Building The Grand New Party
Here is a simple strategy for the Republican Party to use in order to reinvent and reinvigorate themselves following the “Blue State Sweep” of 2008. The GOP should focus on the following five pillars:
1. Be the party of the Constitution: Uphold the principles of government and citizens’ rights spelled out in what is at the center of the most successful democracy in history. Whether it be Freedom of the Press, Freedom of Religious Expression, the Right to Bear Arms, or the checks and balances of government, the Republican party should be steadfast cheerleaders of this fundamental core of the United States. Also, boning up on the Federalist Papers wouldn’t hurt.
2. Be the party of Pragmatism: As a Democrat-controlled Executive Branch and Legislature push through pet project after pet project, the Republicans can reinvent themselves as the party of pragmatic, goal-oriented, fact based solutions to problems, in contrast to whatever liberal idealism may arise from the current climate. Intellectual pragmatism can be applied to both domestic and foreign policy. Economic solutions, instead of legislative, can be found to political problems.
3. Be the party of Minimalist Government: less is more.
4. Be the party of Economic Liberty: aka the Free Market, aka Capitalism. Due to anti-capitalist promotion following the current economic downturn, classically economic liberals are on the defensive. The truth is, capitalism is the best economic system ever invented by mankind. It is also, for the most part, a self-correcting system. Reforms should be favored above government entanglement in the private sector. There are many scapegoats for the current mess, but the record shows many Republicans calling, unsuccessfully, for reforms of Freddie and Fannie, etc.
5. Be the party of Social Conservatism: the majority of the American people remain socially conservative on a number of issues. Social conservatives turned out in droves in 2004 to support many ‘Family Values’ measures. As Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs tells us, food, safety and shelter will always be prioritized over ideological values. If socially conservative voters lose their jobs and face eviction from their homes, they will vote for whoever seems most capable of offering them a way out. Social conservatism alone will not win an election.
- Hamilton
FedLocally Blog
P.S. Be careful when serving barbeque. These boys are from the Carolinas and will spit out anything not Vinegar based!!!
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1 comment:
i concur with your list and find it basic republican 101. to me the republican party is all about legislation and i find that many ‘conservative’ family values or moralities just dont come up for a vote very often ..... but factors which pertain to our economy do frequently.
this first decade of this new century has been full of money gobbling monsters. we were forewarned both about ubl and the housing lending situation but like the weather man saying watch out citizens didnt take heed until the tornado blew our roofs off.
liberals passed lots of legislation in 2007/08 without discussion and in 2006 they blocked most republican attempts at anything – you are correct life may be bleak until a strong republican comeback in 2010....
....until then voicing pragmatism is prudent in both our own lives and in our expectations of government.
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