I largely held my tongue about the state of things in the Republican Party (GOP) as a whole since the disappointing and unsatisfactory November election results, where the expected “Red Wave” looked more like spilled milk, out of deference to the Georgia US Senate runoff.

No changes in leadership were going to happen between November 8th and the December 6th runoff so there was little point in an uncomfortable reexamination then that is absolutely necessary now.

But that’s over at this point and the GOP managed to actually lose a Senate seat rather than break the 50-50 deadlock meaning nothing of much substance will reach the Resolute desk in the Oval Office, which is a boon to President Joe Biden as Chuck Schumer can kill legislation under a cloak of Senatorial procedural darkness without the president having to get his hands stained with ink from a veto stamp.

There’s a lot to unpack. Here’s a start-

1) Voters need to make choices for themselves in the primary and not let another politician do it for them – and vote smart.  A number of weak candidates were nominated based upon their perceived agreeability and not their electability.  You can do a lot more from the Senate floor than the Senate visitor’s gallery or on a news show. Republicans need to nominate not just winners but people who are worthy of their support.

2) RNC leadership and state GOP leadership across the country are dysfunctional. I heard it from candidates across the country that if the preferred candidate of the state GOP wasn’t nominated then the standard bearer received little support.  This is completely unacceptable.

3) The next RNC chair needs to be able to effectively deal with the powers that be.  This includes Trump, McConnell, and others, and he or she must do so forcefully and not be afraid of feeling repercussions for defending and advancing the party’s interests.  Trump wants candidates that are not always ideal- the next RNC chair needs to be able to tell him that, even if that means being tossed out of Mar a Lago.  It seemed that there were multiple Republican forces in play and not in concert as it became a game of obsequious favorites instead of Republican candidates..

4) The second Dems start Super PAC-ing in our primaries, they need to be called out.  Even if this upsets friends. The Democrats played in our primaries (once again) and got the nominees they wanted to face.  We need to quit accommodating them.

5) Leadership must be more prepared to lose their office before losing an election. Too many occupiers of party positions see their office as an end for themselves and not a means to help others.  This selfish attitude has enabled the nomination of truly bad candidates.  If doing the right thing leads to losing your position then be prepared to lose it.  You’re there to do a job, not have a job.

6) First-time candidates need to be rigorously background checked and their liabilities considered early on in the process.  Herschel Walker fought hard but was simply caught off guard with numerous allegations.  Why there was no diligence on our part before the train left the station was political malpractice.

7) The party needs to crack down on those voices inside the GOP undermining our candidates once they’re nominated.  I watched a CNN interview with the outgoing REPUBLICAN lieutenant governor of Georgia who used his time to  eviscerate Walker hours before the election. What was the point of that?

Elections have consequences far beyond losing out on invitations to the White House Easter Egg Roll or Christmas parties at Mar a Lago.

There’s no way anyone in charge of the national Republican campaign operation should be permitted to continue in the same capacity. And a blue ribbon committee to shift responsibility off of those who should be held accountable is more cover-up than solution.

Urgency ought to translate into change and not retention of the status quo. If not, the party will lack credibility when it seeks donations in the future.