The Election...

Everyone except me has weighed in on election results. Now it's my turn.

1.The Candidate: Never mind that Romney was eminently qualified. He lacked charisma. He lacked Hollywood appeal (whatever that is). Way back in 1964, I observed a local election in which one candidate was a lawyer, more than adequately qualified. But he was a funny-looking guy. Unusual facial structure, parted his hair in the middle and wore a mustache.

A friend predicted that this guy could not be elected because people will not vote for someone who parts their hair in the middle or wears a mustache. This candidate did both.

My friend was correct as to results of the vote, though not exactly right on the reason. The hair part and mustache were starters. In all, this guy was just, well, funny looking. Romney certainly looked okay but, no matter, folks just didn't really like him.

2. Voting blocks: Romney lost the Hispanic vote (in spite of a broken promise on immigration reform); black Americans (in spite of same-sex marriage); Jews (in spite of Obama's sorry treatment of Israel); Catholics (in spite of the contraception brouhaha.

I remember when folks spoke of "The Solid South". Solid Democrat, that is. But Republicans came to understand the issues important to the south, addressed those issues, and became inclusive. The South is still solid, but now it is solid GOP. The GOP can, and must, show other groups that they are the party most likely to solve their problems.

The Democrats have treated black Americans shoddily for decades. Jim Crow, etc. But, certain Democrat candidates sold black Americans on the idea that they were the ones responsible for civil rights successes. The idea caught on and has passed from generation to generation. It is accepted as fact in the black community - no questions asked.

Same goes for Hispanics. History has proven that Democrats always have and shall continue to have disdain for Hispanics. But they convinced Hispanics that they were their party. I had one Hispanic friend who owned several small businesses. The Democrat's policies were clearly counter to this friend's business interests. Yet he often said "My father would turn over in his grave if I ever voted for a Republican." And he never did.

I have partnered in business with Jews who were dear friends, smart people, good businessmen - but solidly Democrat. The reason? Henry Ford was once associated with a openly anti-Semitic newspaper. So bitter were my colleagues that they refused to drive any automobile produced by Ford Motor Company. Henry Ford has been dead for 65 years!

The bottom line? A national primary might nominate a candidate people like, regardless of qualifications. No more of this "He won Florida." She won Ohio."

Then, instead of a dozen candidates fighting through a long, bitter primary campaign which included a dozen debates, the GOP could concentrate on listening to the disparate voting groups, learning to understand their concerns, finding ways to honestly address those concerns, then selling the groups that they will do so.