We knew it was coming. The Monday morning quarterbacking started early Wednesday morning after the election. Today, I’ve decided to take a few snaps from center, so I plead guilty to what is written below.

By most accounts, the Republicans, the GOP, and the Conservatives – whatever they are calling themselves got their butts kicked by the Democrats, the Liberals, and the Progressives, who can call themselves winners in 2008.

Calm down my friends. As Hannity says, “Let not your heart be troubled.” Of course, Hannity has a job for the next few years bashing the liberals, so it’s all good for him – he was not voted out of office.

Here in Montana, the final nail in the coffin happened yesterday when Secretary of State Brad Johnson was defeated by Linda McCulloch by about 4400 votes. Speaking of nails in coffins, I believe the first nail was hammered when Bob Kelleher ran as a Republican and the party faithful did not disown him very much until he won the primary, which was too late. They thought he would never win the primary. His opponent, Max Baucus, had 11 million dollars to spend on his friends. PARTY!

I believe the second nail was the voter challenges that backfired when the GOP only challenged voters in Democratic-leaning counties. The Democrats flipped the table on this and paraded military members and college students out in front of the media and cried voter suppression. It worked.

Still another misfire that I believed hurt the GOP cause was not having McCain or Palin swing through Montana for one brief stop for one brief hour or so to rally the faithful and help the candidates down the ballot. Sure McCain won Montana, but I believe a short stop could have helped other GOP candidates. Heck, even Todd, the first dude, might have helped.

One of my friends called me late yesterday and said, “Every freaking state-wide seat in Montana was won by the Democrats, except Rehberg’s. What the heck is up with that?”

My response was, “Calm down. Go hunting. Take a walk. Watch some TV and see what’s on besides Hannity and Colmes and O’Reilly. We need you ready for 2010.” People like my friend need a little re-programming.

I also read some remarks from a disgruntled right-winger who had commented on a blog or in the comment section of a newspaper saying something like everyone working for the National and State GOP should submit their resignations by the end of the week. I think that was the same one that listed the results, which showed something like the GOP was zero for five in state government races, one for three on the Public Service Commission races and 50/50 (maybe) in the Montana House. Then there’s losing the White House, losing seats in the U.S. Senate and several in the U.S. House. It’s enough for some folks to start drinking from their half-full glass.

But, for the folks who want their glasses to be half-full, here’s the good news: Montana’s U.S. House seat is still in GOP hands, and the GOP gained three seats in the state senate.

These results are not exactly a résumé builder.

Unfortunately, there’s no mercy rule in politics. You can’t tap out. In 2006 and more recently in 2008, the Democrats were better at grinding their opponents into the ground, then kicking them again and again. That’s not to say that the Republicans did not offer a fine slate of candidates – they did. I voted for most of them, did some consulting for a couple, and wrote letters to the editor for some others.

Fortunately, these things have a way of working out. In a few years the tide will turn. History proves that. So my conservative friends, lick your wounds, find out what worked and make it better. Find out what did not work and find a better way. Bring in new people with new ideas and get rid of the dead weight. Open the tent flaps a little more, because there’s another major election in two years.