BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, REPUBLICANS!

For six of the past eight years, Republicans had full control of all three branches of our federal government. We lost the House and Senate in the mid-term elections of 2006 and now, with the election of Barack Obama on Nov. 4th of this year, we have lost it all. The Democrats now sit in the position that we once held, barely able to hold their socialistic ambitions in check until the inauguration in January. We blew it, and miserably so at times. In a recent Republican-only poll that was taken, the results were brutally telling: 32% of the respondents characterized the Republican leadership as "incompetent;" another 28% indicated that the party has lost its way and abandoned its conservative roots. Only 9% approved of the party as-is.

To say that the GOP has serious problems is the understatement of the century. Our party is a total train wreck, derailed by George W. Bush's "compassionate conservatism" concept, which has led in turn to a moderate/liberal takeover of the party leadership and an almost complete dismissal of the conservative principles that Ronald Reagan put in place in the 1980's. Those principles unified our party and made it formidable at the polls. A force to be reckoned with. Voters had a clear choice in the booth on election day. Not anymore, unfortunately. No personal disrespect intended to President Bush, whom I still believe is a good and decent man in his heart of hearts, but if this is to be his legacy, then who needs it??

Mr. President, sorry to break the news to you this way, but your compassionate conservatism has failed. Twice. It doesn't work. I once heard the word "insanity" defined as doing the same thing, over and over again, and expecting different results. That's a pretty good definition, if you ask me. How many elections does the GOP have to blow before it finally catches on? The public, as of now, has little to no confidence in the leadership ability of Republicans. The election of Barack Obama proved that conclusively; when people prefer to take a chance on an inexperienced, naive junior senator, rather than trust the much more experienced Republican candidate, something is definitely wrong with your party brand. It's time to put the GOP ship into a drydock and overhaul it. This is what we must do if we ever expect to win another election in our lifetime.

The state Republican committees will be assembling shortly to elect a new Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Whom they select is of the utmost importance up through the next presidential election cycle. We have got to bring our party back to its conservative roots again, so the election of a strong conservative chairman is an absolute must-do. Of the two frontrunning candidates for the post, my pick is Michael Steele, who is the former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland. Mr. Steele is an African-American who is also a very strong conservative and would, I believe, provide just what the party needs in the leadership for its future.

Michael Steele is young, energetic, and enthusiastic -- something that the GOP needs an immediate infusion of in the worst way. We badly need younger blood to replace the old, worn-out blood we've had for far too long. The Republican Party has got to break with the "stuffy old fogey in the gray flannel suit" image that it has been stuck with for years. That was okay for Reagan, considering his age and that he was set in his ways, but nowadays that image is woefully outdated. We've got to obtain a more youthful image which reflects the changing of the guard, generationally. The key to this is in running, appointing and electing younger, conservative Republican leaders.

Sarah Palin was a great start. She'll be back and I think will have a bright future in national politics for years to come. And there are others, like Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, the first Indian-descended candidate to be elected. Like Gov. Palin, he is young, intelligent, and a strong conservative. He will, I think, become a future superstar as well. There are more like them out there and the party has got to find them and persuade them to seek public office.

We Republicans have got to re-define ourselves and what it is to be a Republican. We have to take off the gray flannel suits and replace them with sport jackets worn over jeans. Let the public know that we aren't all 70-year-old Wall Street bankers, riding around in chauffuered limos; more of us than you think wear jeans, leather biker jackets, ride Harleys, and drive our own Camaros to work. We are blue collar, we are conservative Republicans, and we're coming after you liberals who want to destroy our country and way of life!!

If we can do that, then maybe we can take back our party and our nation in the future.