A Republican Majority Must be Conservative

As the Obama administration defines itself by actions rather than words and George W. Bush fades into history, the number of people calling themselves conservative has increased. As RealClearPolitics span>notes< however, they do not call themselves Republican. Yet we find ourselves in a world where the Republican Party, which is unpopular, often calls for abandoning major facets of conservatism which are popular. This is consistent with the party direction between Goldwater and Reagan. The Republican Party, when seen as the party of big business and privileges for the rich, is unpopular. When seen as the vehicle for conservatism it regains popularity.

Again, and again, the Republican Party is maneuvered into a position to defend corporations against popular outrage, even when, as with subsidies and earmarks, such policies work against the free market, accountability, and the other principles for which the party is nominally said to stand. One way that Republicans obtained a working majority in the 1980s was to convince conservatives who were Democrats that it was safe to vote for them, and indeed dangerous to vote for the Democrats.

Once again Republicans need to take a page from this playbook. The main type of conservatives available, but unmarried to the Republican Party, are the fiscal conservative, balanced budget hawks. At the present time, the congressional party is not doing that much to gather them in. It is Obama and his policies that are causing them to look to the Republicans again. Republicans must build on the successes of fiscally conservative governors like Mitch Daniels and Tim Pawlenty and go national with slowing the growth of government.

The next thing Republicans can do is publically get behind popular initiatives in the states. Again and again, Republicans have shied away from publically backing initiatives in the states with massive public support such as anti-discrimination ballot initiatives and pro-traditional marriage efforts. The Republican Party rarely raises money and presents a popular face for these movements which then go on to win by landslide margins.

This is also the case for anti-tax movements, where the Republicans sometimes join but just as often don’t. Arnold Schwarzenegger is single-handedly destroying the Republican brand in the nation’s largest state. He was against Proposition 8. He was for every tax hiking ballot initiative that failed by 25% margins. He has supported affirmative action. It is as if Conan was asked “What is best in life” and responded “To raise taxes, to spend enormous sums we don’t have, and to hear the lamentations of social conservatives.” I would love to hear a defense of Ahnold from some New Majoritarians if there is one to be made.

The Republican Party needs to poach on the territory that is vacant by Democrats. That is defense of balanced budgets and less spending. This should be coupled with a shot at corporations that live on the public dole. Republicans should attack the takeover of banks and businesses with the rallying cry “Keep the Private Sector Private -- Vote Republican.” Ronald Reagan said that Democrats have a three-step process: “If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. If it stops moving, subsidize it.” Obama has added “If it continues not to move, socialize it.” There is vast unease in the land over this. It is unease tailor made for conservatives. If they fail to seize it they deserve their minority state.