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Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been giving thought on a fairly regular basis to this question. Much of the thinking was sparked between a combination of a rant Sean Hannity went into on 5/4 and watching general press coverage, especially that hitting on Meghan McCain. After letting it mull a bit, I’ve come to the conclusion that the primary issue the Republican Party is having right now is not with their core “public” tenets, but rather with the secondary ones.

Charles Moran of the Log Cabin Republicans is quoted in an article today in the San Francisco Chronicle saying that the core tenets of the Republicans (and much of the Conservative Movement) are personal responsibility, individual freedom and small government. This same line was espoused by Hannity in his rant on 5/4. The problem, however, is in the parts of the Republican Party Agenda (so to speak) that aren’t covered by those three things.

I’m willing to state there are many people out there who are for the ideas of personal responsibility, individual freedom and small government. The issue with the Republican Party, however, is in their push for legally mandated social conservatism. Much of the root for this part of the Party is found in the fertile soil of the Religious Right. Its in this where you find the push for criminalization of abortion and drugs as well as keeping same-sex marriage off the books.

If the Republican Party is going to have any hope at all with maintaining any sort of prominence in the coming decades, they are going to need to realize that smaller government and personal freedom are not compatible with legislated morality. Those issues are the albatross hanging from the party’s neck and what will keep driving the younger generations away from the party.

I’m seeing a noticeable part of the Republican Establishment(tm) attempting to marginalize those who are pushing the Party to recognize this and move past it in an effort to get its core message out to the country. In doing this, I firmly believe they are cutting off their nose to spite their face. I have zero issue with someone wanting to hold to their own personal moral code. My issues comes in when they attempt to legislate that morality and use the force of government to force it on someone else.

Regardless of your opinion of Arlen Specter and his switch to the Democrat Party, he did at least get something right. The Republican Party, in embracing a vocal social conservative minority in its ranks, has all but turned its back on the social moderates in the party. If it continues to do this, it’s going to lose more people that just one Senator whose primary concern is staying in office rather than standing on his principles. That stance is going to drive away the younger generations who are willing to work and revitalize the Party if they are shown there is a place for them. Telling them or implying that there is no place if they’re not a staunch social conservative in addition to being a fiscal conservative isn’t going to cut it. And attacking those who are espousing this viewpoint is only going to further drive the point that the Republican Party has lost its way and is missing the forest for the trees.

Either you’re for smaller government (which includes removing the overt influence of Government in someone’s personal life) or you’re not. You can’t have it both ways. Trying to do so only makes you look like a hypocrite. My only hope is either the Republican Pary establishment will realize this and correct their course, or they’ll fall by the wayside and the media will actually pay attention to a party that does espouse this viewpoint–whether the Libertarian Party or something new that grows.

stranger Government Outrage, Personal Thought

“Until and unless you discover that money is the root of all good, you ask for your own destruction. When money ceases to be the tool by which men deal with one another, then men become the tools of men. Blood, whips and guns–or dollars. Take your choice–there is no other–and your time is running out.”

- Francisco D’Anconia
From Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

The above quote is from the first section of Atlas Shrugged and ends the speech by Francisco D’Anconia sparked by someone stating money was the root of all evil. The speech itself is one of the pivotal moments in the book and one of the spots where Rand used one of the protagonists to express portions of her personal philosophy.

First and foremost, take the time to read Atlas Shrugged if you haven’t already. It resonates much more than I wish it did with the current time. If you have read it, take the time to re-read it for exactly the same reason.

We are teetering on the brink of the final slide away from the free market and personal liberty. Unfortunately, it appears as if a significant portion of the population in the United States has no desire to hold to their personal liberty, but would rather look to Government to provide for them and take care of all their problems.

Do I see myself as in the same arena as Galt and his associates? No, not really. I rate myself more as a an Eddie Willers than a Hank Rearden. As such, I look around and realize just how much things are going to degrade as the Government drives the lash harder against those who actually drive our economy until such a point that they decide to head to Galt’s Gulch or they simply give out.

But for a lot of people in the US currently, that’s okay. After all, the Government can just pick up the slack. Right?

stranger Random Thought

It’s still Friday, and while I’ve been stuck at work, I’ve been watching various things come through my RSS reader. One of those was this article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Apparently Congress doesn’t have enough to do right now that it feels the need to stick its nose into how the NCAA College Football I-A champion is determined.

Last I checked there were a few more pressing items on the docket than college football. One would think something like the economy, swine flu, what’s happening in Pakistan, or a hundred other things would have their attention. But no, they have to be worried about whether the BCS uses a play-off system or their current weighted ranking system.

Now don’t get me wrong here. I personally think the BCS system is crap, but then I’m also a UGA fan who still feels we were robbed of our shot at the brass ring two years ago. That doesn’t change the fact that Congress has better things to do with its time than try to bully the BCS.

So how about it, Congress? Can we find something better to do with taxpayer money than bitch at the BCS because you don’t like how they determine the champion each season? Rather than wasting our tax dollars doing that, spend them on something that actually means something.

Of course, after saying all of that, I suddenly remember this is the same Congress that loads everything up with pork and merrily dances on their way.

Nevermind.

Edit: In the interests of full disclosure, it was a Republican (from Texas) that is the primary person responsible for this. Doesn’t change the fact that it’s damned silly and wasteful. I just thought I’d point that out since my usual bent is pointing out the crappy things the Democrats do.

stranger Government Outrage