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Jul
17
A way for Republicans to win
Filed Under GOP, Grand New Party, Reihan Salam, Republican Party, Ross Douthat | Leave a Comment
Two authors have come up with what they say could be a way for the GOP to attract more voters in years to come.
Grand New Party authors Ross Douthat and Reihan Salam say Republicans need to start reaching out to workers who share the party’s conservative values and desires for individual liberties — a group that they call Sam’s Club Voters.
This new outreach will mean mixing economic issues affecting workers with cultural issues in order to win back voters who vote with their pocketbooks, but may be disaffected by the liberal elites in charge of the modern Democratic party, the authors say.
The interests of the working class — the common man, the hardworking but unexceptional citizen — have been at the heart of every great American political movement. From Jefferson to Lincoln to Roosevelt to Reagan, our most successful leaders have sought the democratization of wealth, competence, and social standing — not so that every American might be rich or famous, but so that we might all be independent and self-reliant and secure. In this sense, the American dream is ultimately a dream of home, of a place to call your own, earned and not inherited, and free from the petty tyrannies of landlords, bureaucrats, and bankers. It’s a dream of a country in which ownership is available to everyone, provided that they are willing to work for it, rather than being handed out on the basis of wealth or caste, brains or beauty.
Refocusing some of the GOP’s outreach will be the key to GOP victory for years to come.
Jun
28
Could Obama Be Right In Suggesting Focus On Universal Christian Values?
Filed Under Barack Obama, Democratic Party, GOP, Republican Party, abortion, politics, religion | 6 Comments
Kevin Tracy writes that conservatives should listen to Barack Obama’s suggestion that instead of trying to change hearts and minds via evangelical church rules, maybe Christians should focus on common goals that would make America a better place.
… Barack Obama is essentially saying that he recognizes that this nation was built with a Christian foundation, which is significant progress for liberals we on the right should be applauding. Barack Obama further says that we should thus fight for universal Christian values. But since there is no universal Christian values book, he’s saying we should fight for the ones everybody agrees on, including the Christian Left… that doesn’t leave much besides that “Love Thy Neighbor” stuff.
In other words, if this is a Christian country, as Obama seems to be admitting to, we shouldn’t be isolating any Christians who may not agree with the likes of James Dobson by only writing Christian legislation from a very VERY narrow non-Catholic conservative perspective.
I agree 100% with that.
Having watched our society split into two polar opposite camps that seemingly will never be able to unify as one, I have to also say that I agree with Kevin Tracy that the time has come to figure out what we have in common so that we can figure out common sense solutions to our nation’s problems — instead of always fighting with each other and with the other side. Much of Congress’ inability to do anything — both the GOP and the Democrats have failed to do anything during the 2000s — stems from our leaders’ inability to look at the greater picture. Much of this myopia comes from the constant battles and hate that has been a feature of Washington politics for far too long.
Let’s focus on common goals so that we can get the things that we agree upon resolved. Once we figure out how to get on the same page, maybe Washington will be able to get things done.
