by David Hornestay

Created on: November 17, 2008   Last Updated: December 02, 2008

As patriotic Americans, Republicans might not want to regain the White House the very next time It would probably mean that the first term of President Obama had been a conspicuous failure, and that the country was in even worse shape than it is today. Presidents who do a reasonably good job are usually rewarded with a second term by a tolerant and sympathetic electorate (think Bush II, Clinton, et al).

So let's finesse the precise schedule for retaking the White House and concentrate on the specific steps:

1. Establish a constructive record as the loyal opposition in Congress, helping to improve and pass the good legislative initiatives of the President and offering superior alternatives to unwise and wasteful ones.

2. Monitor the state administrations of Republican governors for effective, economical programs and actions and showcase them as examples of what a national Republican administration could offer.

3. Prepare early for the 2010 midterm elections and recruit appealing candidates, especially in districts that went to the Democrats for the first time in 2006 or 2008.

4. Pick the brains of a broad spectrum of economists, health experts, actuaries, academics, and business and labor leaders for ideas on redesigning or reforming the entitlement programs, specifically Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

5. Sponsor an ongoing public discussion of possible solutions to the above programs, even if they include some that are not traditionally conservative in nature.

6. Commission a study of global warming aimed at a balanced approach that abates the sources of atmospheric warming without hobbling industry and utilities.

7. Arrive at a common sense compromise among Republicans on immigration policy that strengthens border control and security but recognizes that 12 million illegals can't be deported overnight.

8. Restore the Republican party's reputation for fiscal responsibility by fashioning a credible plan to balance the budget over a minimum period of years.

9. Provide forums for established and potential Presidential candidates to be heard on vital issues and caution them to keep the negative partisan rhetoric to a minimum.

10.Arrange for regular meetings of Republican leaders with foreign heads of state.

The key to this set of steps is the recognition that the President begins with a reservoir of good feeling and the desire of most citizens that he succeed for the country's sake. In addition, a large segment of the surveyed public expressed itself as turned off by the overwhelmingly negative campaign advertising and attributed the bulk of it to the Republicans. There is every reaon, therefore, for the party to undertake an image makeover that eschews scorched earth tactics and excessive partisan criticism in confronting the new Administration and the substantial Congressional majorities. Even more important is developing the substance of constructive solutions to the nation's considerable problems.

Looking optimistically to the future, one should note the resilience of the Republican Party after being routed in 1964 and 1992 and the tendency of the voters (with only one exception in the last half-century) to limit each party to one or two consecutive terms in the White House. Given those facts, 2016, if not 2012, seems well within reason.

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