By Gregory M. Thayer, MBA

There is an important lesson Republicans must learn from the recent election results, both here in Vermont and at the national level: Democrats did not necessarily win because they offered better ideas, better policies, or a better vision for the future. Republicans lost because they failed to communicate their message, failed to sell their ideas, and failed to earn the trust of the voters.

Politics is about more than having the right answers. It is about earning voter trust through making sure voters hear those answers, understand them, and believe that you have a plan to improve their lives.

Vermont Republicans had an opportunity handed to them. What did they do with it?

For more than thirty years, Democrat-Progressive leadership has controlled the Vermont Legislature. During that time, Vermonters have watched affordability deteriorate, taxes increase, healthcare become increasingly expensive, housing become less attainable, childcare costs climb, and school budgets grow beyond what many families and taxpayers cannot afford.

We face serious questions about public education spending and student outcomes, unfunded state employee retirement pension obligations, rising grocery bills, energy costs, and an overall business climate that makes it increasingly difficult for working families and employers to survive.

Republicans had an enormous opportunity to make these issues the center of their campaign. Vermonters were looking for answers, accountability, and a different direction. We Republicans failed them.

The Vermont Senate Republicans came out early with a promising initiative called the “Vermont Promise.” It was a good starting point. It offered an opportunity to communicate a Republican vision and demonstrate how common-sense leadership could change the direction of our state.

But then what happened?

The Vermont Promise was reposted repeatedly on social media, circulated within Republican circles, and discussed among those already paying attention to Republican politics. But how many Vermonters outside those circles actually saw it? How many read it? How many understood what it meant for their household budgets, their children’s education, their property taxes, or their future?

A political plan is only as good as its ability to reach the people it is intended to serve.

Other than a weekly letter, what sustained statewide effort did the Republican Party undertake to sell this message? Where was the organized public outreach? Where were the television appearances, community meetings, radio discussions, newspaper advertisements, and direct conversations with voters outside our Republican circles.

You cannot expect voters to support a plan they never hear about.

A handful of Republican influencers cannot carry an entire political party.

There were a handful of Republican thinkers, including myself, who became the voices and influencers in the Vermont political conversation.

I produced public-access television programs around the state, wrote numerous opinion pieces, and shared commentary through various platforms, including the Vermont Daily Chronicle, the Rutland Herald, Front Porch Forum, and other Vermont newspapers and online publications. Also Guy Page’s Vermont Daily Chronicle, Dave Soulia’s FYIVT, 802 Snoops, and some others and GOP County pages play right thinking information to get ideas and arguments in front of the public.

I did this because I love Vermont, that I am highly concerned about our future and I believe Vermonters deserve a different conversation about their government and their future.

But individual efforts cannot replace a coordinated statewide communications strategy. Republicans need an organized team, a consistent message, and the resources to reach voters in every county, every town, and every community. The Message Matter and so does disseminating to “We The People. “

The national Republican Party has its own accountability issues and no message.

At the national level, there is plenty of blame to go around, to President Trump, Republican congressional leadership, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune must all recognize that voters expect results at the Congressional level, they wanted action, leadership, and communication.

The war involving Iran, the continuing Russia-Ukraine war, the economic challenges inherited from the Biden administration, and persistent high prices at the gas pumps and grocery stores all contributed to the political environment.

Americans are still concerned about affordability. They want lower costs, economic opportunity, secure borders, energy independence, and a government that works for them. Our last crude-oil refinery was built in 1977, Governor Newsome closed two refineries recently, and a third in northern CA is set to go off line in 2030. That is devastating to gas and fuel prices.

Republicans cannot simply point backward and blame the previous administration. They must explain what they are doing today, what results they are achieving, what obstacles remain, and how their policies will improve the lives of ordinary Americans.

When energy policies, refinery capacity, domestic oil production, and regulatory decisions affect gasoline prices, Republicans need to explain those connections clearly. Higher transportation and energy costs eventually affect groceries, manufacturing, and nearly every part of the consumer marketplace.

The message matters. Leadership matters. And accountability matters.

Republicans must learn to communicate before they ask for another vote.

Going forward, Republicans need to stop assuming that voters understand their positions. They need to stop preaching to their own choir and start talking to everyone else. We must go in to uncomfortable spaces and share our just message with all the people, not just like-thinkers.

That means communicating in plain English, presenting specific solutions, explaining the financial consequences of government decisions, and showing taxpayers exactly how Republican policies will make their lives more affordable, with honest transparency.

It also means listening. Voters are not simply looking for political slogans. They want people who understand their frustrations and can demonstrate the ability to govern responsibly.

Finally, voters themselves have an enormous responsibility. “We the People” must become better informed before entering the voting booth. Read the proposals. Examine the candidates. Understand the consequences of the policies being promoted. Do not vote simply because of a party label, a television commercial, or a social media headline, or an incumbent just because.  Our constitutional republic depends on an informed electorate..

Republicans have an opportunity to rebuild trust, but that begins with some honest self-examination. Having good ideas is not enough. Having a good platform is not enough. Having a handful of dedicated voices is not enough.

You must communicate your message, sell your vision, earn the people’s trust, and deliver results.

Democrats did not win because their policies were better. Republicans lost because too many voters never heard a compelling reason to choose them.  That must change.

The next election will not be won by simply pointing out what Democrats did wrong. It will be won by demonstrating what Republicans can do right for working Vermonters.

“We The People” deserve better leadership, better communication, and a government that works for the people — not the political establishment.