It is time to look reality in the face. The Republican Party is in deep trouble. The 2006 midterm elections should have been a clarion call to the Republican leadership that their conservative platform, which can trace its roots to Ronald Reagan and perhaps further to Richard Nixon, has lost it's flavor with the voters.
Does this mean that the Republicans should abandon it's principles and become just another socialist, left wing party such as the Democrats?
Not by any means whatsoever. It's not so much time to make a change in course as it is time to turn the page in Republican doctrine.
It is time to make the Party of Lincoln the Party of Teddy Roosevelt.
In the early 20th Century, Teddy Roosevelt represented the more progressive elements of the Republican Party. Arising due to concerns over the unexpected social side effects of the Industrial Revolution, Teddy became a voice of change for the party as well as the architect of the Square Deal.
Like Roosevelt, it's time for Republican leadership to refocus it's principles. It is time to stop being stoic and become more progressive.
In what ways?
- Become champions of scientific ingenuity. The technology is available, in at least theory format, to ween America off of foreign oil once and for all. The Republicans need to become champions of science and not stalwarts of the stone age. Problems won't fix themselves but we can use technology can be used to help alleviate them.
- Get onboard with the working class. It is the American labor force that has made America strong. Our businesses are only as good as our workers. Attempting to stop the minimum wage hike was a major mistake and it put a black eye on the Republican elephant.
- Be frontrunners on the environmental scene. Take the rug out from the Democrats by being proactive. Sign the Tokyo accords.
- Re-establish the Square Deal and mediate effectively between unions and business owners. Penalize business owners for taking their companies overseas. Make them want to stay here but also encourage the unions to be fair with their demands.
- Be leaders in social justice and avoid being labled ignorant and arrogant. The Republicans have an unwarranted label of being snobbish and prejudiced. It's time to break that mold and be the champions of minorities as the party originally was with the African slaves.
- Stop being an isolationist party. Like it or not, we are a part of a global society. This does not mean we surrender our sovereignty, but we must work with other governments and stop playing the role of cowboy.
- Reform the UN and retake it's leadership. Its nothing but a huge beauracracy right now.
- The gay rights and abortion issue is not going to be solved in the Senate or the Supreme Court; there is too much partisanship there ... let each state decide it's own course.
The Republicans, of course, do not have to change their ways but there already is a growing number of disaffected souls who are thinking it may be time to leave the party ... Chuck Hagel and Michael Bloomberg are just two. There are also those who are taking stances against traditional Republican values such as Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani.
We can either change with the times or become extinct like the dinosaurs.
