There is a debate raging on the right about what is more to blame – the message or the media. Republicans were not able to effectively get their message through to the voters because the media was so busy working for the Obama campaign. What made things worse, though, is that Republicans never really articulated a coherent overall message and some Republicans did not hold positions different enough from their Democrat opponents to provide an alternative message. The only message that has ever won nationally for Republicans is an unapologetically conservative one.

When John McCain rushed back to Washington to jump on the massive bailout bandwagon it became hard for him to argue that his approach to the problem would be significantly different than that of Barack Obama and impossible to argue that his was a conservative solution.

If Republicans hope to have any chance to win in 2010 and 2012 they will have to find more effective ways to combat the liberal bias in the media, but even more important they need to decide what they stand for and then to stand firm. Since country is the music preferred by many in the red states, I’ll borrow a line from a song by Van Zandt:

“…Stick to your guns, if you believe in something, no matter what, ‘cause it’s better to be hated for who you are than be loved for who you’re not.”

Currently Barack Obama is being loved for who he’s not and it’s working out pretty well for him, but if he continues down that road and governs as someone voters don’t recognize, he may pay for it later.

Republicans are afraid of being hated for being conservative, so many have gone the “moderate” route, with poor electoral results. If they would stand solidly for conservative principles and policies voters might actually learn what conservatism really is, rather than the stereotypes they have in their heads. Maybe they would even win a few elections along the way.