Liberals are personally stingy. A recent NY Times article by a self-proclaimed liberal bemoans the fact that conservatives give 30% more to charity than do liberals. Maybe this is why those leaning left are in favor of government handouts.
I'm sure this comes as a shock to liberals. They have given conservatives a label of not caring for the poor. That's wrong. We just think it's our responsibility as individuals and community members to help them.
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As the new year starts, a major question remains: what is the future of the Republican Party? It might take several years to figure out. One of the first steps, though, is determining who will be the new RNC chairman.
While most of us never hear much about the RNC chairman, it's an important job. Six candidates have dropped their name in the hat, all with their own hopes and visions for the direction of the party. One of the six is current chairman, Mike Duncan, who is seeking a second term.
What do you think? Give Duncan another shot, or is it time for new blood?
To learn more about the election process, click here.
If you could secretly give Republican officials four suggestions, what would they be? Charlie Cook, from the National Journal, recently gave that opportunity to two leading political consultants. Here are their best thoughts, in our opinion:
1) The desire for change in the 2008 election was because of the damaged Republican brand, resulting from corruption scandals, high spending, and not addressing the problems people really care about.
As everyone knows, Democrats used this thing called the "Internet" a little better than Republicans in the past election. Rebuild the Party hopes to change that.
The group of conservatives behind the website have a plan to get the Republican Party back in the game, using new technologies to build a grassroots movement. While Rebuild the Party doesn't talk about strategy or the issues, it does address something very important: how the Republican Party communicates those issues. You can check it out here.
Over at Politico.com, they recently had a discussion on the question, "What's the most important first step Republicans should take on the road to recovery?" Below are several of our favorite responses.
Zach Wamp, Rep. (R-Tenn.):
First steps should include laying out policies to bring about bipartisan compromises on major issues in the areas of energy, healthcare and the economy.
Since Sarah Palin lost her bid to become the first female VP, buzz of a 2012 presidential run has surrounded her. Buzz can be a good thing, especially if you're wanting to change your public image (and make some money off writing a book).
Despite recent losses, many conservatives are optimistic about the future. But not all. David Frum, a conservative columnist, thinks it a little too optimistic to predict a Republican return in 2010.
Frum gives four reasons why it will take longer, with his main reason being "the collapsed intellectual state of the party." You can read the entire article here and see if you agree.
The next Republican presidential candidate will likely be a current governor. That much is clear. What's unclear is which governor it will be. Many think, and hope, it will be Bobby Jindal from Louisiana.
Mr. Jindal, a 37 year-old Indian American, recently told fellow governors that Republicans have failed to inspire. "We should stand for the American dream," he said. He went on to blame Republicans in Washington for cutting taxes without cutting spending, and for not providing solutions to problems.
Today's Economist has an interesting article, "Ship of fools," about why Republicans lost the election. The author is a little harsh and doesn't mince words - as you can probably tell from the title - but his basic point is sadly accurate.
"There are any number of reasons for the Republican Party’s defeat on November 4th. But high on the list is the fact that the party lost the battle for brains... Republicanism’s anti-intellectual turn is devastating for its future. The party’s electoral success from 1980 onwards was driven by its ability to link brains with brawn. The conservative intelligentsia not only helped to craft a message that resonated with working-class Democrats, a message that emphasized entrepreneurialism, law and order, and American pride. It also provided the party with a sweeping policy agenda. The party’s loss of brains leaves it rudderless, without a compelling agenda."
You can read the entire article here.
What does this revitalized Republican party we've been talking about look like? Glad you asked.
The Party must become relevant to a majority of Americans once again. This means actually making an effort to reach young voters and addressing the problems facing the middle class. Our answers don't resonate with people anymore because they're solutions for old problems. Conservatives fixed the problems they set out to conquer at the outset of the Reagan Revolution, and the results of that can be seen in our country's overall prosperity in the last 28 years.
And yet, there is still more work to be done. We must apply conservative principles to a new set of problems, such as health care, energy, the environment, social security, and international development.