Michael van der Galiën rolls out some interesting thoughts at his own blog [1] about the Republican Party’s needs for its next election cycle: a general statement of actual, true conservative beliefs; the kind of conservatism that made your mom and dad glad to be Republicans — at least back in the Fifties. A taste to get you going (the original post has vanished, as learned in an editing pass in 2008):
…I am convinced that if the GOP wants to be able to compete in 08, it has to reinvent itself. My own party, the VVD, produced such a manifest a year ago or something. The result is an inspiring ‘book,’ with clear general views on the economy, national security, etc. It’s not about specific policies, it’s about basic principles underlying foreign policy, national security, economy, etc.
Is such a manifesto useful? Yes, it helps individuals and the movement as a whole to focus. The VVD had been in power for years and years, it was necessary for it to go back to its roots, to the core principles of European liberalism (the VVD is our biggest conservative party; I’ve explained the situation in Europe a couple of times already).
The GOP has lost track of its conservative ideology. Instead of focusing on fiscal conservatism, it has focused on social conservatism. Instead of adhering to true conservatism as an ideology it has been kidnapped by partisans and religious conservatives. The GOP has emphasized social conservatism, while abandoning fiscal conservatism. Most people support the basic values of fiscal conservatism: if conservatives would focus on this aspect of conservatism, the potential for political victories in the future rises - as I see it - substantially….
In a second update to his article, Michael links to a New York Sun piece on a Republican candidate that could fit the bill — and he ain’t Mitt Romney, John McCain, or anybody else who’s pandering to the far wing of the party:
Mayor Giuliani is calling on the Republican Party to redefine itself as “the party of freedom,” focusing on lower taxes, school choice, and a health care system rooted in free market principles.
If the Republican Party wishes to regain some relevance among the center — without whom no election is a guarantee — they should heed these calls, and revise their thinking about what their party stands for. After that, it’s a matter of choosing the right candidate; and there’s a name on the floor here for the upcoming cycle….
Thanks to Dennis Sanders at Donklephant, whose own piece in this chain is worth examining.
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[1] And he’s linking from someone else himself; the link chain may go back quite a ways. Incidentally, those familiar with Mijneer Van der Galiën will also know that he is a frequent contributor to a favorite blog of mine, The Moderate Voice.
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Peace be to you.
