The Republican Party

There has been a good deal of discussion lately on what, exactly ails the Republican party. At the end of the day, it has too be a wholesale abandonment of first principles. Last year, while chatting with a friend, i blamed this on the Dems sudden apparent lurch to the left, exiling Lieberman and all that. As nature abhors a vacuum, the leftward shift of the Dems set off a leftward shift in the Republicans, seeking to cover the abandoned center-left ground.

My position is that socialism-lite is like smoking lite cigarettes: doesn't taste as bad, but in the end, you're just as dead.

The republicans were quite successful with the "Contract with America" concept which laid out basic principles, and required signatory candidates to at least promise to abide by them. Good idea then, good idea now. The Republicans should produce a very basic document outlining very basic principles, (KISS principle) stating that the undersigned candidates will abide by them.

They need to make sure this document is widely circulated and as time passes, make REAL sure the signatories stick with the contract.

Signatories would call themselves the Contract Coalition, which can, in time, morph into a real party in and of itself.

Vote CC.
Get what you pay for.

Possible line items for this document would be:
1. Less government. There are lots of things the government has no business doing.
2. Lower taxes. If the government isn't trying to mind everybody's business, it doesn't need the money it collects to do this.
3. Pay closer attention to legitimate obligations. do cost-benefit studies before spending Brazillions on stadiums or toy train sets.
4a. Border security. At the local level, requiring proof of citizenship and e-verification of SSN goes a long ways toward discouraging illegal immigration. If you know in advance that there's no jobs and no government dole here if you're illegal, it really reduces the incentive to come here in the first place.

At the Federal level, national defense and free trade become important issues. An awful lot of other stuff is at best, fluff, at worst, pork.

4b Border security. Same as 4a, but includes actually securing the border.

5. Tort reform. Several states have accomplished this on their own. Needs to be done at the Federal level. Won't happen at all until the lawyers' lackeys are run out of town.

Other items could certainly be added, but I think the list should profitably be kept to 5 major items at either the local or Federal level.


On a slightly different note, Boris Johnson, in his campaign for Mayor of London, lampooned his opponent, "Red" Ken Livingstone's extravagant, if baseless promises by facetiously promising that, if elected, every mans wife would have bigger breasts, and there would be a BMW Z3 in every garage. Boris is a conservative while "Red" Ken didn't get the tag for his hair color.

Boris, now that I think about it, was probably to an extent, justified in making such a promise.
Elect a conservative and he will stop the job-killing, tax-hiking BS the left proposes, and your job won't need to be outsourced, you'll keep more of your paycheck, and you'll be able to afford cosmetic surgery and a new sports car (YMMV). It's your money, after all.