Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Time For the Republican Party to Get Back to Basics

The Republican Party since its birth in the 1850s has traditionally stood in some way or another for rights. At that point its rights platform emphasized the right to not be owned just because of your skin color. The Grand Old Party has always been at its best and truest when arguing a positive platform of the right of each individual to enjoy what was promised by the Declaration of Independence and enshrined by the Constitution.

Constitution? Declaration of Independence? Even now that they are terrorist manifestos, they ought to be easy sells to the American people in the upcoming elections right?

The art of selling (and it is an art despite pollsters trying to turn it into a science) requires focus. Right now the Republican Party lacks cohesive focus. Remember when we stormed back in 1994? We had a strong and deep vision that was well articulated. It was based upon the political values and economic principles that have always been Republican strong suits.

We believe in the right of individuals to choose within the law except when those choices result in direct bodily harm to another individual.

We believe that America must retain a strong role in world affairs because we realize if we do not, more unpalatable nations will rise to the fore.

We believe that when the government is knee deep in the private sector instead of an impartial referee, it leads to favoritism and corruption. The Credit Mobilier scandal of the 1870s sprang from direct government involvement in railroads. Lots of politicians stuck their hands into that cookie jar, including future President James Garfield.

Obama is gutting the Constitution and is a real threat to our natural rights. We need to focus our message on a positive alternative vision. Right now we are simply reacting and muddying the water with other issues.

Social conservatives will argue with this, but it is time to jettison gay marriage as a major issue. This is my own opinion, not Gary Howell's. This issue contradicts our general stands on limited government and individual choice. Now on the issue of extending sexual education into elementary school with the idea of teaching children in ways that contradict parental prerogatives, that is an issue of rights where Republicans stand on firm ideological ground. Honestly what are we going to do if gays want to call themselves married? Put shock collars on them? The private sector already recognizes these relationships for insurance and other purposes. This issue muddies the waters and drives away to the Democrats many victims of Obama's stealing, I mean, tax policies.

Abortion, on the other hand, is an issue we need to continue to fight. It is a human rights issue. Children have the right to live, regardless. When the Declaration of Independence says that every person has the right to life, it gets no plainer than that. That is why this is not only a social conservative issue and should not be fought as one. We can even take this one into traditionally Democratic territory. One in three babies aborted is black. That is an astounding statistic. It should be better publicized by the Republican Party.

It's very simple. We only need to get back to the ideals upon which this country was founded. We separated from Britain for economic and individual freedom. We made those ideals our law. They are based upon the right to choose. If we stand by these two founding documents and fight on issues that flow directly from them, we are always strong.

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