Roberts Blames GOP Communication for Blue Wave, Calls Thune ‘Feckless’

OXON HILL, Md. – Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said Republicans share significant blame for heavy midterm losses, specifically referencing “the feckless [Senate Majority Leader] John Thune.” 

“There was a massive gap in communication between the policymakers of the party in power and the American people,” Roberts said Tuesday at The Forum, a Heritage event just outside Washington, D.C. “We zealously, zealously, have to close that communication line.” 

He noted that Democrat midterm gains did not mean that voters rejected conservatism.

“While they [Republicans] did certain things and didn’t do other things, they didn’t do exactly what they told the American people they would do and the messaging stunk,” Roberts said. “So, the American people said, we’re going to throw some of you out. We’re not necessarily throwing out the ideas. We’re not necessarily growing out the MAGA movement, sorry for members of the media. It is not dead.” 

Democrats hold a 254-168 House majority after flipping at least 43 seats, and the party also picked up at least seven Senate seats with two more Democrat candidates holding leads in Alaska and Mississippi. 

Thune, of South Dakota, was reelected as the Senate GOP leader Tuesday despite dissatisfaction among some Republicans and members of the conservative movement following the midterm election results. 

“Let me say for a moment where we shouldn’t go, and the reelection of the feckless John Thune forces me to say this morning: We should not go down the path of watered down conservatism,” Roberts said. “And second, to everyone in this town, or that town, every elected official, every Cabinet member, every member of the House, every member of the Senate, every governor, let me just say really plainly: hell no to amnesty.” 

Roberts, a former president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, noted that the losses in Texas were “the gravest example.” The long-Republican-dominated state was swept by Democrats last week in most statewide races, including the governor’s race and U.S. Senate race. 

Roberts said it’s “politics 101” that the party in power loses in midterms. However, he said this year’s election results revealed more than that.

Labeling opponents is not enough; conservatives need to explain why Americans should reject them, Roberts noted. 

“One of the lessons we learned from this election, with all due respect to these people and their offices, is that it’s not enough for those of us on the right just to say they’re Marxists or they part of the Red Green Alliance. Or they’re socialists,” Roberts said. “We have to explain to the American people why that is bad for them.” 

“Our customers are not elected officials. They are vehicles for getting our customers’ beliefs done,” Roberts said. “Our customers are the American people, and we need to take that as one of the great lessons of this election.” 

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