What the Grand Old Party has Forgotten

By Laura Singleton • on May 7, 2009
Elephant

The phrase “memory of an elephant” has taken an ironic turn over the last few years for the Republican party. While some are singing funeral dirges for the GOP, a better diagnosis would be amnesia. Whether it’s a temporary or permanent illness depends on what the party does next.

Attempting to find the key to a Republican resurrection, some forgetful moderates in the party have added their voices to the liberal and mainstream media who suggest that the GOP’s too conservative. “Our tent must be larger!” they cry. “The tent must move left!”

Meanwhile, the conservative voters–who remember quite well–are motivated, mobilized and making their own tent. Some savvy politicos scramble enter, and a few conservative politicians actually belong there, but many still don’t get it. The solution isn’t to move the tent left. The solution is to bring the tent back to the people. Can’t find the people? Here’s a hint: they’re right where the party left them.

Party leaders seem a bit perplexed. They see the grassroots’ outrage, and try to speak for the movement without understanding it. They interpret the anger as issue-driven, and miss the context. The GOP has forgotten the most important thing of all: its roots.

Our party—and our nation—exist because liberty was threatened. The most shining moments in Republican history are those when we championed liberty. The most shameful, when we forget its importance. Patrick Henry once said, “Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches the jewel.” We should revere the right, and protect it above all things.

While they don’t agree on everything, even some things they feel passionately about, a huge number of American citizens are demanding their liberty. Positions on regulations, taxes, the redistribution of wealth, religious freedom, states rights, guns, social issues, education, judicial concerns aren’t unrelated issues. They’re the groans of people straining under a too-big and too-involved government. They’re the protests against a national government that usurps rights from both the states and the individuals. It’s about liberty, and it always has been.

The tent is plenty big—big enough to hold a whole herd of elephants. Just bring it back where it belongs–we’ll have the tent poles ready.

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