November 08, 2006
My Thoughts on a Republican/Conservative Rebound
The consensus that I'm hearing is that the Republicans truly deserved to lose and now we have a chance for new leadership. The question now becomes what type of leader are we looking for? I hear the 'need to be a more articulate conservative message' and 'need to move more towards the middle'. I believe there needs to be a bit of both. We need to become a party that is known as more than just pro-Iraq War, anti-gay and pro-life. Those WERE issues that could get out the vote but not anymore. People want more. Here's some issues and what we need to do:
Iraq War - I hate to admit it but it looks like Iraq was a mistake, but hindsight is 20/20. We need to become more flexible on our approach and unite. I honestly believe that many Democrats are only using this as a political issue but it is working. The public is against our current Iraq policy and we cannot win a war without public support. Things need to change as we continue to send American men and women into harm's way. There must be a path to victory and someone needs to find it fast.
War on Terror - We need to continue to be strong in our preventing terrorism. Nation building doesn't seem to be a thing that works unless the country truly indicates it wants to become a real democracy that values freedom for all. We need to go far and wide in search of terrorists and if a country gets in the way, too bad. Pakistan needs to let us go and get UBL. If they don't then we need to punish them and go get UBL anyway.
Leadership - This is a very important issue. While I have much admiration for George W. Bush he's not very good on the bully pulpit. Our congressional leadership has been poor with people like Hastert (nice but not good in public), Gingrich (got us there but couldn't really execute, very polarizing), Frist (did nothing), Lott (a joke), DeLay (he's the Hammer for a reason) have been a disaster. Change has been needed. We need folks in leadership that aren't easily stereotyped and are quick on their feet with the press. They also need to hold the Democrats who campaigned as moderates accountable and make them allies.
Spending - This is an absolute failure for Republicans. Bush hasn't vetoed any spending and the Republican congress became pork barrel addicts. The credibility of Republicans on this issue is shot and needs to be done. Bush can do something about this now and should.
Taxes - Keep advocating lowering taxes for everyone. James Webb proposed letting people write off college tuition. I say yes. Get a grip on spending again and keep pushing for lower and permanent tax cuts. We need to figure out how much the average American taxpayer will pay if the Bush tax cuts are not made permanent. Again, Bush can lead on this now.
Immigration - Work on common ground, keeping new illegals from coming into our country. This is a security issue. We should make sure that student Visas are enforced. The current 11-12 million illegals in this country are an issue that there isn't an easy solution for. Let's get the fences built and focus on keeping more illegals out.
Minimum Wage - This is a tough one as true fiscal conservatives don't like this. I'm one of them but it is a losing issue. We'll need to make sure to not fight this issue too hard. Sometimes we'll have to raise it and probably should take the lead and make a lower proposal than Nancy Pelosi will probably make. Again, a tough issue but is not an issue we can win on.
Environment - We need to get in the game on this issue. We've reacted to some of the crazy leftists by going to far to the other side. The public buys into global warming and is another issue we cannot win. I'm not sure about global warming myself but we can't just ignore it and say it doesn't exist. I know there are some scientists that don't buy into global warming but they are in the true minority. It's time that conservatives show up on this issue and bring real balance and common sense to these problems. Some of the silliness of protecting every flippin' wetland and other extreme stances need to be addressed but only if we have credibility with the public on the environment.
Abortion - We need to understand that we will not ever get abortion outlawed. We can work towards reducing abortion legally but also focusing on hearts. The public does not like abortion, especially late-term. It seems most folks still don't understand that abortions can and do occur very late in pregnancy. This is a winner for us and we need to focus on abortion issues that are winnable. I'm tired of the all or nothing pro-lifers who always threaten to keep their vote at home or vote for the candidate that won't ever win.
Gay Marriage - This is an issue that I do see us losing within the next 10 years. It's an issue worth discussing and trying to find better solutions. None of the gains made for gay marriage will be rolled back. It's an issue that we need to stay engaged in but I don't see this as a winning issue. There needs to be some common sense on this issue but I see less and less people actually caring about this issue which leads me to believe gay marriage will be allowed in the next decade.
Education - The teachers unions really own this issue and too many folks just automatically trust them. Most people will not even bother to know what goes on at school. Of course many conservatives have pulled their kids out of public school so don't really care about this issue. We need to be fully engaged in public education and need to use tax cuts for educational type incentives. It's time to forget about vouchers and just go for a tax deduction for any education expenses especially for teachers (they spend a lot of their own money) and parents who pay tuition or pay for extra education.
Faith - Faith is important to many people, not just conservatives. We need to not go to the 'God is on our side' as that is just stupid. Fighting over 10 Commandment displays in Alabama is a waste of energy. We need to focus on keeping freedom of religion both here and in the rest of the world.
Energy - Gasoline prices alone should have woken us up that alternatives are needed. We need to take the lead in this issue and get out the laundry list of alternatives and try them all. We cannot have the 'can't do' attitude. Frankly, I hate that we are such great allies with Saudi Arabia. It's a country that denies basic freedoms yet they are our buddies and it's mostly because of oil.
Government Ethics - We cannot tolerate any appearance of wrong doing. Our leadership turned its' head too many times the last 2-3 years and the cost is heavy. We need to act fast to punish wrong doers and make sure they aren't allowed to keep their positions. The issue of political spending by lobbyists is an issue ripe for the taking. Once someone leaves government they need to leave DC and go back home. It's an ugly and dirty game and Republicans need to take the lead and set an example.
Term Limits - The longer a person holds political office, the more likely they start dealing with ethical issues a little more loosely. I'd love to see term-limits brought back as an issue and for Republicans to voluntarily to submit to term limits; no more than 3 terms for the House and no more than 2 terms for the Senate. Nobody in the congress is so valuable that they need to stay forever. With voluntary term limits there can also be more opportunities for growth by newcomers.
24/7 - Bill Clinton was a pretty popular President because of the 24/7 campaign from his White House. It worked. The guy really didn't do much but was always seeming to be engaged. I don't believe he gives a rip about anybody but himself but most people thought he did care. The Bush WH needs to be in campaign mode all the time and have answers at the ready for any issue for a quick response.
Israel - The country of Israel is a true ally and is a great model for the rest of the Middle East to follow. That needs to be re-iterated but at the same time hold them accountable for human rights abuses. I know it's very hard for them as they are surrounded by enemies but we can't be a rubber stamp for everything they do.
Africa - The continent of Africa is being devastated by AIDS and poverty. Now an amazing opportunity exists to help Africa grow out of this problem. We must honor and respect the various countries in Africa but offer help. We should take the lead in helping Africa get back on her feet.
Defense - The Democratic leadership do not have a track record on defense worth defending. Republicans do but the ideas of transformation need to be continued, despite losing Rummy. I'm concerned that there will be post-Iraq issues with the military and we need to lead to make sure our military keeps the high level of performance that it currently does.
Entitlements - Social Security and Medicare are a mess. Leadership is needed here to make sure those programs are strong. Look fellow conservatives, these are reality and we need to make sure not do get wrapped up in idealism.
In summary I'm fairly optimistic that some new approaches can make the Republican party back on track. The face of the Republican party is up in the air right now. Personally, I'm glad George Allen won't be a factor for President. He just seemed like a typical dull senator that might do well on issue but not be very inspirational. Someone named 'Mitt' will not win. Sorry, but yes, America can be that shallow. Some of the true blue conservatives aren't known and don't have a track record. My view is that there are only 2 Republican candidates for 2008 that can win and they are Rudy Giuliani and John McCain. Both come with some flaws but I'm a single issue voter: winning. They've got name recognition and stories worth telling. We know Hillary will be the nominee and it's going to take a star to win this one. Again only Rudy and McCain have that appeal. If Arnold could be President then I'd support him also. We need to get ready to support a winner (warts and all) or we will have President Hillary.
I reserve the right to keep updating this entry as I think of more topics.
Posted by Tim at November 8, 2006 11:32 PM
Greetings,
I came across your post while trying to determine the fate of Dennis Hastert. Although I am an independent, historically leaning towards the left, your candid and thoughtful assessment of the issues makes me think there is a big potential for common ground and compromise across the polical spectrum, to move our country forward.
I believe that the country does not benefit from extreme polarization, or win-at-any-cost strategies, and I think this election indicates the center finding its voice again.
I recall when Bush said he would be a "uniter, not a divider" and that he would not engage in nation building. Well, clearly, that's not quite what has come to pass, and I think we should take a hard look at why this is the case.
During this time, I have also wondered why conservatives, for so long, have put up with tax cuts on one hand and run-away spending and deficits on the other. I think it's really not very fair to label Democrats as "tax and spend" and not label Republicans as "tax less and spend even more wrecklessly."
I am particularly happy to read your comments about faith, as the issue seems to be frequently used by the right wing as if they think they have a monopoly on it. The thing that makes this country great is the freedom to practice the faith of your choice, even if that be no faith at all, and not have the government enter the picture. I sometimes wonder what evangelicals would think if the US became a majority of muslims or buddhists and they started inscribing the teachings of the Koran in courthouses, etc.
I hope this election helps balance out the political scene and causes everyone concerned to think what is best for the country and seek sober, common ground.
Nice write-up Tim. My perspective:
The dominant issue of our time is overcrowding. People generally do not discuss overcrowding for fear of being seen as petty or unfriendly. Furthermore, the media and government conceal the misery by only discussing topics using sanitized terms like "growth" and "economic development".
In San Diego our quality of life has been in a free-fall. Long lines, abominable traffic congestion, poor customer service, etc., have people hiding in their homes on sunny weekends and constantly plotting avoidance tactics & end-runs. They could film a Soylent Green remake here, but they'd have to remove people to make it believable.
I wonder if anyone's keeping track of the health problems related to the overcrowding - spread of diseases, stress-related ailments, exercise time lost to commuting time, etc?
The bad news is that inevitably Republicans will get the blame for it. Ask yourself:
1) Who benefits from overcrowding?
2) Who is the most immune to overcrowding?
3) Why do we really need MORE people in this country?
Once the amnesty bill passes, the addition of 15 million immigrants and the follow-on 70-100 million (who will exploit the precedent of rewarding illegal crossing), will cause other parts of the country to crowd up. Then what?
