations does little to reach out to this growing group of voters. Stop insulting intelligence as "elitist" and try to do a little thinking yourselves. McCain did not lose because he strayed too far from conservative values, as Mr. DeMint alleges, but because most of what are now considered "conservative principles" deal way too much with social conservatism instead of the pocketbook issues.

HERE!! HERE!! *slam fist... Bush and McCain HAVE failed but not because of the war or the economy but their refusal to stand by their free market ideals when we need them most. The new deal lengthened the great depression, we do NOT need government to make this any worse. We DO need strong men who won't abandon their principles like Obama and McCain have shown more than willing to when it benefits them.

lol, those same outdated principles that led to GOP's defeat? Keep embracing those and GOP will longer be a national party for much longer.

Senators like DeMint is the main reason why the GOP is out of touch.
He's agaianst protecting God's earth and God's children but has no problem saying he stands for God's values. One of these days Mr. DeMint might wake up and understand that the world is much different today than it was when Reagan was President. If he doesn't then the Republicans might win some southern states and Utah each election cycle.

Once again we hear a republican politician say that government should embrace religous bases values... So much for seperation of church and state. I'll never vote republican for that reason alone.

As more and more children are born with connectivity. (interent mutlimedia TV etc... ) there will be less and less conservatives. Why.. its pretty simple, before when there was only 3 stations on local TV before the internet, children would not have any real concept of how the rest of the world lived, but in the years ahead the iGeneration, those that have been born after the internet, will have a heluva alot more comunication with the world, and guess what.. The majority of the world leans left.

I forsee children of strong religous belief parents defying their moms and pops the way all teenagers do. this will open up to a slew of new voters who will not want to be controlled by the religous thought police.

In fact lets reivew right leaning societies, like extreme Islam, and Evangelicans, and confused catholic priests who will not give commuion to people who voted for Obama etc... those that want to have control over how you act.. not exactly what the young generation is going to want to be a part of IMO.

but conservative will get despserate and they will push society over the edge. I won't stand for it, and neither will most.

Does DeMint even have a clue about anything in this world? did the good people of south Carolina really elect this guy? Geez!

John McCain did not betray the Republican party. He abandoned his "maverick" stance towards the right-wing elements to win them over. In other words, he did just what they wanted and lost. If anything, the right-wing elements betrayed the Republican party with its extremism. John McCain's mistake was to try to lead this brand. He should have become an Independent or a Democrat.

John McCain is an honorable man. He is a great war hero, and the right-wing extremists who preach hatred, intolerance, and war don't deserve him. Get this straight. America is not coming back to the right-wing, so-called "family values." Through its friendly support of big business policies, the right wing has helped to tear families apart: outsourcing, relaxed overtime rules, deregulation, financial meltdown, increased homelessness, increased poverty, and increased crime.

We are evolving, and those espouse extreme right-wing views will continue to lose their political influence. We will remember those who led during Katrina. We will remember a needless war that left the real War on Terror on the sidelines. We will remember not one, but two recessions. We will remember the transition from a surplus economy to one facing the specter of a severe recession or a depression.

George Bush couldn't have done that alone. He had to have help, and it came from those are now pointing the fingers. That is why you have lost your power. That is why you are on the sidelines. George Bush and Ted Stevens will soon join you, but you cannot blame them alone. You have to examine your own ways and accept responsibility for demanding the stances they took. If anything, John McCain had the courage to resist you, and you should have followed his example.

Sounds like the GOP lost do to their position on everything thats failed for them. Eight years later all you have to do is read or listen to the news.

The country wants real change like national health, womens rights and a government for the people & by the people also the separation of church & state.

Norman

The Repugs have a lot to work out, you guys did not hear what the voters was concerned about. This is the 21st Century and you all are thinking 70's- 90's style. All talk and no bright ideas, lack of intellegent marketing skills. Letting the voters know exactly what you wanted to do for this country, besides war, not talking to people aboard unless they agree with you wholeheartly. Most of the speeches was about Obama, Obama, and Obama, and "My Friends"
John could not have won with anyone and surely not Sarah.

Many politicians are capable of speaking from both sides of their mouths. Lieberman is one of politicians who spews double talk and warmongering from three sides of his mouth. He belongs in the Republican party with the rest of his bretheren in the deceitful and corrupt Bush administration. Democrats need to give this country a new direction. Getting rid of Lieberman for his treatment and disloyalty to the Democratic party is a step in the right direction.

These people are so out of touch with what America wants and needs. They are still waving the Ronald Reagan banner....I guess as long as they keep pretending that the know what is best and keep wrapping themselves on so-called "American Values" the Dems will keep winning.

Unfortunately the South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint and his band of conservative Republicans are wrong. They have not heard the American electorate who want to address global warming and also address real economic reforms through regulation, fiscal spending controls. In fact, the so called conservative Republicans are out of touch and out of control.

Sen. Jim DeMint I couldn't agree with you more!

Nothing could better demonstrate how far from the mainstream of American public opinion the Republican Party has drifted than the comments of Senator DeMint.

CNN still sucks

But I thought Mavericks were allowed to do anything. Like Senator Joe LIEberman, John McCain does support his party's agenda, but only when it's to his benefit. Although, McCain did strickly adhere to the GOP philosophy when he unleashed that special-needs running mate of his. She ran around the country screaming that Obama "pals around with terrorists." It doesn't get anymore GOP than that! Now Pres-elect Obama faces extraordinary danger from republican-programmed extremists who could take that provocative message to heart.

Thanx Mccain and your party. Us Obama supporters would like you to do this again in 2012.......

It should not surprise anyone that DeMint is from the state of South Carolina.

They are on a planet all to themselves. Out there...but somehow they make it all work.

I think it is called "Severe Conformity"

"The Republican brand should represent freedom ... religious-based values."

Isn't that how the GOP got off-track to begin with? Brilliant reasoning, Sen. DeMint.

Have big cup of cognitive dissonance. The GOP is very wrong if it thinks that America is still a center-right nation. It is a center-left nation, and will remain so for some time, especially while the GOP continues to twist in the wind, and away from the mainstream.

I left the Republican party because it got into bed with far-right Christian interests. In theory, I like the idea of limited federal government and fiscal conservatism, but when the party wants to impose evangelical values on everyone, I'm OUT, and, I suspect, so are a lot of other people who are scared witless by the thought of an American Taliban running our government. Keep your religion out of my government, and maybe I'll think about supporting you again!

All the Republicans have going for them now is the blame game. Instead of attempting to come up with solutions as to how to fix their brand, they are caught up in a middle school style bickering contest. I don't know Sen. Demint's voting record, but I don't think I'd be going out on a limb to guess that he voted with George Bush 90% of the time.

No!! John McCain lost because the Republican Party has become the party of hatred and the party of exclusionists. It is full of rich folks and racists. All of the states that went for McCain have racial issues.

Demint should keep up the ANTI Immigration Reform rhetoric and the Republican Party will NEVER see a Latino vote again!

The truth of the matter is the biggest weakness that the Republicans had was the fact that they had the "R" behind their names. As unpopular as Bush was (and is), it would've taken a heck of a lot to beat the stigma of being in his party.

It would've taken an extremely strong Republican candidate (which McCain was), an extremely weak Democratic candidate (which Obama wasn't), and catching every break possible (which McCain didn't) to win. No matter who was at the top of the ticket for the Republicans, it was an almost impossible hill to climb.

I am a Republican and I agree with the criticism of Bush and Stevens, I just wish more Republicans had stood up and said this four years ago instead of AFTER the election.

These Republican "head in the sand" politicians do not seem to understand that it is the brand of "conservatims" he so fiercely advocates, is the reason they lost. We are increasingly turning away from this approach to leading our country. They are the emperor without clothes.

Rep DeMint represents everything the Republican party needs to move away from.

Until and unless the GOP jettisons the religious right, the party is
doomed. This overly simplistic faction of inanity is a curse on the
American way , namely Constitutional separation of church and state.
We can thank them for W's blundering, right down to the darn -near
destruction of the world economy! Save souls, you people...preach
the Gospel! And stop mucking up politics. It destroys great institutions.

I'm sorry, but Senator Jim DeMint does not get why the Republican party lost. And if he continues in this thinking, the Republicans WILL lose again in 2012. His ideas may work for voters here in SC, but they do not extend to the rest of the country–which is more populous.

these are all the reason why the GOP lost the last election

Sen. DeMint needs to address the real problem, and that is that the USA is not defined in such narrow terms by the electorate. Unless and until the GOP expands its base to include people of all belief sets, it is going exactly nowhere. The "solid south" doesn't represent what the USA is in this day and age. The GOP better wake up and move on. The narrow, social issue and specifically religious based belief system is taking them NOWHERE.

DeMint and the Republican party better get ready to change , you can`t live in the past . The world is changing , but the republican party keep singing the same old song ,my way is better and i don`t care what you say , no matter if it is good for the people or not, by the way i`am a rep. and i did vote for Obama

As a Democrat, I hope that DeMint and his Republican cronies continue to march to their "religious-based values" drumbeat.

Trying to pitch that nonsense to voters in the 21st century is like trying to sell a set of vinyl record albums to an iPod user.

I just hope the GOP remains clueless for several more election cycles.

I did not vot for John McCain–why not? His comment and the commnets of many other Republican individuals (I am an Independent) in regards to the economy are so unrealistic that I could just see our country really going down the tubes faster then it currently is.

To suggest that he would cut spending right across the board is like an ostrich putting its head in the sand and not looking around to see what is coming at it.

What you purchased for your family 2 years ago does not cost the same today. So what does that mean? Spend the same amount of money BUT get less and try to make it go further. In many instances this can not be done. Try spending $10.00 on gas and see how many gallons you get today versus 2 years ago and yet the same number of miles to work.

I appreciate the fact that the Obama team seems to be looking at each and every department and analyzing its needs, wants and dreams. You and I have to do that but of course that is our own money and not someone elses (who cares just tax and they will pay).

Republicans until you wake up and come into the real world you are going to be out of luck.

This right wing kook thinks the Republican nominee was too LIBERAL? So those further to the deep end did, what, vote for Obama? How delusional. PS If he doesn't believe global warming is real, maybe he'd like to try standing on the North Pole in a few years.

It is just amazing to watch what is going on in, what's left of the old GOP. Attack each other now that the truth of what these people stand for is finally coming out. Instead of considering if , just maybe, their way of thinking is not in line with the majority in this country, they just blame any and everyone except themselves. This is what "lacking in character and integrity" means.

I suggest a Palin/DeMint ticket for 2012. Make the Repub "tent" into a phone booth and keep the Dems in command for decades!

good point. get away from the extreme religious right and go back to the principles of small government, personal accountability, and national independence and freedom

Would you like some cheese with that whine?

this old guy knows is hate and disrespect. that is all about conservative repbulican.

I have NO SYMPATHY for McCain or Palin, after the "Roveian" politics they played... let the slamming begin!

Oh, please. All these conservative politicians and commentators seem to forget that the people chose John McCain as their nominee. Hopefully this means the game is changing, and that the Bush Legacy really has been rejected. A party that supports religious-based values should not be an American political party, because this country supports separation of church and state, and the touting of religion in government can only make others feel repressed, as well as the rest of us scared that this country is going to be overtaken by extremism AGAIN.

Jim DeMint is demented. He probably don't realize by now that it's the Religious Right mostly that cost McCain the election. Religious based values imply that those who are not religious are not good people and that's wrong.

Around the world right now most hatred is being spewed by religious people who decide that God is not doing his job so they must do the hating and killing for God.

I looks like he won the primary becuase the repubs were tired of the morality legislation instead of governing the country. Bush isn't a conservative, he just sold them a great big lie and used JC to do it. What a sin.

What exactly the GOP brand stand for? Senator Jim DeMint described it on Friday as: "represent freedom, religious-based values and limited government."

So far the Bush administration has approved of a bail out, they have increased the deficit, they have increased spending, they have lied to the American people, everything religious-based values: contrary to that seems to happen under their watch. I don't think that the GOP now stand for anything just for their pockets, so long that they get elected. So far, nobody in the GOP stood up and let Gov. Sarah Palin know that her time for big time will be when she acquires more knowledge. I would like one of them to speak, for once, the truth!

Oh Boy, McCain Could have really benefited from this idiotic but dangerous comment a few weeks ago. It would have certainly driven more intelligent conservatives as well as independents to his camp. Everything in DeMint's comments is what the country was riled up against. People are dead tired of these old rhetoric. I am now more comfortable say all the blame for the GOP election loss goes to him and his followers for shutting their eyes on reality.

Jim DeMint is obviously a bit of a moron.

Did this election in any way *not* prove that the average voter is SICK AND TIRED of the standard-issue Republican lines?

They nominated him and supported him so they got what they deserved. Stevens isn't going to win anyway, not a bad idea for DeMint to boot him out of the Senate, and himself at the same time. The party has been corrupt for a long time with Jesse Helms, Trent Lott and Craig. There are hardly any good Republican senators left and the few they did have didn't get reelected.

DeMint please keep sticking to your ultra rightwing nutjob principles and you and your party will forever be in the minority!  This country needs to work together and reach across the aisle!  Keep dreaming about your "principles"!

McCain's betrayal of the Republican party relates more closely to his idiotic choice of Sarah Palin as a running mate than to any question of conservative "principles." All Americans know by know that Republicans have to principles except greed and corruption. Nevertheless, the one who really betrayed the party and may well have destroyed it is GWBush. We can thank our lucky starts that his criminal regime is ending soon.

Oh come off it–if McCain was "the wrong man" then why did the GOP nominate him? Is that, too, part of some kind of "liberal plot?"

Bottom line–the GOP ran out of ideas for America, and the Democrats offered a far better alternative. That's all it is. If you went to a car dealer, and all he's selling is old beat up junkers, and the guy across the street has new models under warranty, where you gonna go?

Ummm, maybe Americans finally woke up, and got tired of the irony of 'small government' telling them how to live their lives.....

Jim DeMint is another republican who is out of touch with America. People are waking up to the fact they have been played by GOP leaders who's only ambition is to take as much (money) as they can carry away from anyone who is a lobbyist. The brand is broken and can never be fixed. Keep pandering to the christian radical right wing and all red states will turn blue.

DeMint is obviously WAY out of touch with the American people! It's so-called leaders like him that have ruined the Republican party, going for "special interests" and meaningless "hot button" issues rather than exhibit true leadership like Teddy Roosevelt, Abe Lincoln.

Wow, how quickly everyone turns on you.

Do these so called republicans even know what the party was founded on?? Abraham Lincoln would be heartbroken to see where his party has ended.

And DeMint and that side of his party is why right-of-center independents are seeing less relevance in those REAL republicans.

Signed,
Man without a Party

The issues DeMint mentioned that he attributes to McCain are not what hurt the Republican Party. Are you kidding? They actually helped the party. McCain hurt the party by pandering to the far right voters, the ones who during rallies, made threatening remarks, those that on November 5th stood in line at gun shops. I don't think McCain realized that more of the far right attended his rallies until it was too late. What did he expect? He was espousing far-right ideals and using language like "fight! fight!". Those are far right words. Yes, that's what hurt the party because running a campaign with the rhetoric and strategy (or lack thereof) he used, he won the far-right Republicans but lost the intelligentsia. That's what really happened.

I do not believe Jim DeMint is a traditional, "Rockefeller Republican." I do believe that if the party would ditch the wing nuts and get back to the Rockefeller ways, people might give the party another chance.

McCain didn't lose the election because he betrayed conservative principals. He lost because he behaved exactly like a Republican of late. Negative smear ads, which worked beautifully for them in the past, (John Kerry's Swiftboat, Max Cleland's Osama bin Laden comparison, etc.) didn't work this time because Americans grew tired of their methods. Add that to the ridiculous choice of Palin for VP, meant this was a totally disastrous campaign.

Let's face it... McCain complained that Obama broke a promise about public financing. But, McCain promised to run an honorable campaign.

If Jim DeMint cries in a forest, and only CNN is there, do the rest of us have to hear it?

Seriously, what exactly is he saying? That if McCain had denied global warming, proposed deporting every Latino immigrant, and done an even better job of scuttling the bailout, the Republicans might have won? Oh boy!

Someone needs to remind Mr. DeMint – the candidates who proposed this kind of nonsense couldn't even win the last *Republican* primary, much less the general election.

GOP conservative base has to blame itself for being out of touch from the main street in the 21st century. The policies they embrace are out dated. I am very pleased they got the taste of what is in store for the future for these conservatives should they choose to remain ancient. Going forward, their policies must be based on the principles of fairness and toleration. Otherwise this brand of GOP will become extinct and I have no regret about it.

With a crook like Rick Davis and an idot like Palin, how did you expect to win. The best man won anyway. McCain had no message. He could do nothing but bash Obama. He is to stupid to be President. No wonder he lost. Palin would harm any ticket. She is the silliest thing I ever saw. McCain had the worst advisors and the worst campaign managers I ever saw. Obama is going to turn this country around . So don't look to win in 2012. You might have something gor 2015. I hope the good Lord comes back and gets us all before then.
Republicians won't have time to regroup before the end of the world.
They might as well forget it and let the Democrats take care of things.

Boy, I HOPE this becomes the face of the Republican Party. MORE conservative socially, MORE religiously based, MORE ignoring of real people...yep, that was pretty much what the people who voted in this election indicated that they wanted. across the board..MORE control of their lives by Religion and by Social Conservatives...yep...yep. Keep talking Jim...you're sounding better and better to me to lead that Party...help guarantee 8 years of you guys not being in control. Maybe...just maybe that will be enough time for us to reclaim our country.

Awww..I just wonder why during the GOP primaries, none of this came out on stage about McCain being more liberal than conservative? I'm enjoying this meltdown and finger pointing of the GOP. While McCain is still a bit too conservative to have ever gotten my vote, he was only trying to appeal more to the middle which is where most americans are right now and is probably a decent person. GOP owns and lives religious values? ROFL. Yes, all those nice folks who go to church and pray to Jesus and then go to hate rallys screaming kill him and proclaiming to the world they could never vote for a person of color. Nice values? Thanks but no thanks..I'll stay a liberal democrat and pray at home, pray that Jesus brings them some peace and love into their hearts for our fellow citizens. We're going to need each other folks, it's going to be a rough few years getting out of this mess.

DeMint forgot to mention one reason why so many defected.....the nomination of Sarah Palin. To many lifelong republicans, that wasthe final straw.

Conservative values is an oxymoron, at least in regards to the current Republican Party.

But really it is just a matter of perspective. They DO HAVE VALUES. Just ones that don't fit with the Constitution or Christianity.

They value spying on their own citizens.
They value corporate CEO's making a thousand times more than their workers.
They value the rights of corporations over citizens.
They value torture, kidnapping, war and the senseless waste of our soldiers lives.
But, They value FEAR MOST OF ALL. . Fear of terrorists, fear of homosexuals, fear of illegal immigrants, fear of non-christians, fear of science, fear of intelligence.

A PARTY WHOSE CENTRAL THEME IS COWARDICE SHOULD BE DUMPED UNTIL THEY RE-WRITE THEIR BRAND!!

Um, what principles, Sen. DeMint? You mean "freedom, religious-based values and limited government"? Which seems to translate to the opposite–restrictions on freedom, narrow interpretations of the worst aspects of religious texts (and only one religious text at that), and excessive government intervention in everything but the economy? Those principles?

You don't get it, do you? Those are exactly the reasons you lost.

I'm sorry Sen. DeMint, McCain did not lose because he strayed from the conservative principals. It was a two part failure...

1. With the financial crisis, it would of been impossible for a Republican to win, especially since the party in power will get blamed for it, regardless of who is responsible. Voting for the bailout may have cost him some fiscal conservative votes, but 'helped' with those upset with the financial problems of America.

2. Gov. Palin may have energized the conservative base, which I do not deny, but the GOP cannot win an election with just the conservative base. The picking of Palin helped drive the moderate Republicans/independents away from his ticket. As one of the mentioned moderate Republicans, I saw the pick as Palin as just a ploy to appease those conservatives that want more Christianity in our lives.

As such, a moderate voter here in Missouri has a prediction for the GOP in 2012; Palin will run for the nomination, and she'll probably get it, but who will be blamed when she loses, since she is the apitimy of a conservative. I doubt that the moderates will vote for her in any more numbers than they did for the McCain/Palin ticket in 08!

Wow, I knew the Republicans were ruthless, but I didn't know they ate their own wounded.

Can someone tell me why supporting global warming is anti-republican? There is vast scientific evidence that shows a correlation between human caused carbon dioxide release and a rising temperature throughout the world. Republican ideals, as well as democratic, should be defined by a core group of values/beliefs which drive decision making in policy. I don't believe that opinions about global warming are based on any values or belief structures and thus should not be included in either of the party platforms. Rather, we need to come together and not let political consequences stop us from investigating the truth.

-Wes H.

Republicans disheveled.... nice to see!

"Religious-based values"? I don't think so. That's why the Republicans have lost the last two elections so badly because "religious-based values" mean different things to people and these values are intolerant and divisive

Is his name spelled DeMint or is Dimwit? Perhaps the term conservative should be clarified from phony-conservative (Republican party).

The things DeMint spells out –like ANWR and etc– are right out of the brickhead doctrine of Republican phony/failure book.

How about getting back to small gov, lower taxes, staying out of other's affairs, and personal freedom/choice/individual responsibility for starters?

This is ridiculous. If there were any shred of truth to what Sen. DeMint said then the People wouldn't have voted for Obama in such commanding numbers, as Obama supported all of those things long before McCain. It's obvious the people want change, we're tired of the bickering, the name calling, and the generally poor attitude McCain showed his opponent. The blatant lies McPalin continued to tell even after being corrected in public were also certainly disgusting to most people. The People are sick of your BS, and there's a growing number who don't want religion forced down other's throats. I can't believe CNN is giving space to this tosh.

More and more itis obvious that the GOP does not have a clue.

McCain would have had a chance had he actually stayed the Maverick he used to be. Which had nothing to do with a religiously conservative based government.

I hope republicans keep swinging the bat in this direction. That way we will have a status quo or another dem net gain come 2010. And please, please, please nominate Sarah Palin to run in 2012. She represents ALL the republican principals outlined in this article and would be their perfect candidate and the Dem's perfect opponent for that matter.

Obama 2012

It's interesting that the religious right has claimed the party when it is, in fact, a much smaller non controlling portion. John McCain sought to bring the party back to it's center, which is what would have gotten it more support but had to do stupid things like nominate Palin to appease these religious bigots. While the Republican party runs around with it's head in the sand trying to figure out how to strengthen the party with morality and so called conservative values, they should look at how the country more appropriately rejected this for more centrist American values. When the Republican Party figures out that these things that they are criticizing McCain for is surely the nails that sealed the party's loss, maybe they will have a chance in another election, in another time. The American public has forcefully spoken!

The GOP is dead. Intolerance was the cause of its death. Racism was its symptom, and religious extremism its origin. Now it's ill and weak without direction. Its leaders, as zombies, walking in circles trying to eat brains of anyone else. It was a generational mistake to spread hate, play the patriot card for self interest, disrespect the constitution, and tag people different of them as Anti-Americans or something worst. Many of this 95% white party are responsible for the racism and xenophobia now lived in this country. It remembers me Germany under NAZI leadership. Every time there is a republican in office an economic disaster occurs. They preach low expenses and leave trillions in debt

If you are talking about the same old tired policies you have used into the future you will lose your platform of hate racism and fear is not going to work, you guys are to beholden to drug addict rush limbaugh, hannity and the rest of the nuts spewing their racist stuff people are beyond that now.

Demint still doesnt get it...all those reasons he listed regarding McCain's record are exactly what kept him strong in the presidential race.
McCain has progressive plans but Obama had better adjenda.
Demint values are outdated.

Go ahead GOPs. Point fingers all you want. GOPs are not going anywhere until they step back, look at this in a broad spectrum view and see what they really stand for, not what you want to stand for.

If those listed are Republican "principles", then no wonder they lost...

The brand is completely out of touch with reality. The world is moving on and the Republicans are being left behind– in the dust of a wanting belief system.

"Republican Party . . . should represent freedom, religious-based values and limited government."

And this is going to create jobs, fix the mortgage problems and insure quality education how?

You and your like-minded cronies in the neocon wing of the GOP just don't get it do you DeMint? Your kind of old school "branding" and hollow slogans are sure way to finish sending the GOP to the scrap heap of failed political parties.

American are now hip to the empty, moronic sloganeering and "values" crap that your brand of GOP politics has been slinging around for years so give it up or get thrown out of offce – your choice.

PS: Sen. DeMint meet Reps. Broun & Bachmann – fellow crackpots...

If your party represents freedom then it cannot advocate religious beliefs. The principle of all religions is to control the believers' thoughts and that is not freedom. Please don't blame John! He did it right. He went wrong with his negative advertising and speeches. He should have come up with a strong economic policies and hammered at them during this economic crisis!
Your Republican policies have to change according to times. Please examine your founders' ideals and redo them and stop the blaming game!
Cheers,
Maria Loi

I feel there is a real opportunity for the Libertarian party to replace the republican party. The republicans will be a strong third party, but Democratic and Libertarian parties are the two clear philosophical models. Not sure what the republican party is anymore.

A break to even more conservative social values would have led to a greater defeat. Republicans need to wake up and realize few want them to be this countries moral police.

Let's see...In 2000, 2002, and 2004, Republicans campaigned under the banner of "conservative values of limited government", then turned right around and expanded the size of government faster than any other time in our nation's history. NOW, in preparation for the 2010 elections, Republicans propose running under the banner of "conservative values of limited government" and they expect the American public to believe them again WHY?

Based on all the comments coming from the GOP it doesn't look like they understand the public's mood and the direction they are leaning.

The idea people still have a center right philosophy is redundant and simply won't apply now or in the forseeable future. The GOP just might become a party of the past unless they can bring themselves to understand their day is done under their same old rhetoric.

DeMint should take a step back and realize the GOP is a tainted brand from top to bottom. How can you stand for freedoms and liberty when you force religious morals on the country? The Christian Right does not represent the views of every person in this country and to think otherwise is as archaic as most GOP views. Smaller government at a time when that allowed so much corruption and rule bending is not the answer.

Perhaps DeMint should take a step out of his protective shell and pedestal perch and see what's really going on.

This is the problem. Right wing as well as left wing nutz who refuse to work together and to come to compromise solutions to our problems. Nothing will change unless we get away from this.

Good thinking, Senator; the path republicans need to take is a more conservative, less inclusive one. hehehehe It's been about 150 years, Senator, shouldn't SC be seceding from the union again? Loser!

NO, the Re'lics are a betrayal to THEMSELVES! They are living in the past. America is more diverse than ever and they [re'lics] need to keep up with the CHANGEs going on with the American people. Time to LQQK to the future, not the past...

This is just another example of a party that would eat its own to advance a self-absorbed cause. Senator DeMint – here's a news flash. The American people want a job, food on the table, medicine for the kids, and a car in the driveway, not a pious holier-than-thou "conservative" government that rules from the bully pulpit. Read your local papers once in a while. Our problems are spelled out there, not in the platform of any political Party. You would do well to spend less time and taxpayer money telling us what YOU think our problems are, and more time and taxpayer money helping us fix our real problems.

As long as the Jim DeMint's of the world keep spouting off this anti-everything agenda; before you know it you will have to go to a zoo to see a Republican.

So what does that say about you, DeMint, if he was so opposed to your core values but you supported him anyway? Does that make you a hypocritical, two-faced whiner???

Jim DeMint is a perfect example of why South Carolina remains a backwards state and is one of the jokes of the nation. He still lives in the mid 20th century and cannot see the new world developing all around him. His problem is not John McCain; his problem is his lack of foresight into the 21st century. He and his ilk remain close minded to the realities of a new era.

it seems that ceaser has met with a few daggers.

THE REPUBLICAN PARTY ARE BUNCH OF BABIES ALWAYS CRYING.........

This guy, DiMint, almost makes me think McCain is a person I could have voted for. The problem with John McCain is that he pandered to the right of his party by picking Palin and changing too many of his long held views to try to win the nut cases that are in the DiMint camp.
I think my immigrant Grandfather had the right philosophy, a republican is right for the state, they are generally fiscally conservative and run a state well (think Mitch Daniels, Indiana Govenor). A democrat thinks about the whole nation and what is best for all the people and better suited to run a Country.

How can a party who has as says "religious based values" should be one of its core principles EVER expect to represent the enitre country.
There are many religions, many variations in what "religious values" represent. I think that may have been the dumbest think I have heard any politician say in a long time.
Religious values are personal choices and religion is a personal decison.
The day a political party starts to define themselves based on religious values is the day we should all put them out of business.

Well, true to form, we are seeing the wolves attacking each other after defeat. The blame game will probably get a lot more vicious before it runs its course. I suspect, if anything, McCain has had cleaner hands than most republicans in the last 25 years. What was that old adage about honor among thieves?

To the senator,
With all due respect, that's ridiculous. If anything, Senator McCain lost because the country is sick of what being a republican stands for. I have always supported republicans, but America is clearly sick of the status quo; if the party is too conservative, you'll never reach out to independents, which means you'll never win an election. So before you go criticizing McCain, consider this; if all republicans had voting records and values similar to McCain, you might have even won the presidential election. You certainly wouldn't have lost as many seats in the house and the senate.

You keep clinging to religion, Jimbo. Keep pushing to the right and pandering to other wingnuts. Your party will be become irrelevant; a footnote in the history books.

Wow, talk about changing their tune. The real Republicans shredding begins....

I think this article highlights what all Republicans have been doing wrong–pointing the blame on eachother rather than taking personal accountability for their actions. Senator DeMint is just as bad as Bush and McCain. The GOP is a dying breed because it is plagued with a political virus that cannot be cured. They are foaming at the mouth.

If what he is talking about is what the republicans stand for, then he makes perfect sense. I don't understand it. Good luck on bring change to your party!

John McCain is a traitor to the tru freedoms that make America great. He should just switch over to the white-flag waving dems and be done with it!

And how about Palin being so proud of Barack Obama and flip flaping all the way from Miami to Alaska last week???? Well I am very proud to say that I voted for Barack Obama, his campaing was excellent.

Yes, that is completely correct. If only John McCain was more conservative, then people would have voted for him instead of Barack Obama. (rolls eyes)

The guy who didn't learn the lesson of this election is Jim DeMint.

Most Americans DO NOT want this far right wing agenda as their government. Our government should represent all the people, and all the people should have a voice.

Jim Demint's government would be exclusive to only those people who happen to agree with his philosophy. Screw everyone else.
Sort of like the present administrations failed policies.

Freedom vs religious-based values seems to be a contradiction in terms, especially when referring to Christian right religious-based values, which, IMHO, limits freedoms, such as the right to choose, free speech, etc.

I think McCain sold his soul for his campaign, trying to appease the ultra conservative base of the Republican party and if he'd run more like the McCain of 2000, he would have attracted more moderates and independents, which is what he needed to win.

I'm hoping that the next leaders of the Republican party will turn out to be more moderate, perhaps just a little right of center, rather than the staunch conservatives that appeal to evangelicals and the like. They should look at values of Republicans like Teddy Roosevelt and Lincoln for inspiration and completely purge themselves of Atwater & Rovian politics.

Look folks,

Bush was the most unpopular US President in the history of the world, and McCain agreed with him 90% of the time.

The guy didn't stand a chance.

If anything, he'd have done better if he had gone FURTHER away from Bush and the GOP.

You guys sucked, and you must pay the price.

DeMint is a dying breed and represents the basic reasons why our current President and country is in the ditch. He belongs in 1950 and not in the 21st century!

DeMint: how can you be for Freedom and then, in same breath, be for religious based values? How can religious based values be implemented without infringing freedom? When "family values" became more important than individual freedom is when the Republican party lost its way. McCain was a hodgepodge who earlier had defied the religious right but later compromised his values. The Sarah Palin faction is what killed any chance for McCain. How dare DeMint speak of freedom and then be for further implementation of religious doctrine? He is worse than Bin Laden who at least makes it clear he wants to implement a theocracy. DeMint hides his superstitious anti-reason goals behind the banner of "freedom" . McCain is just washed up. DeMint is deliberately evil.

"according to DeMint, should represent freedom, religious-based values and limited government."

So basically no separation of church and state and remove regulation... so food, airlines and the stock market can "regulate themselves"

Where do they find these people?!??

That's right, DeMint, because all of those voters were waiting for conservatives to give voice to them, which is why they voted for Obama. And the anti-immigrant rhetoric, please, keep it up. You lost because Latinos deserted you. Go right, my dear white right folk. Make it easy for us. Marginalize yourselves. Believe me, you deserve it, because you still do not get it. It was your 'conservative principles' that we rejected.

Is it just me or does it look like the GOP is lurching even further to the right?

I am a 41 year old who has voted Republican all my life on the values of fiscal conservativism. I have watched the party leaders become wrapped around the axle on party planks that have diminishing relevance as I think about the world my grandchildren will inherit (continued support of big oil, ambivalence to environmental issues, sanctimonious positions on abortion and immigration). The one trillion bailout was my last straw. It was not McCain that drove voters to choose an alternative, it was (and remains) the growing disconnect between Republican Party actions and words.

I do not see this man mention Sarah Palin. She was the absolute downfall of the Republican win and has also started, all on her own, a renewed racist and hate campaign by shouting words like *he must be a terrorist* and all such criminal slanderous nonsense about Barack Obama.
The Republicans are finished and should never ever be put back in power.
PS as we all can see, oil is not important anymore: now people have come to their senses, at once the oil prices are going down every day. The reason? there is still more than enough oil for everyone (but we need to find another solution ofcourse for he future) and it has already been proven that the oil price hike was another attempt by the Bush' administration to scare Americans and predict *doom* times. Shame on the Republicans!!

REPUBLICAN CONSERVATIVES ALLWAYS BLAME SOME ONE ELSE FOR THEIR FAILURETHEY WAY THEY ARE GOING IT WILL BE A LONG TIME FOR THE PEOPLE TO FORGET GW BUSH AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY FOR DESTROYING THE UNITED STATES THIS TIME

"His support of global warming," So that's a problem? It shows how ridiculous Republicans really are.

Ron, Raleigh

McCain's failings were that he supports campaign finance reform, progressive immigration policy and believes in global warming? I think those were some of the only things going in McCain's favor.

Sen. DeMint, I hope you run in 2012 on those ideas. You'll know how Walter Mondale felt at the end of 1984.

DeMint is an idiot. No one has won the presidency from the extreme right (or left). The middle rules, idiot! McCain did not move far enough to the middle. I am a conservative on foreign policy and economic policy. I am anti-welfare but I reject the conservative stand on religion and abortion.

Yeah?? and what about Sarah Palin? By that, I mean as a "choice" for vice prez. Republicans need to wake up and realize that the American people could see through the very transparent smoke screen they tried to put up by the choice of Sarah Palin...Among other things this pick turned a lot of people off.. even Republicans

DeMint is an idiot. No one has one the presidency from the extreme right (or left). The middle rules, idiot! McCain did not move far enough to the middle. I am a conservative on foreign policy and economic policy. I am anti-welfare but I reject the conservative stand on religion and abortion.

Great principles for Republicans...

What if YOUR religious-based values infringe upon EVERYONE else's freedom, religion, and/or government?

Or are you, and only people that agree with you, patriotic and worthy enough to be considered pro-America.

"Religious-based values". Maybe people didn't want rhetoric about values that pander the far right evangelicals, maybe they wanted someone who has faith but does not wear it like a badge.

Republicans need to stop living in the past and unit!

No wonder they are called Repubicannibals, now they are starting to eat their own.Lets se ..freedom vs patriote bill, hmm?, religious values but only if they are YOUR religion, and last joke..smaller government. Can you say Ronald Reagan and the doubling of the federal government in the 80's. wow do you guys either have short memories or just like to change history as it suits you. Please pick Sara to run in 2012, please.

Based on DeMint's comments, he still doesn't understand why the GOP is losing the base and has turned into a Southern based party with a few extra western states to call their own. Like it or not, this country is a CENTER based country and NOT CENTER RIGHT!

The southern Republicans always talk about 'limited government." Bush has created the largest government in American history and has spent every future dime we will make over the next generation. The second point DeMint brings up is "religious based values." Oh yes, let's not forget about how the government was held hostage while Terri Schiavo's family wasn't allowed to carry out a personal family decision – all in the name of "religious based values."

Unless the GOP realizes that the brand is broken and that America is changing, the party will go the way of the Whigs.

What in the world are the GOP principles? The GOP/Republicans/Conservatives don't even know what to call themselves these days...let alone define their so-called principles.

The Republicans do realize that it was "traditional Conservative principles" that lost this election for them, right? If anything, it was his "betrayal" of those principles that kept the race as close as it was...

Wow it is amazing how and when the truth really comes out.

McCain did not only betray the GOP; he betrayed America!

Sen. Demitt needs to worry about the issues affecting his state right now as well as trying to unify the party. If he thinks that lashing out at McCain for the loss at the polls, then he is wrong. McCain was chosen by the people to represent the GOP and if Demitt thought so poorly of McCain then he should have ran for president himself. With so many disgruntled citizens in the country and so many pressing issues for the next president, a far right leaning conservative would not have received as many votes as McCain.

Are the house of Cards falling?

From DeMint's description, John McCain doesn't sound so bad after all.

Perhaps McCain will accept a position with the Obama administration, allowing Arizona's Democratic governor to appoint his Senate replacement.

McCain was the least of those who betrayed Republican principles. Start with anyone who voted for the Rebublicans in office in the 2004 election who were well aware , after four years of Rove, Chaney and Bush ,that basic conservative values had been abandoned for big spending, no long term plan and plenty of big government intervention when it suited the ideological want list.
Then blame current voters who would still sacrifice hands off government and fiscal accountability to promote their freedom killing social agenda, all the while shouting "Country First" to drown out any objections.
Essentially, start with yourself if you are still voting for the leadership that hijacked the Republican party over the last 8 years.

For this independent voter (who supported McCain in the 2000 and 2008 Mi primaries but voted for Obama), the "nail in the coffin" was the type of strident ideological nonsense that this guy is spouting. The Repubs have become the party of religious wackos and redneck white Nascar males. They are stuck in some distant past fantasy land and have no really good 21st century ideas for real 21st century problems. Until they do, they are and will be irrelevant.

the very moment a republican tosses out george soros i visualize rush limbaugh in rubber pants dispensing koolaid from an igloo cooler.

an old cliché never dies, it just hangs around in the rafters and throws rocks at you.

Oh please, please keep saying things like this, republicans. Yes, be more conservative and see how many more independent voters you gather. Move further and further to the right, never mind the precipice you're already overlooking. Nice job, DeMint!

I partially disagree with DeMint. I would blame Barney Frank, Dodd and Schumer to the most degree for this financial situation. At the same time, I think McCain was just in a bad spot. He was fighting such an uphill battle, anything he said was going to be perceived as wrong. And what is Demint talking about "Brand"? The Republicans (which I am one) are so confused and disillusioned, for anyone to act like they had a better idea or to shovel blame around is ridiculous. Why wasn't DeMint talking about this a month ago??? I think DeMint needs to take a dose of his own criticisms...as do all republicans right now. As McCain said, "America has spoken". It's time to regroup...we need new leaders

The Republican Party has gone astray...far away from the principles of fairness and equality of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. They claim that the party is the "Party of Reagan" but it sure is not. It was hijacked my the religious right. The party needs to find it self again...until then I'll always be a Democrat.

Republicans could learn something from Senator McCain. I can relate to Senator McCain more than I can to Rush Limbaugh or the racist who called President Obama Hitler!

**Look at a Repub convention and it looks like a WASP snowfall. Look at the Dem convention and it looks like a MELTING POT. Keep it up Repubs, you are showing your divisiveness and racist attitude. This will not make the CNN repub monetor, but hey someone has to say it. I also hope they make Palin their leader! Please! I see President Obama teaching constitutional law in a pic, but then there is Palin implying she is more suited and does not even know the constitution!

DeMint is a pinhead. Palin and McCain, breaking from the tradition of the republicans currently overbloating the party are about the only 2 decent republicans left in the party.

Ridiculous. John did the only things that gave him a chance to win. The Republican party as it was, is over. It's a failed system. I'm a Republican and have been since 1987. I voted for Obama, and I'm glad I did. The Republicans needs to drop the right wing religious zealots who opposed nominating Romney, for example. I might have voted for him. But Mccain and brainless Palin? You have to be joking. No way.

Here is the Republican Brand: 1. Make an absolute catastrophe out of the economy, foreign affairs, wars, individual liberties, energy policy, and just about everything else. Throw in some torture and a concentration camp. 2. Blames everyone else for the catastrophe, calling them betrayers or true conservatism, ignoring your own direct support and involvement in all of it. 3. No matter how wrong you have proven to be, you are still sure that you are right, have always been right, and always will be right. That is the Republican Brand.

The implosion continues!

Bobby Jindal is the future of this party. He is young, intelligent, and well spoken. Even that may not be enough to reverse what the GOP is doing to itself.

Nothing more than Monday morning quarterbacking. This line of thinking will only serve to keep the Republicans in their current position. Younger, educated Americans are no longer going to accept the social intolerance of this party. Aligning with Religious Zealots and the NRA is no recipe for political success in a modern, progressive country. You either move to the left or the electorate will continue to marginalize you as a regional political party.

It is ironic that republicans are blaming McCain for the loss, when his strategy was to play to the base. If he had been more himself (a moderate centrist), his chances would have been better. Republicans chant that this country is 'center-right', when in fact the last election proved otherwise. So going back to 'core Republican traditions' is just going to further drive them away from where the American people are headed.

Thank you Senator DeMint! You just listed many of the reasons why I started out this past campaign supporting John McCain and by the end withdrawing my vote for Senator McCain. He definitely was not the same Senator I voted for in 2000 in his bid against, George Bush, arguably the worst President in US history. I remain a Republican, but we have to do something serious to get this party back on track for it's values of the past. Many of the Republicans of today remind me of the Democrats.

If McCain still had those 'betrayed principles' which we all loved from before 2000, and Obama hadn't been running, myself and many others would have voted McCain. What the GOP fails to reailze is that they don't need to run on social values. Their boy, George, ruined their reform and fiscal responsibility platforms which are the reason they get votes from more than evangelicals.

This is exactly the opposite view from the one the GOP should be taking. Returning to the conservative values will further alienate the moderates that were drawn to the campaign this cycle by McCain's centrist policies without significantly solidifying the conservative base.

The RP is way off base, they need to come into the 21 century.
Peacefully,
Terry

I didnt know the Republican party had any principles to betray. The way I see it their only agenda is to give big business everything they ask for and take away everything labor has achieved in the past century.

Finally. Somebody tells the truth and debunks the lame "maverick". I begrudgingly voted McCain and still have a bitter taste in my mouth. Where are the real leaders with conviction, principle and authenticity?

I guess John McCain needs to tell the GOP where to go... and attempt to join the Obama Administration before he retires soon. The GOP need to obtain some DIVERSITY principles and trim their conservative Principles. Americans are tired of people telling them how to live, who to love and how to worship. Self-Righteous People are no longer fashionable. Shut up and leave people alone!

Something tells me the founding fathers are crying in their lapel suits over that statement. That's exactly what we need, a government based in religion. I mean look how well theocracies are doing around the world what with all the oppression and violence they cause. Don't presume to govern my country with your religion, senator. Separation of church and state applies to you as well no matter how rich or entitled you are. Jesus won't fix our broken economy. Or anything else for that matter.

Senator Who?

It's easy to lay the blame on someone after they have been defeated, but I always thought America was a free democracy and each person has the right to agree or disagree without being called a traitor. I am a demoncrate, but that does not mean I have to agree with everything the entire democratic party agrees with.

It is my opinion that Senator McCain had a lot stacked against him from the beginning. He was running against a very disciplined younger opponent who out spent him and outcampaigned him. Also the economy was against him. He was fighting an uphill battle, and then he made off the mark comments; he showed instability, he seemed just a little bit senile. He is a good person and what he did for the country will always be remembered, but let's not start the name calling, I thought you guys were bigger than that.

Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint in his comments comes across as short-sighted leader leading the blind. I'm afraid that this ideology can be described anything but progressive which is where this nation wants to head.

Dear Senator DeMint,

Your party is awaiting moderation. My message will be moderated long before your party will be.

If Repubs turn toward even more toward the extreme right (as is DeMint), the party is history. The world is leaving his toxic blend of corporate-religious fascism behind.

Go ahead DeMint – kill off your party entirely – the American people have rejected you and everything you stand for – McCain was out of touch with what America wanted but you and your kind are TOTALLY out of touch! This isn't 1808! Get with the program you idiot!

Mr. DeMint:

Don't blame John McCain. Blame your party and your voters sir. Blame the ones who nominated him. The GOP had the option of nominating any one of three conservatives that were running. THEY chose not to.

Mr. Demint's views would perhaps hold a sliver of validity if John McCain's views migrated left during the election. Not only is not true, a review of the record shows a decided right shift to appease GOP voters.

The GOP knew what it was getting with John McCain. They bought the ticket, they took the ride.

His support for Global Warming is something the republicans are against?
Wow nice to know this country is going down the drains in couple of decades because of this backward thinking. Not to mention the rest of the world will suffer from it if that's how republicans want to play it.

Wow, already starting to eat their own. Put the blame on the other guy. The right way ,the wrong way, the republican way.

I never heard the media mention the good things, from my perspective, Mr. McCain supported. It wouldn't have made me change my vote, but it does show me a side of him I was not aware of and I don't think Mr. DeMint's comments are the kind of blame game which will now bring our nation and his own party together.

there are two factors this dilusional person forgot to mention
to me this one is a big factor ( HONESTY ) READ MY LIPS

HONESTY

AND THE SECOND IS SARAH PALIN

Blame away GOP. Please keep blaming until 2012 then out Palin on the Top ticket so we can kick ur behind again.

The republician party is DEAD! They haven't been about limited government since 9/11 which they use as a excuse to build up the government and launch a phony war in Iraqi.

As for being religious-based values?Really?Bush has murdered thousands of troops and hundreds of thousands of civilians in two different countries.

Freedom?The Patriot Act ended that.

Of course now all of a sudden there's a lot of finger-pointing on the GOP side.How come you didn't make these comments during the campaign Sen.DeMint?

I wonder why this guy thinks that Republicans are distinguished by standing for freedom and religous values? Does he really think Democrats are against freedom and religous values? Wow.

So, selling his soul to the right wasn't enough?

too old, too greedy, too bad......lick ur wounds

denitwit

the people spoke yet you do not listen.you right wingers are old fossils.the repubs will never win another presidental election until you stop the religious right [farwells and dobsons]from hijacking your party.mccain did what every righttwinger has to do and thats move to the center. we are not a country made up of conservative people.[contrary to what de nitwit and other repubs want you to think].paliln should be all the proof you need.she draws out the fringe group but will not appeal to any intelligent person true middle of road person looking for leadership.even obama had to move to the center.get off of mccains back and start looking at the real problem which is your party is out of touch with the majority

I hope more GOP'ers think like DeMint. They'll never be back in power as long as they keep thinking that catering to the (ever-dwindling) base is the way to go. McCain lost because he didn't appeal to the center and the moderates as much as Obama did – NOT because he didn't appeal to the base. As Rich Lowry noted – in a center-right nation, McCain lost the center.

It is Senator DeMint and his cohorts from the former Confederate States who do not get it. Their ideas are far removed from the main stream of the rest of the United States. their ideas are outmoded and unpopular. When Senator McCain embraced their tired old mantras, his popularity plummeted. As long as he and others of his ilk control the Grand Old Party and moderate progressive members of the party are cast aside, failure will continue.
If Senator DeMint wishes to extend blame for failure, he should examine the stances he and his brethren espouse. Their ideas are alienating many who would otherwise lean Republican,leading to our defeat in the polls.

Let's see he picked a nut for VP to appeal to conservatives and she brought him down. Just a minority of Republicans are social conservatives and they have now become the "nutty relative" of this family.

It is surprising that the extreme neo-conservative cultural wars wing of the GOP is ready to throw McCain under the bus for losing the election. McCain's only sin was not moving towards the center and picking Palin. Accusations of betraying Republican principles are ludicrous. Why are the accusers ignoring the polling data that the GOP will continue to be a minority party if it doesn't change the message?

Unfortunately the republican party's idea of "conservatism" is slowly fading away. Young people are extremely tolerant of new ideas and not old discriminatory religious practices. Its no wonder they by a 2-1 margin choose the democratic party over the republican party. And I don't want to hear BS about the republican party being the more patriotic ones. Right now the rest of the world doesn't want to hear about how great and powerful we are. This is a new century and a new world(with global warming problems, and it is MAN MADE), and the only base of ideas from the republican party that can be successful are a more limited government. And right now, we need as much govt help as we can get because of failed policies on both sides. And the only way we're going to fix our problems is through bipartisanship, not the blame game.

I wouldn't just blame McCain, it's the whole Republican platform that needs to be over hauled!!!! The party is not inclusive and the supporters they do have are dillusional with the whole religious zealot idealogcial moral concept they have!!!!

I am very happy to see that at a time when the country is moving back to the center, these right wingers are blaming John Mccain for not moving even further to the right then he already did. They seem like a ship of fools to me. But on that note I hope they take over the Republican party and insure us of real Democratic majority for a long time.

The outright DENIAL by republicans is truly something to behold and learn from. Obviously, American voters, who, by the way, represent a perspective somewhat to right of the general population, do NOT prefer a "traditional conservative government" as Sen. Dimwit pronounced as is evidenced by the rejection of the same on November 4.

Please, please, please continue to promote Sarah Palin and her rhetoric of stupidity. Nothing is more telling of the "conservatives' lack of honesty" than the disconnect of her message and the actions of "conservative" governments.

I am no fan of John McCain, but I think the message that American voters sent on the 4th has gone completely over DeMint's narrow-minded head. And "support of global warming"?? Failing to recognize this threat is neanderthal-thinking & a pretty good indicator of why voters rejected this far-right type of thought. Exactly whose "religious-based values" is he talking about? I thought we had freedom of (or from) religion in this country. I'd like to see how he plans to incorporate values from every religion into his plans. Or is he talking just about HIS religious values?

The Republicans need to move towards the center. Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann, Paul Broun, Jim DeMint, and Joe the Plumber better not be the future of the GOP, or the GOP has no future.

OK, that didn't take long. Official finger pointing has commenced. The problem here is how does blaming someone for the lopsided Republican defeat solve anything. I'm a moderate who grew up with a Democratic Mother and a Libertarian Father (don't ask). I can appreciate both sides of the spectrum. I think what hurt the Republicans in this election was the mixed signals they were sending to voters. "Cut taxes and spending" while they drove up how many trillions in budget deficit. "Traditional Right-wing Conservative Values" while the candidate leaned more moderate. "We're running a clean honorable campaign" while every insult in the book short of "your Mama wears Army boots" was thrown at the opponent. "Vote for our candidate for President" because our current Republican President sucks and we've done so well over the last seven years.

So let's see...

No amnesty for illegals
No recognition of global warming
No cap and trade
Yes to drilling in ANWR

You go right on ahead and embrace that platform – you won't ever see the White House again.

Oh, and "power corrupts and you need to disperse it." Wall Street's unchecked greed also corrupts, but I'm betting my bottom dollar the neo-cons don't want to see the money dispersed.

If this is the Republican brand, and you need to "get back to it", you won't have a political party, you'll have a cocktail party. Welcome to it.

I think most of the positions he named off were things that actually made McCain more appealling to voters. People liked McCain because he wasn't a total ideologue. If they had run some hardline Republican at the top of the ticket I bet the GOP would have lost by much more.

When will politicians get it that people are wanting solutions, not more partisanship? I really could care less if a person has R or D beside their name. I want some fresh ideas.

Republicans eat their own don't they! Why not say this before the election? If you do, then we know how you really feel regardless of the outcome. Saying this after McCain lost only makes you look small Mr. Senator from SC.

Bye bye Republicans. See you in 2064!

I didn't like McCain's polices but he is a lot more progressive and realistic then Demint. This is old time GOP Philosophy that will not fly with Mainstream America. Keep this type of nonscense up and the GOP will never see Power in Washington again. This is Sarah Palin type go nowhere rhetoric.

Wow, he makes McCain sound much more appealing than he was during the campaign. I never thought Senator McCain was a narrowminded, 'traditional conservative'. i.e. to many that has come to represent white closet racist with a few tokens around. Unfortunately he espoused this approach during the campaign and lost independents like me in doing so. If the Republicans are ever going to succeed again in this country they need to reject approaches like Demint's. I'm in favor of fiscal conservatism but the past 8 years under a Republican didn't show me that. However, note to Demint: even if you try to mislead the public about scientifically accepted things like Global warming, Stem cell research, your lack of intelligence and veiled racism shines through.

How is it that Republicans are so clued in on what the country wants? Were they not paying attention two weeks ago?

Just keep on thinkin' that way, Jim – the Democrats will be in office until 2100.

There is no evidence to back up this guy's claim what-so-ever. In most polls McCain had a higher share of his base (self-called republicans) than Obama had of his base (self-called democrats). I also find the idea that McCain was "too far off his base" to be completely preposterous. McCain was much farther right-leaning this election than he was in the senate or was during his 2000 presidential bid. He wishes that the problem of not winning the election was not being conservative enough, but it's not. It's actually the reason that they lost.

The GOP is so far out of touch with the American people it is unfair to blame just one idiot. Keep on fighting each other, and we will keep on winning. Go Dems, shoot for 60 senate seats

The only chance the Republicans had in this presidential election was to run out a guy who isn't a clear conservative.
Of course, putting Palin on the ticket (who pretty much just made a full of herself and probably placed a stereotype on the average Alaskan), really hurt the cause.

Otherwise, had a "conservative" been on the ticket, many more states would have become blue and Obama would have gotten more than the 52% of the votes he got nationwide...

Good ol' Jim doesn't get it. McCain well recognized that the Republican Party is losing people by the thousands because of the alignment with the reactionary religious right. Most Americans are slightly conservative or slightly liberal, but not out at the ends of the spectrum. We want someone who can run the country, not someone who freaks out every time a new agenda is proposed.

McCain lost because he was trying to be a moderate, all the while he was trying to pander to the far right with Palin. His resulting message was muddled and chaotic. Had he had someone at his side like Mit Romney, and talked about what he was going to do instead of trying to sow fear about Obama, he might well have won.

Wow I thought dinosaurs were extinct.

Religious values? Anti-Global Warming? YES DeMint, if one of your kind was at the top of the GOP ticket this year Obama would have had 3 times the electoral votes.

I look forward to the day when these old redneck imbeciles die off.

Whew! The list of qualifications it takes these days to be a good Republican is getting shorter but more exclusive.

I am reminded, yet again, why I am an ex-Republican.

Every time one of them opens their mouth it helps me stay over here on the left.

maybe the gop betrayed mcain. and sabotaged his campain...............

he just mad cause obama won y didnt he confront his party earlier than now leting it get worse

The nails were ALREADY in the coffin. McCain just tapped one of the nails with a small hammer.

Republicans were foolish to nominate 72 yrs old egoist born and raised in segregated social environment. Wake-up. America is multiracial, multi-ethnic and multi-religious society. It does not have to follow Judaic Christian norms

Senator DeMint, this country was established based on the separation of church and state. Remember, our first citizens came here to escape religious persecution. Our forefathers wrote a constitution that gives us religious freedom, not to be ruled by it. Otherwise, you shall be perceived as an American Ayatollah.

Republicans, apparently don't "GET IT"! So you continue to POINT FINGERS.

Allow me to give you a Clue . . . Accept Responsibility, and work toward Healing this Country!

Sen. DeMint couldn't possibly be more out of touch with the American people. The Republicans were handily defeated across the board and he wants to blame it on McCain for his stance on the bailouit and illegal immigration? You've got to be kidding me. If this is any indication of how the leaders within the Republican party plan to move forward, they're in for a long period of irrelevance.

I dont know how conservatives can build a ten TRILLION dollar deficit, this is a lot of crap, a bunch of people who say they are Christians then they speak profanities call people terrorist, invade sovereign states, they should not speak of the word conservatism or small government again not in our life time.

Since when is it necessary to reject global warming, which as been scientifically proven, in order to be a true republican? I'm not a republican, but I won't go as far to say that republicans reject science. Also, the comments about religion-based values is a little scary because our constitution calls for a secular government.

Just reading what DeMint is saying scares me to death and much more greatful that the Republician Party did not get another four years to rape the American people of their rights and their dollars,"All men are created equal with certain rights as our Constitution is written and the Republican Party seems to forget that and works hard to take those rights from the American people ..

Thank God.

Somebody is standing up for what is right.

I miss Ronald Reagan.

Now there's a start to wind up all the "Rednecks"

And so proceeds the end of the conservative Republican party.

Shut up Demint!

South Carolina is still a deeply racist state. Until you'all join the rest of the country ,and judge people by the 'content of their character and not the color of their skin', take a seat in the corner and put on your Dunce Caps!

Jim DeMint is wrong,it is he and his ilk,that brought the party down.

I am a registered Republican. I would describe myself as a moderate – in the middle. I would imagine that the majority of Republicans are somewhere close to the middle like me. In recent years I have been disappointed in the emerging arrogance of the more conservative aspects of the Republican party. More than anything else, it is the conservatism – and the hate and bigotry that comes with it – that is pushing me away from the Republican party. Today, while I would hardly characterize myself as a Democrat, I find myself questioning which party today reflects my views – I am a Reagan Republican – I first voted in 1984.

Since the election, I have repeatedly heard criticisms from the far right how the Republican Party has deviated from the conservative brand – and that cost them the election. That is total and utter nonsense. I voted for Obama, because I am fed up with the arrogance of the far right and figure that staggering defeat would humble them and put them in their place. I guess I was wrong – they just don't realize that the majority to the midle right don't subscribe to their brand of conservatism – which today is perceived as arrogant and hateful.

DeMint has just proven that the goal of the Republican base is to create a Christianity government that ensures non-Christians are forced to abide by their religious law. If DeMint, Bozell, Perkins and Dobson truly had the cojones, they would splinter away to create a party that clearly states this purpose. The reason they won't do it is because they know that they would end up with less control than they have as part of the Republican party and that even some of the religious right's "value voters" may back away from them as they realize the damage that could be wrought upon this country with a theocracy (or the backlash when the majority of Americans do not condone their antics).

The republican party brand seems schizophrenic to non-believers. They believe in less government as long as it stays out of the way of making money at any cost to social justice, the environment and health. However, they feel the government should have control over the most personal and intimate aspects of people's lives (marriage and reproduction.) Take a look at recent surveys that show people are becoming more spiritual, but less religious because religion is oppressive to civil liberties, especially to those who don't believe in the dogma and doctrines. The republican party wouldn't exist if the two polar factions (business and religion) were not a united front. The conservative right will not have their abortions, the rich will buy them some how or some way even if made illegal. The rich need the religious more than the religious need the rich.

ummm wow, this senator is giving McCain criticism because McCain had individual views outside some of the party's? Last time I checked individualism kinda fell under the freedom category, and all this "you should have stuck blindly to the party line" sounds kinda like... dare i say it socialism, as the repubs were so fond of criticizing the dems of.

DeMint seems to be missing the point about McCain, which is that he ran his campaign in the reverse method: he ran to the center in the primaries, then had to shore up the base in the general election. He was forced to do this because he had the audacity to buck the GOP establishment 10% of the time. If 10% constitutes betrayal in DeMint's eyes, than DeMint is helping to lead the GOP further into the wilderness, where blind loyalty to an out-of-touch orthodoxy matters more than rigorous, constant experimentation: in other words, IDEAS! McCain gets it, DeMint/Palin, et al, do not.

CONSERVATIVE PRINCIPLES GOT US IN DEBT AND THE IRAQ WAR!!. they just dont get it....do they have to loose everyone of their seats to get it.. Its like they are following Jim Jones

McCain won the primary among various Republican candidates. What is this guy complaining about?

Another confused Republican Senator! Can't get the names straight.

Of course, *everybody* cares what this guy thinks.

Why is this even being published? The GOP lost for alot of reasons, none the least of which is their inability to communicate with people who aren't one of their "real Americans". Try to learn inclusiveness and cut the ideologue crap and maybe just maybe you won't be left in the woods for a generation or more.

DeMint is a religious fanatic, he's part of the reason why the Republicans are losing now. Very few people can relate to his far right views.

Um, excuse me? A party that bases its platform largely on religious-based values? Who are you people, you sound like islamists. Republican Party, watch your moderates and fiscal conservatives flee as you energize your extremist, religious base.

Now that John McCain is free of Sarah Palin, he can go back to being his old self. ..a real maverick who can work across the aisle...

Good grief! Imagine how angry this guy would have been if the Republicans *won*...

I cannot beleive McCain get the blame (I am no fan) but your party should rethink your values and ideas , religieous values? what happen to church and state .As a democrat keep going on the same path ,don't worry we don't mind hold power for a long time LOL

The Republican party is so messed up right now. They are looking for any one to blame except there far right policies. I believe McCain won your primary over far religious whack Huckabee and the greedy Romney. Funny thing is your religious right would not vote for Romney because he is a mormon and the fiscal conservatives wouldn't vote for Huckabee because hes too religious. Throw in trying to run on policies for the top 1% of americans and then blame the loss on the media and black people.

Someone who doesn't support global warming OR who is cruel to "illegals" isn't fit to be President. McCain wasn't fit to be President regardless (especially with his VP pick), but America certainly doesn't need another brand of conservatism in the White House either. Not after these last 8 years of mistakes by another conservative. And America didn't prosper in its early days by being conservative and close-minded. That's not how you get anywhere as a society. I know its hard for Republicans to understand that, but a lot of them are they're so consumed with themselves, there's no point trying to tell them differently.

I wonder if there is a bigger moron in the Senate than Jim Demint. He wonders why McCain lost? McCain, on his worst day, is a more forward thinking, enlightened man than Demint could ever hope to be. I hope Lindsay Graham, the Sr Senator from South Carolina denounces this fool. He makes all Republicans look bad.

Yeah, that's a good way to unite the party....Freak.

John McCain was the pick of the Republican party. I just find it hard to believe once he lost everyone else in the GOP decided to jump ship to distance themselves from him. I am a Obama supporter but it just goes to show how quickly they DIVIDE not only other parties but themselves. I think americans have finally seen through the FRONT of the republican party and we see their TRUE conservitive beliefs (hate,radical religious beliefs, and personal gain and greed) . I believe it is not going to be the trend of the nation unless they stray from their core beliefs. Like a make over for the GOP times are changing and so is the make up of this country. Democrate .... The party of Democracy

now there's an oxymoron..."Republican" and "principles"....of course this new enlightenment coincidentally comes after 8 Years of the largest increase in government expenditures and debt in US hisotory....but I guess it was worth it because all of that money was invested in infrastructure like roads, bridges, hospitals, education etc.....oh it wasn't ???....well that's a pretty stupid "principle" to follow

I hope someday soon the Republicans figure out that as cute as Drill baby Drill is for a slogan it is totally useless as a policy we can not drill our way out of dependence on foreign oil. Oil companies are setting on leases for literally millions of acres of Land they could drill on and have done nothing with them so unless or until they give up those leases or do something with them drilling in ANWR shouldn't be on option. On the other hand I certainly hope they stay with their "religious-based values" I hate to think what the Republican party would look like without them seriously I shudder to even think about it.

What a wingnut DeMint is! He must be on acid to have such delusional views like this and so out of touch with the values of Americans! Why the Republicans will continue to lose seats with their combative nature!

It is not fair to blame McCain for the failures of the GOP!! I think it took the GOP as whole to get in the shape they are in.

Well, if folks like Jim DeMint didn't spend the past 20 years transforming the GOP into the new Dixiecrat Party, then they wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.

Typical GOP Balogney....and see what it got him...the minority party.

The Republican Party in recent times has come to stand for war-mongering, corporate greed, and intolerance. It would be great to head towards limited government and ethical behavior centering around working people. At this point, neither Republicans or Democrats seem headed this direction.

Hey Senator Jim DeMint, please do not start throuwing stones. Suggest you start constructively contribute to this country by supporting our newly elected President. I'm sure you can try to do that, at least, for awhile.

We're going to be hearing more of this type of rhetoric in the coming months. Maybe the republicans should start coming up with some new ideas rather than keep harping on outdated "values" and the playing blame game.

John McCain betrayed a lot of things in this campaign. The American people to start . Shame on him.

Republicans across the nation choose John McCain to be their nominee for President because of what he stood for, not what the party stands for. The party failed to support him, forcing McCain to have to play to the base when he should have been chasing independents. This is where the business like organization of the Republican Party fails them, there is no room for adaptation. McCain never became the leader of the party because of specific party members who refused to swallow their pride and follow someone they didn't fully agree with. Someone should tell DeMint that his is only the party of limited government. Religious values are not exclusive to conservatives and everybody is for freedom; global warming... exists, a Republican President proposed the bailout, and campaign finance reform is a move toward transparency and reduces immoral and illegal practices. Maybe DeMint should reevaluate where he stands.

How about you need more diversity in your party. Don't blame John McCain he was preaching the right wing cause. You the the right wing of the party introduce him to Gov Palin and that was the end.

See:

Free the GOP – The Party Won't Win Back the Middle as Long As It's Hostage to Social Fundamentalists, By Christine Todd Whitman and Robert M. Bostock, Washington Post,
Friday, November 14, 2008

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/13/AR2008111303347.html

In a nutshell this is what is wrong with the Republican party. if you have to blame somebody, look in the mirror.

When are these people going to learn that moving forward is not a bad thing? You can have a smaller government and still do good things. Doing nothing to help the citizens of this country and calling it "smaller government" is not a good platform. Letting the infrastructure of this country fall apart because it is "wasteful spending" is not a good idea. And drilling for more oil is not the only answer to energy independence. In fact it's the worse answer to the problem. More oil+More Cars=More Pollution. I hope you have another place to go for when you destroy this planet by your own shortsightedness and greed.

Also they keep talking about freedom, but want to impose "religious-based values". Who's religion? Who's values?

I know, I know, if it's not his way, it's got to be wrong.

The "in-fighting" has begun. Reagan warned the GOP about this. It never occurred during his time in the GOP. He knew it would lead to trouble.
Unless the GOP gets their collective heads out of their....!...and gets real about issues that affect America, they will be out of power for a long time.

Issues about Abortion rights and Gay rights do NOT help people keep their job, pay their bills or secure their future for their children.

The Republicans nominated a "Maverick" on the basis that they needed someone who would best distance themselves with Bush. In nominating a Maverick, the Republicans knew what they were putting forward someone who would stray away from Republican core principles. So Demint's complaints should be directed towards the Republican party for nominating someone who "betrayed Republican principles" before the general election got underway.

One cannot betray principles that don't exist.
Like "Pogo" said many years ago:
"We have met the enemy and he is us."

Ok, McCain just went up one notch in my book.

The time for post mortem is over. Now is the time to look at today and forward to tomorrow and put our energies to fixing our nation.

CNN, please focus more attention on newsworthy events of the thoughts, planning and actions of people across the nation who are doing something about fixing big and little things to make our nation a better place.

"....according to DeMint, should represent freedom, religious-based values and limited government"
Actually, this is why so many moderate conservatives like myself voted for Obama, a strong fear of those that would pander to the religious right. These "republicans" need to wake up and realize that most Americans don't want their "brand". It's time for a return to the REAL core of conservatism...fiscal responsibilty.

He didn't betray the party as much as he did it a favor by moving it back to the center where the VAST majority of it's members and supporters stand. Sorry conservative minority, you've had your day but the party is over!

this was the democrats election to lose, if it wasn't for mccain the republicans wouldn't have stood any chance what so ever. it's easy to place blame after the fact, but no other republican would have had the respectable showing mccain/palin had.

So let me get this right – Top Republicans agree that the McCain/Palin Ticket was wrong for America. Thank You! We had this figured out three months ago, on a Friday, in Dayton,Ohio. I have been a Republican for 42 years, and I can tell when someone is trying to put lipstick on a pig. John McCain said it about the Clinton Healthcare Plan, and then introduced Sarah Palin as his "FBI Vetted VP Candidate" in Dayton. The Republican Party is shrinking, not due to George Soros, but due to the greedy bailout of Wall Street by Bush, Paulson, and Cheney. Senator Stevens is a joke. What a legacy for the Republican Party. I am hoping for a new Conservative Independent Party that will replace the Republican Party.

Hey DeMint you are a maggot.

We from the west are sick of ignorant bigoted southerners. You just don't get it. God answered America’s prayer and has elected President Elect Obama. DeMint you and like kind are the problem with America.

Republicans, stop acting like babies. Get to work on the huge problems that face this nation. I'm an Amercian who is sick and tired of the blame game and finger pointing. Get your ACT together and ACT like adults and START TO FIX the problems. Do you know what the word bipartisan means. Show us that you do and quit whining!

BUT, most republicans praise the job McCain/Palin did during the campaign.

McCain appealed broadly to moderate Republicans, conservative democrats and many Independents. How naive for the GOP to believe they could win this election by sticking to their narrow "brand." The Republicans are not in tune with the changing American electorate and will quickly become anachronisms.

I think "not!" Republican Principles – get real – the GOP needs to rethink their Principles!

Yep. If McCain had opposed the bailout, I might have voted for him. That showed he was not fiscally conservative. But then again, none of the Republicans seem to be anymore. Their idea of being conservative is to spout against abortion while re-electing a President who doesn't hesitate to blow the fetuses out of Iraqi women.

I would argue that for many Republicans religious-based values are not one of their top three reasons for voting Republican. Having only 2 major political parties makes it impossible to please everyone. I know many Republicans that have differing views on many issues, so please don't type cast Republicans, or Democrats, into a generic bucket of ideals.

It's clear that Senator DeMint is out of touch with his party. The new Republican party is emerging Senator, and you are not a part of it. His 90s image of a right wing conservative should stay in the 90s. Barack Obama's election now means that voters are being redefined across party lines, and the Republican party is no longer the party of the "religious based values" and "freedom." The Democrats claim that title too.

And if he wants a wisp of a chance of being taken seriously, he needs to recognize that global warming is a problem and that a cap and trade system or a carbon tax is the way to go.

Are you joking, Senator?

This is the problem with Washington. We have two parties. And the far-whatever in each party gets ticked when someone of power doesn't represent the far-whatever religiously.

I don't have anyone who represents me. Obama doesn't. McCain doesn't. I'm in the middle.

I hope Obama chooses McCain for a cabinet position. Maybe Secretary of Defense. I'd love to see this guy reach across the aisle even if it means choosing someone who will challenge him. So sick of party politics.