As an American Catholic, I was sickened and shocked to learn that Barack Obama received the lion’s share of the Catholic vote in this election; however, some of my surprise evaporated when I saw that the Bishops waited until AFTER Obama won to issue their most forceful denunciation of the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA). Obama openly and clearly stated his intention during the campaign to make signing the legislation his first act as President. While the Catholic Church has always taught that the protection of innocent life should be the overriding concern when a Catholic goes into the voting booth, perhaps the Bishops took for granted that Catholics would adhere to that teaching, especially after voting in large numbers for President Bush in 2004 (52% versus 46% in 2000). Of course, the electorate is comprised of plenty of cafeteria Catholics, who pick and choose the teachings and issues that are the most palatable, appetizing, and easy to swallow. Don't misunderstand - I certainly am not your picture-perfect Catholic but there have to be lines that are not crossed. Those Catholics mistakenly believed that the war, their 401(k), and “change” took precedence over the horror of legalizing the barbaric act of delivering infants feet first, sticking scissors into the base of the skull, and sucking the child’s brains out. I would apologize for being so graphic and hitting my readers over the head, but I’m not sorry. Catholics ought to understand that for which they voted when casting a vote for Barack Obama. They voted for:

-striking down all restrictions

-allowing federal finding for abortion

-partial-birth abortion

-restricting counseling women in crisis pregnancy toward other life-preserving options

-forcing Catholic hospitals to murder unborn children or shut down (they will shut down before they betray their consciences). 

It was not until November 11 that the Bishops declared that they will FIGHT Obama on the issue of abortion. Perhaps this fight should have started about nine months ago, when it might have actually made a difference. Unfortunately, I believe the Bishops and all other like-minded Americans who abhor the massacre of unborn children will never be able to sway Obama’s firm stance that the abortion industry should be completely unregulated. The electorate should have been the target group to persuade. An ironic note about regulation, upon which I will expound in further writings:  for a party who decries the supposed deregulation in the housing market, the financial market, Wall Street, and every other industry they are itching to get their paws on, the sacred abortion industry should be left to manage itself behind a veil of “privacy” and secrecy? Although it may be a futile effort, we still are obligated to ascertain that this legislation never reaches the White House, where it would inevitably be signed. And we must call upon the only One who can truly change the hearts of our misguided lawmakers.

 As a former member of the evil “big Pharma” community, I have heard all sorts of marketing plans. The goal of every marketing plan is, of course, to sell your product. On the other hand, the most successful marketers know that they must balance keeping customers happy with meeting their own needs of making money. What does this have to do with the recent shellacking of the Republicans in the election? We need to take a page from successful companies, organizations, and Democrats – yes, Democrats -  and translate our conservative beliefs into HOW those beliefs will empower fellow Americans and better their lives.

What Republicans have been doing most recently is TELLING but not SELLING. They built a decades-long platform on small government and forcing government to live within its means. That platform disintegrated, in many people’s view, with the financial rescue bill spearheaded by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. Additionally, over the years, President Bush and the Republican Congress continued to allow billions to be poured down the black hole of the Department of Education, Medicare Part D, the arts, and on and on. John McCain had a funny stump line which would have been funnier had he not repeated it at every blessed campaign stop: he recalled how the federal government has sponsored $3 million worth of research on the DNA of bears in Montana. No wonder Americans voters were disgusted with the Republican party.

Ironically, Democrats ALSO tell, but they SELL in increments to keep the customers coming back again and again, as well as ADDING customers as they did in this election. They have mastered the art of serving numerous opposing constituencies. Democrats feel the ends justify the means – say what you need to say to whoever needs to hear it for the purpose of hoarding more power. As a puzzling example, they seem to effortlessly balance the demands of whacko environmentalists (who don’t want any of us to drive anything) with the unions who control the auto industry (which manufactures said fossil fuel burners by the millions). Ironically, Barack Obama openly opposes gay marriage but has Hollywood gay-rights activists in his hip pocket. Obama also got a large share of the supposedly pro-life Catholic vote by speaking of a (contrived) desire to reduce the number of abortions while proclaiming that his first act as President would be to sign the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) (http://www.FightFOCA.com). Essentially, they dangle the carrot by giving each constituency a little bit of what they want now to keep those groups coming back for more in future elections.

A local radio talk show host recalled the other day the silly charts and graphs H. Ross Perot used to educate the electorate. But Perot really had hit on something – Americans really are in the dark about how percentages, statistics, and huge numbers trickle down and affect them. Barack Obama struck a chord with his simple “tax cuts for 95% of Americans” mantra.  I would have cheered to see John McCain whip out a white board and SHOW how Barack Obama’s tax increases break out to monthly paychecks.  Even if Obama does not raise taxes on the top 5% during this downturn, he is still going to allow the Bush tax cuts to expire, which will affect EVERY tax-paying family. If McCain would have broken out a marker and an easel to show that $2500 tax increase will mean that $200 will evaporate from each paycheck, people might have GOTTEN the conservative argument (but alas, we still would have lost, I’m afraid…). What does that $200 buy every month? A few dinners out? The electric bill? Car repairs? That’s how you bring the lofty, abstract policies and asinine sound bites down to ground level. That’s how you sell it.

As we regroup over the next two to four years, Republicans should take a page from our opponents and learn NOT how to be disingenuous or double-talking, but to explicitly spell out HOW our policies empower our “customers” in their every day lives. Then we need to DO IT.