Nov 12, 2012 3 min read

The morning after Election Day, I received the following email from an old Republican friend of 47 years:

“Yesterday was a big blow. After $6 billion of spending on the election … nothing changed. Record and results meant nothing. Debt was deemed OK. Transfer payments/redistribution of wealth was validated. Believing our children will have even more opportunity than we had went by the boards.

But … Americans are a strong lot and we will eventually correct the headlong race to the left. No country in the history of civilization has ever taxed its way to prosperity. Math will triumph over myth. Untruths will be exposed, but probably not by the press or college professors.”

I responded:

“Buck Up. The American people have spoken.”

I continued, “I feel that Obama did not win, but Romney and the Republicans lost. What is our party going to do about it? Moan and groan, be obstructionists, fight, or change the party from within to make us more relevant to the American people.

I saw yesterday from a different position than you or I ever have. I spent 14 hours working in a voting precinct; it was a very long day. I personally checked in almost 800 potential voters. 150 of those in line were in the wrong precinct. Theirs was through the other door in the fire hall. The other workers said the other 600-plus was a record. I still have not recovered, but I am exhilarated by what I saw.

The voters were not Hispanic nor were they African American. We had quite a few older people and they were vocally supportive of ID cards. … Young people were not vocal but had their ID. Everyone had them at the ready.

The number of young people voting caused my exhilaration. That fact should be good for the future; however, many in our party believe they should curtail their voting until they understand the issues. One way to do that is to make it more difficult for them to vote. Many young people showed their voter registration and if they appeared in ‘The Book’ they were good to go. I made a few mistakes, particularly late in the day that may have affected a couple of votes. For that, I am sorry. I am sure that the fellow interviewed by Gretchen Carlson on “Fox and Friends” this morning would accuse me of a voting infraction. He probably never volunteered for a job like this while writing his book.

A party of old white men will implode. Women, young people, Latinos and others will grow a party.

Cheer up! You will survive to fight another day.”

Guy Tucci

East Washington