The only surprise about the giant Republican victory is why it didn’t happen sooner. Why did President Obama even win reelection in 2012?
Clearly, the American people got tired of seeing American weakness internationally and the rise of monsters like ISIS as a direct result of American foreign policy mismanagement. No doubt they also tired of seeing rising taxes, businesses punished with more red tape, and the promises of an economic recovery which is still not being felt by the consumer.
That President Obama is weak on foreign policy and whose main outlook is “Don’t do stupid stuff” has been evident for many years. So why the big loss only now?
Simple.
The Republicans in the last election came across as the insane party, filled with religious extremists who believe that women should not be allowed an abortion even in cases of rape and incest. They were the party that obsessed over female reproduction, contraception, and gay marriage, even as the country went to hell in a hand basket. So however sound their foreign and economic policy, America was not going to vote for insane people.
When I ran for Congress two years ago it was mostly on a policy of America needing a new set of social values. In place of abortion, gay marriage, and contraception we should be discussing family dinners, a year of national service, and school choice.
No, America did not discuss new values sufficiently in this election cycle. But at the very least we did not obsess over the trifecta of gay marriage, abortion, and contraception. And therein lies the secret of the Republican victory. If you present the country with a better alternative and you do come across as religious extremists, you’re going to win.
President Obama should take this all to heart. He was a President who started with such great promise and now he’s been clobbered at the polls.
What should he do differently?
First and foremost, he has to fix the broken American foreign policy. Get tough with Putin. Show him he can’t run roughshod over other countries. Punish bullies and stop their bullying.
Stand up tall and strong for Israel. Show you care about freedom and democracy in the Middle East. Stop supporting Israel on the one hand, only to constantly criticize it for defending itself, on the other.
Get tough with dictators who are destroying their nation’s democracies, like Erdogan of Turkey.
Strike harder against terrorists and enlist greater international support in a coalition to destroy ISIS, Boko Haram, and Hamas.
Lower taxes and incentivize business. Let people keep more of their money and inspire them, with more money in their pockets, to invest more heavily in America and to give more charity.
Most of all, stop blaming other people for your failure. It’s unseemly and will get nothing done.
I still hope President Obama succeeds as President because America can’t wait two years for leadership. To do so, he’ll have to shift away from any of his policies, work with Republicans, and live up to his potential and promise.
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, “America’s Rabbi,” is the international best-selling author of Kosher Sex and The Kosher Sutra. He has just published Kosher Lust: Love is Not the Answer. Follow him on Twitter @RabbiShmuley.