My deepest condolences on your recent loss. It was a monumental loss (president, house and senate) and I’m sorry you had to go through that.

In the next few days and weeks, there will be much hand-wringing and introspection. Probably even some sniping and finger-pointing. I pray that through it all you will be able to stop, work your way through the grief and finally face the truth. You lost and you deserved it.

Here is some quick advice to help you avoid some of the navel-gazing. If you think your loss was due to the economy, John McCain as candidate, talk radio, Sarah Palin, liberals, George W. Bush, the Iraq War, ACORN, Dick Cheney, Al Qaeda, MoveOn.org, the Talaban or high gas prices, you’re wrong. Those were parts of the puzzle, but none of them is why you lost. You lost because Barack Obama knew what Reagan knew and what Kennedy knew: You must offer people something to hope for and something to aspire to. Not something to vote against.

You’ve lost touch with your core values. You’ve disconnected from your roots. You’ve used Ronald Reagan as a magic incantation for winning rather than as a role model and lesson on how to win. You sold your soul for 30 pieces of silver and 10 years of power. And now you reap what you have sown.

Quit looking back. Look forward, return to your core values and find your voice again. Or don’t… and fade away.

If you wish to discuss further, have your people call my people and we’ll do lunch.

Best wishes,
A Startup Guy

P.S. John McCain, in your moment of defeat you were a class act and I applaud you.