It was yet another awful year for Republicans in Washington State.

The GOP failed to take the State House and Senate.

It lost every single State Executive Office except for Secretary of State and that office was barely won by a candidate who was widely endorsed by well known Democrats.

I have to wonder if Republicans in our state will ever figure out the way to win?

It seems simple enough to me:

The people of the State of Washington are fiscally conservative. This was proven by the overwhelming approval of the latest tax limiting initiative. The GOP is the fiscally conservative party; it can win on that issue and win big.

The people of the State of Washington are socially liberal. This was proven by the passage of marijuana legalization and the affirmation of gay marriage. The GOP looses big on social issues because it does not reflect the belief systems of the voters.

In a nutshell, the people of our state want to be left the hell alone by government. They want to keep the money they work hard to earn and they don't want government dictating their behavior within the privacy of their own homes. In a word, they want liberty.

The GOP has a long tradition of limiting government. A tradition that was lost when the socially conservative minority took control of the party. To win Republicans need to get rid of that minority, become again a 'big tent' party, and return to its limited government roots. Government limited both fiscally and socially. If it does so, Republicans will be in a position to win again in Washington.