Mark Sanford: Prescriptions To Fix The GOP
This column was written by Mark Sanford, the Governor of South Carolina.
The announcement by Arlen Specter last week that he is now a Democrat in name as well as principle has some once again asking the question, "What's next for the GOP?" - yet if we're going to effectively answer that question, it's important to dispense with the notion that Senator Specter's party switch represents some sort of setback for the conservative movement at large.
Specter first won his Senate seat in 1980, riding into D.C. on the back of the Reagan Revolution, and I'd suspect we'd find few who disagree that Reagan's GOP of the 1980's was more conservative than today's iteration. To that end, I think one could reasonably argue that contrary to the storyline Specter and his allies on the left would have us believe - that it was the GOP who left Specter - the Senator's decision was based on the simple fact that he couldn't win a Republican primary.
What Specter's defection really underscores is an allegiance by many to the 'Party of Incumbency' rather than to the Party they claim to represent, be it Republican or Democrat. It's this kind of soulless pragmatism that turns people off to politics and helps perpetuate a ruling class more loyal to themselves than to the people who elected them.
That same allegiance to power over principle is what has been largely responsible for devastating the Republican brand, and until more in our Party start governing like they campaign, it is my belief we will have great difficulty regaining the trust of the American electorate. With that thought in mind, I'd humbly suggest the following prescriptions for what ails the Republican Party.
First, get back to the principle of saying what you mean and meaning what you say. Voters have seen many Republicans who have campaigned on the conservative themes of lower taxes, less government and more freedom, and consistently failed to govern that way. Americans didn't turn away from conservatism; they instead turned away from those who faked it.
Second, our loyalties need to be to ideas, not to individuals. While I do indeed believe in the importance of a big GOP tent, that tent must be built upon a shared agreement on the essentials - including expanding liberty, encouraging entrepreneurship and limiting the reach of government in people's everyday lives.
Finally, we must avoid the temptation that comes with Minority status to simply be the party of "no." While it's important to argue against that with which we disagree, the American people will in the end respond to policies that make a tangible difference in their lives. Conservatives need to articulate meaningful alternatives to having the government take over a much, much larger sphere of our lives. No matter the issue, we cannot accede to the notion that conservatives don't have a solution.
In the end, Arlen Specter becoming a Democrat of course creates some short-term practical problems. On issues like the upcoming Supreme Court fight the lack of a filibuster threat will likely embolden the President to move further leftward than he otherwise may have done.
That does not however mean that the loss of Arlen Specter from the GOP is a crippling blow to conservatism, as he didn't much have anything to do with conservatism while he called himself a Republican. Instead, the Party should take Mr. Specter's departure as yet another opportunity to shore up our brand and to stand tall for those intrinsically conservative ideals that once defined our Party and in turn, our nation.
By Mark Sanford
Special to CBSNews.com
Copyright 2009 CBS. All rights reserved. The announcement by Arlen Specter last week that he is now a Democrat in name as well as principle has some once again asking the question, "What's next for the GOP?" - yet if we're going to effectively answer that question, it's important to dispense with the notion that Senator Specter's party switch represents some sort of setback for the conservative movement at large.
Specter first won his Senate seat in 1980, riding into D.C. on the back of the Reagan Revolution, and I'd suspect we'd find few who disagree that Reagan's GOP of the 1980's was more conservative than today's iteration. To that end, I think one could reasonably argue that contrary to the storyline Specter and his allies on the left would have us believe - that it was the GOP who left Specter - the Senator's decision was based on the simple fact that he couldn't win a Republican primary.
What Specter's defection really underscores is an allegiance by many to the 'Party of Incumbency' rather than to the Party they claim to represent, be it Republican or Democrat. It's this kind of soulless pragmatism that turns people off to politics and helps perpetuate a ruling class more loyal to themselves than to the people who elected them.
That same allegiance to power over principle is what has been largely responsible for devastating the Republican brand, and until more in our Party start governing like they campaign, it is my belief we will have great difficulty regaining the trust of the American electorate. With that thought in mind, I'd humbly suggest the following prescriptions for what ails the Republican Party.
First, get back to the principle of saying what you mean and meaning what you say. Voters have seen many Republicans who have campaigned on the conservative themes of lower taxes, less government and more freedom, and consistently failed to govern that way. Americans didn't turn away from conservatism; they instead turned away from those who faked it.
Second, our loyalties need to be to ideas, not to individuals. While I do indeed believe in the importance of a big GOP tent, that tent must be built upon a shared agreement on the essentials - including expanding liberty, encouraging entrepreneurship and limiting the reach of government in people's everyday lives.
In this regard, the tent cannot be so big as to include political franchisees who don't act on the core tenets of conservatism - and as a consequence harm the brand and undermine others' work on it.
Finally, we must avoid the temptation that comes with Minority status to simply be the party of "no." While it's important to argue against that with which we disagree, the American people will in the end respond to policies that make a tangible difference in their lives. Conservatives need to articulate meaningful alternatives to having the government take over a much, much larger sphere of our lives. No matter the issue, we cannot accede to the notion that conservatives don't have a solution.
In the end, Arlen Specter becoming a Democrat of course creates some short-term practical problems. On issues like the upcoming Supreme Court fight the lack of a filibuster threat will likely embolden the President to move further leftward than he otherwise may have done.
That does not however mean that the loss of Arlen Specter from the GOP is a crippling blow to conservatism, as he didn't much have anything to do with conservatism while he called himself a Republican. Instead, the Party should take Mr. Specter's departure as yet another opportunity to shore up our brand and to stand tall for those intrinsically conservative ideals that once defined our Party and in turn, our nation.
By Mark Sanford
Special to CBSNews.com
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Never the less, that's my opinion.
For: itsjustathought at 7:37 PM : May 7, 2009
Yes it did.
With the loss of Arlen Specter, the GOP is looking a lot less GRAND, a lot more OLD, and not like much of a PARTY at all. The dilemma for the GOP is illustrated by Senator Specter?s defection. The political center has shifted to the left at the same time the GOP has shifted in the wrong direction. Yesterday?s left is today?s center. If you look at demographic shifts in voter preference, it is very bleak for the GOP. Among other groups they have lost or are losing: Women, suburbanites, moderates, the college education, the blue-collar, retires, the Midwest, the East Coast, the West Coast, the Rocky Mountain states etc.
Where is their base? Mainly in Sarah Palin?s real America, where there is an assortment of bible-thumpers, hillbillies, rednecks, and other angry people. The RNC, their mouth-pieces at AM radio and Fox News, and the Obama-bashing trolls just don?t get it. They keep blaming the news media, the liberals etc. for their own self-inflicted demise. In the last two elections the GOP has taken a serious beat down, losing the presidency, and the house and Senate by huge margins, the reason: The public does NOT approve of their extremist policies. Until they stop living in denial, they will remain a regional, irrelevant party, staggering in the wilderness full of fear and loathing.
Of course these companies own and run the media, the government and the military as in other fascist countries.
Our Politicians keep telling us our Immigration laws are broken and we need an comprehensive solution, which are code words for Amnesty, our Immigration Laws are not broken, what is broken is our Political system when we elect Corrupt/Pandering politicians that puts votes ahead of American Citizens or the future of this Nation!
Our government fails the most basic and primary task of government, to protect this Nation and its Citizens from invasion and enforce its laws.
They refuse to abide by our Constitution, refuse to enforce our Immigration Laws and refuse to honor their Oath of Office!
Our Government, past & present, Republican & Democrat, have allowed the invasion of 20 to 40 million criminals and uneducated peons which is the largest invasion of any Nation, at any time, by any means & in direct violation of Article IV, Section IV of our Constitution. This refusal to abide by our Constitution or enforce our Immigration Laws should be classified as Treason of the most foul kind, & is grounds for impeachment & trials for Treason!
Not only have they allowed the invasion, they force American tax payers to pay Billions on Billions of dollars to provide Welfare, Prison cells, Educate the invaders numerous children, and free medical care, at the same time the invading horde break numerous laws and massive document fraud, & are destroying our schools, hospitals, communities, culture and standard of living while Robbing, Raping, Killing & Assaulting American Citizens at an rate the terrorist can only dream about.
Recent statements in Mexico from both President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary something needs to be done. "Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police officers, soldiers, and civilians," she said.
But no mention or concern that their refusal to stop the Massive Invasion of Illegal Aliens pouring across our borders that causes an estimated 25 Americans killed per day or the 10,s of thousands victims of Assault, Robberies, Rapes, Identify thief, and other assorted crimes committed by the invading horde of Illegal Aliens from Mexico on American citizens each year!
Most of our Politicians in Wash. DC are wading knee deep in innocent American blood and suffering because they put Politics ahead of the welfare of American Citizens & the future of this Nation!
This government & most of the Politicians in Wash. DC have for years demonstrated an complete lack of concern for the devastation and havoc caused by the Massive invasion from Mexico and South American, on American citizens! Indeed, most have worked much harder on the behalf of the invading horde than they have for the American citizens that elected them!
Our Politicians keep telling us our Immigration laws are broken and we need an comprehensive solution, which are code words for Amnesty, our Immigration Laws are not broken, what is broken is our Political system when we elect Corrupt/Pandering politicians that puts votes ahead of American Citizens or the future of this Nation!
Our government fails the most basic and primary task of government, to protect this Nation and its Citizens from invasion and enforce its laws.
They refuse to abide by our Constitution, refuse to enforce our Immigration Laws and refuse to honor their Oath of Office!
Our Government, past & present, Republican & Democrat, have allowed the invasion of 20 to 40 million criminals and uneducated peons which is the largest invasion of any Nation, at any time, by any means & in direct violation of Article IV, Section IV of our Constitution. This refusal to abide by our Constitution or enforce our Immigration Laws should be classified as Treason of the most foul kind, & is grounds for impeachment & trials for Treason!
Not only have they allowed the invasion, they force American tax payers to pay Billions on Billions of dollars to provide Welfare, Prison cells, Educate the invaders numerous children, and free medical care, at the same time the invading horde break numerous laws and massive document fraud, & are destroying our schools, hospitals, communities, culture and standard of living while Robbing, Raping, Killing & Assaulting American Citizens at an rate the terrorist can only dream about.
Recent statements in Mexico from both President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary something needs to be done. "Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police officers, soldiers, and civilians," she said.
But no mention or concern that their refusal to stop the Massive Invasion of Illegal Aliens pouring across our borders that causes an estimated 25 Americans killed per day or the 10,s of thousands victims of Assault, Robberies, Rapes, Identify thief, and other assorted crimes committed by the invading horde of Illegal Aliens from Mexico on American citizens each year!
Most of our Politicians in Wash. DC are wading knee deep in innocent American blood and suffering because they put Politics ahead of the welfare of American Citizens & the future of this Nation!
This government & most of the Politicians in Wash. DC have for years demonstrated an complete lack of concern for the devastation and havoc caused by the Massive invasion from Mexico and South American, on American citizens! Indeed, most have worked much harder on the behalf of the invading horde than they have for the American citizens that elected them!