Posted by
Bryan Beersworth on Saturday, February 23, 2008 5:56:15 PM
All the talk about change in this election has come from senators, running for president, who rarely get out of the Beltway, except when campainging. What change? They propose zero change and they throw the word around in thrilling crescendoes and the masses melt at its very mention. Change, their change is more of the same, and as Louis Armstrong would say, "If you keep on doing what your doing, you keep on getting what your getting" There is a need for change, but that change must come from what again is the minority party. The GOP needs to take a good long look at what we have become and how we need to change, or we will become a permanent minority, begging for scraps at the banquet table of the Democrats.
The last time the Republican party faced an indenity crisis like this is when Jimmy Carter defeated President Ford. Thanks to the mess Nixon left the party in, it wasn't a suprise that a good, honest, hard-working politician like Ford was defeated. We suffered for four years and then Ronald Reagan came riding in on his white horse to save the party. Our present problem is there is no Ronald Reagan on the horizon, ready to sweep down and resucue the party from itself. The Bush legacy has left the party in as much disarray as Nixon's. There is no compass, no idenity, and the soon-to-be nomination of John McCain just might be the straw that breaks the Rebulican party's back, as they sink into an abyss as deep as any we experienced during the 40 years of uninterrupted Democratic control of both houses of Congress. We have lost our ideals, values and core idenity. We were corrupted by power and felt our stuff did not stink. We became just like them (Democrats) and the lines are so blurred I can't tell who the most conservtive candidate is, Obama, Hilliary, or McCain.
Our conservative radio talk show hosts are asking, "What would Reagan do?" in an effort to get us back on track. Let me apologize to the Gipper up front, we do not need to ask what he would do, we need to take more drastic action and ask, "What would Goldwater do?
This is the elixir our party needs to become relevant again, this is the elixir we need to matter, this is the elixir we need to truly make a difference and capture the hearts and minds of the American people. What is this Goldwater nostrum? The three-prong advance of the following ideals and commitment to a government that truly governs least is the only way to save the Grand Old Party. Our party needs to re-oraganize itself under the following themes:
- Fiscal Policy: Tax less, spend less, and reduce the size of the federal government. Get rid of earmarks! Eliminate the Department of Education, the Department of Homeland Security (Does anyone feel more secure since its creation?); eliminate HUD; trash No Child Left Behind; eliminate the Department of Energy (Been to the gas staion lately?); reduce the federal workforce by freezing hiring and letting bureaucratic positions disappear through attrition (time to stop the gourging at the public trough); implement a FairTax, or flat tax system and dump the IRS; end corporate welfare; end agricultural subsidies; privatize social security; balance the budget; eliminate all death taxes; eliminate the capital gains tax; use the line item veto and let the chips fall where they may. In addition, end the ineffective and costly "War on Drugs" (It's about as effective as prohibition and LBJ's War on Poverty!) thus taking violence out of the loop, freeing up prison cells for violent criminals (Do we put alcoholics in jail if they posses a bottle of Thunderbird?), and use this savings to beef up boarder security.
- Social Issues: It's simple, let the states decide (States' rights, what a concept!). End federal funding of abortions. Let the states decide on abortion, gay marrige and civil unions, the right to die, medical marijuana, and all the rest. Why do we constantly complain about the Democrats creating a "Nanny State," yet we insist on legislating morals and values? We need to cut our ties to the religious right. Listen to these words from Goldwater, "The rights we have under the Constitution cover anything we want to do as long as it's not harmful...Free people have a right to do as they damn well please...I can't see any way in the world that being gay can damage someone else...The Republican party should stand for freedom, and only freedom." We are not the party of God (Whose God would that be by the way?). We are the party of freedom and we should stand for seperation of church and state and fight for the freedom to worship any faith we choose, as well as the freedom not to worship. We need to get the federal government out of our lives!
- National Security and Foreign Policy: Secure our boarders now without amnesty, we can deal with illegals after we tighten up our immigration policies. Complete the succesful surge strategy in Iraq, stablize the country, and then turn it over to their government and their U.S. trained military and police force. Let this be our last attempt at nation building. Strengthen our military and national defense without increasing spending. How? Bring our sons and daughters home from places they are truly not needed any longer. We need to get out of Western Europe and Korea. Let the Japanese and the so called advance european democracies defend themselves (Why should we bear the cost of their security?). Remain a close ally of Israel. Strenthen the CIA and put more operatives on the gound. If we really want to get serious in this war on terror; having accurate intelligence is a must. Develop a strong, mobile anti-terrorist force that can implement quick and decisive stikes against terrorist cells, training camps, safe-havens, and strongholds. Let every country know that if they enable the Islamic Facists then we will pay them a short visit, and when we come, "hell is coming with us!" We need to send a strong message to these folks, if you kill us then we will kill you back.
That's all. It's that simple, but who has the courage to shake up the party and get it back on track again? Pehaps true conservatives, Goldwater conservatives (like me) should look elsewhere for a home (The Libertarian party perhaps?) if our party's tent is not big enough to include us. I fully expect the wrath of all the "dittoheads," and those that have been "Hannitized," to come my way. Please do. Bring it on!