As a Protestant Christian, I would often times flare up in resentment when my liberal friends lambasted Christian Conservatives as the bane of the Republican Party and America itself. Although I still believe these people to be wrong, I firmly believe that the Republican party will not move forward unless it accounts for the viewpoints of these Americans.
The Democratic party has skillfully won back the support of the populace over the lest three to four years. This has been due to their willingness to compromise. A 2006 Newsweek article identified politicians who were campaigning for Senate seats on platforms that are not seen as typically liberal. And because they have won over the majorities in the Senate and House, they are now able to take the country in a more leftist direction.
While I would never suggest that the Republican Party compromise its values, I do think that in making political gains in the next two to four years, it must not only rally its base, it must EXPAND the base. There are many millions of voters who, while identifying themselves as generally fiscally conservative, simply cannot reconcile their social beliefs with the majority of the Republican Party. These millions were crucial in handing General Election victory to Barack Obama over John McCain last fall.
Too many people (including myself) identify themselves as conservative but not Republicans. If Republicans are to win elections, they have to tackle this growing portion of the electorate. To resolve this problem, I think that the Republican Party needs to take a more pragmatic approach than it has in the last few years. For example, the legality Civil Unions between same-sex couples should be left up to the states. Why? The Republican Party then does not alienate social libertarians, but because it still propagates Federalism at its purest (at least on this issue) it appeals to true conservatives. Suddenly, two formerly alienated groups are brought under this party's collective umbrella.
The Republican Party must adapt its platform to account for future problems. It has the right idea when it comes to Energy Reform and polls show that Americans agree with the Republican party on this issue. Here the Republicans have succeeded. But for example on paying for college, the Republicans have been left in the dust. Perhaps the federal government should subsidize PUBLIC universities to lower costs of tuition. In the long run there would be little or no fiscal loss because more people would be getting degrees, and thus they would have higher incomes. This means more taxable income for the government which would ideally balance out the costs of subsidizing. Alternatively interest rates on loans could be reduced.
The Republican party must also return to some of its original values. Ronald Reagan established a platform on which he was able to take a strong stance and make liberalism look stupid. There can be no more hypocrisy: we MUST be the party of fiscal conservatism and we CANNOT tolerate fiscal irresponsibility anymore, especially from members of our own party. We CANNOT engage in wars wherein the immediate safety of our country and its citizens is in danger. We CANNOT endorse pork and excessive earmarking in congressional bills. These are the values that conservatives can stand on and embarrass Liberals when it comes time for a General Election. These are the values that can restore the faith of the populace in our party.
Michael Steele has the right idea when it comes to grassroots organization all over America. While Republicans have (in recent history) had better grassroots organization than Democrats, in 2008, Barack Obama blew John McCain out of the water. This is because the youth are often times the most effective when it comes to grassroots campaigning. There are plenty of conservative youths, but they will have to be re-energized if they are to actively campaign on the behalf of the Republican party.
There is hope. Despite the losses of last November there are many rising stars in the GOP that can look to work collectively with the weathered denizens of the past. Governors Bobby Jindal, Mark Sanford, Tim Pawlenty, Sarah Palin, and Jon Huntsman, along with Congressmen Mark Ryan and John Thune are all excellent prospects of the party's future. They must also be mentored and helped by people like Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney and Saxby Chambliss. In bridging the gap between the old and new, the Republican Party will successfully work off of its successes and failures and create a party that will once again be a "shining city on a hill."
