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Defining Our Own Future
1. Looking Forward with Purpose
The results of the last two elections and the all-too-natural tendency to findfault have left many Republican activists discouraged and some even disengaged.Every week brings new scathing examinations in gruesome post-mortem detail.Others prefer to ignore the past altogether claiming they’re interested only inforging a brighter tomorrow.I’m convinced both approaches are insufficient by themselves. We certainlycannot change what’s past. But we must learn from it, make the significant coursecorrections required, and move forward with vigor and new purpose to win thefuture.In this first installment of my suggested Blueprint for Tomorrow, I hope you’llnotice something missing. I am trying to avoid the use of any words that startwith “re” … words like renewal, rebuild, recharge, re-this and re-that. I’mconvinced we should not re-anything. Instead, we must stand proudly for thetimeless principles our Party has always stood for when we stood at our best. Weshould state our case boldly and unapologetically. And, when it comes toupdating our technology and tactics, we should start anew.If you are as convinced as I am that it’s time we molded the Republican Partyinto a transformative political movement based on timeless Republicanprinciples, then I hope you’ll join me. It will take us all working and discoveringtogether, but I know that in defeat we also meet opportunity. If we’ll seize thechance, nothing can stop us.My Blueprint for the future is based on these key points.•Our brand is badly tarnished.•Our principles remain true, valid, and relevant to America’s future.•Our strategy has not worked.•Our technology and tactics are badly outdated.•Our fundraising in 2008 was good, not great.•We must lead with integrity.•Take control of our future in the redistricting process.
2. Casting a Clear Republican Brand
Less than two decades ago, Americans knew very well where Republicansstood. We were the Party of competent management. We were best equipped toguide our economy to prosperity … to champion both private ethics and public2
morality … to stand squarely for fiscal restraint, smaller government and nationalstrength.Democrats, on the other hand, were the Party of bigger government, highertaxes, and more waste. Sure, people knew the Democrats could be counted on tohelp the disadvantaged, expand public education, and increase access to healthcare. But they also knew those policies came at a high cost to the economygenerally and the wallets of taxpayers personally.Today, everything has changed. Most people don’t really associate theRepublican Party with any positive agenda. In fact, survey research shows that wefail the confidence test on nearly every issue.Unbelievably, it’s Barack Obama who convinced voters that he would cuttaxes for the middle-class, fix our failing economy, extract us from the war in Iraq,and helm the administration of government more competently.Mostly, we have ourselves to blame. Within a few short years of gainingcontrol of Congress, we started acting more like Democrats — increasing the size,scope and cost of government beyond all reason — betraying not only theprinciples in which our most loyal voters believed, but the same principles whichmost independent and swing voters shared.We squandered the trust of voters with a stunning display of spending andgovernment growth that might have made a Democrat blush.Public opinion polling is very clear on this point, it can best be summed up bythese results from a recent national survey by Gallup:•34% say they have a favorable view of the Republican Party, 61% have anunfavorable view.•55% say they have a favorable view of the Democrat Party, 39% have anunfavorable view. Just as troubling, a majority of voters view our party as more closely tied to thecorruption in Washington and the greed on Wall Street than to the interests of Main Street.Debate over how we right the ship has become daily sport for pundits andprognosticators. They seem to divide into two main camps, those who say weneed to return to our core principles and those who claim we need to modernizeto meet today’s reality.To my way of thinking, we must do both. And quickly.Moderates in our party, and liberal elements outside it, have tried to steer thisdebate toward the suggestion that we need to change our core views, desert ourconvictions and give up our conservative philosophy. This is nonsense. Thecountry did not become liberal on November 4th. In fact, just the reverse is true.A post election survey by OnMessage, Inc. reports that solid majorities of 3
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