The Future of the Republican Party

The Republican party is currently in a great deal of disarray. After getting trounced on the national stage for the second consecutive election, they have lost the legislative and executive branches and most of their say in the Federal Government. Politicians and pundits are going to great lengths to distance themselves from the failings of the party, with some leaving completely. Blame is being thrown in every direction as quickly as they can find a camera or a willing audience. Some are blaming the "moderates" in the party and calling them RINOs (Republicans in name only) and demanding that they be kicked out of the party. Others are blaming the "far right" - the neo and theocons - for making the party too hard lined and forcing out moderates. Most of the party is also blaming the libertarians and paleoconservatives for not holding their noses and voting to stop "socialism". If it wasn't for them not voting for the "lesser of two evils", then the Republicans may still be in power and road to authoritarianism may have been a little more scenic.

Amidst all of this chaos, the Republicans are trying to "re-brand" their party to become viable on the national stage again. They now stand at a fork in the road: go with the Cheney, Palin, Jindal wing of the party or turn back to the more traditional small-government Republican ideals of Barry Goldwater, Robert Taft, and Ron Paul. For all the talk about how moving to the center harmed them, they never moved away from the social authoritarianism and international nanny-statism that got them in this position in the first place. There was never a true belief in capitalism or personal responsibility in the current crop of Republicans, whether they were called RINOs or not. George W Bush, who is still defended by many Republicans, even said “I’ve abandoned free-market principles to save the free-market system” in explaining his rational for more big government. The same people that are blaming John McCain for their loss hailed Joe Lieberman simply because he supported the War with enthusiasm. If these people are allowed to dictate the path of the "new" Republican party, then they will continue to lose elections, as it is the same old garbage in a new package.

What Republicans need to do is turn back into the truly small government party. They need to go back the the humble foreign policy and the smaller, decentralized government they used to represent. Most Americans want the government out of every aspect their lives. That includes both financial and social decisions. They definitely do not want a party that only gives them the stick and never the carrot. Republicans also need to return to truly believing in the free market and getting away from the same Keynesian economics that the Democrats espouse. The Democrats will always sell this better as it looks like Republicans only wield government to help "big business". If they are going to govern like the Democrats, with the exception of social issues, then they are going to continue to lose. The combination of the social issues and the Democrats ability to pretend to support the "little guy" will make them win every time. If the Republicans honestly want to be the party of personal responsibility, they have to work to get the government out of peoples' lives in every facet; not just in the areas they personally agree with. If they do not make this change, they are going to go the way of the Whigs. However, if (when) that happens it may make room for another party that actually believes in small government.

Update: HR 1207 - 143 co-sponsors!

HR 1207 continues to gain steam in the House of Representatives and has now collected 143 co-sponsors. You can see the full list here and if your Representative is not on that list please contact them via phone or email. You can go to http://www.house.gov/ to find out who your representative is and how to contact them. This bill is getting bipartisan support as it is now, more then ever, the time to reign in the Federal Reserve. With all of the bailouts and stimulus programs it is vital that the American People can see where their money is going. On top of that, Obama now wants the Fed to be a regulatory "supercop" (story here) which would give it even more power. If we ever hope to take back our nation, we have to start with the money.

A Step in the Right Direction

On February 26, Representative Ron Paul (R-TX 14) introduced H.R. 1207, which will create transparency in the Federal Reserve by allowing congress to audit its actions. The bill is currently in the House Committee on Financial Services and has recently acquired 92 cosponsors. (The full bill and its status can be found here.) These cosponsors run the political gambit from far left to far right because people are finally waking up to the fact that the Federal Reserve cannot be allowed to operate freely any longer. Even if they have different reasons, from wanting to allow the free market to work unhindered again to simply being weary of an organization with that much unchecked power, Americans are beginning to call for some reigns on the Fed, if not its dismantling.

If you are an American citizen please contact your Representative (you can find out who they are here) and ensure that they are supporting and will continue to support this bill. If they are not a cosponsor yet, please write them and insist that they become one. There are also petitions and events in support of this bill which can be found at campaignforliberty.com. This is a small but very important step in reclaiming some of our control over the Federal Reserve. If we the people do not step up and demand that our employees (and their agents) be accountable for their actions, then there is little hope for this Republic. It is time that the American people know every cent that the Federal Reserve spends (prints) so that we can stop being run into these crises, which of course gives them more power. We cannot remove the Fed in one blow, but we can finally start to chip at it.

"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation then by deflation, the banks and the corporations will grow up around them, will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs." ~Thomas Jefferson