24 November 2008
Despite 2008 Democratic Gains, Two-Party System Very Much Alive
Republicans, conservatives still have important role in political process
Fort Lauderdale, Florida — The Republican Party’s defeat in the recent U.S. presidential and congressional elections is not necessarily a setback for the conservative movement, and important roles in American politics remain for the party and the movement.
That is the consensus of a group of conservative writers, thinkers and politicians who gathered on a weeklong Caribbean cruise for a seminar to assess the outcome of the November 4 voting, and to look for future ways to retain influence. The problem, they said, was that the Republican Party had turned away from conservative ideas and principles, a course change that led to the party’s defeat at the polls.
Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson, an early Republican presidential candidate, set the stage by saying the election results were not a rejection of conservatism, and great reason for optimism remains. Democratic President-elect Obama personified change that is “built into our system,” Thompson said, adding that no political party in U.S. history has won a third consecutive term in office during a downturn in the economy.
The day after the 2008 elections can be considered “the first day of a comeback,” Thompson said, citing victories in 1968 by President Nixon, in1980 by President Reagan and in1994 by Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives as examples of Republican returns to power.
Another early Republican presidential hopeful, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, said such a comeback requires the party to tell America’s middle class what it stands for, not just criticize Democratic programs. In order to get stronger, Romney said, the Republicans need people to believe in social, economic and foreign-policy conservatism. Party leaders must show integrity and moral and fiscal responsibility, he added.
Republicans and conservatives need to get their voices heard in an atmosphere in which they perceive there is a bias against them by some in the news media, Romney said. “So we have to take the message elsewhere.”
That can be on the Internet, said Brent Bozell, president of the Media Research Center, which tracks reporting in major newspapers and radio and television stations in the United States. Liberals and Democrats already use the Internet effectively, he said, and now conservatives and Republicans must become more skillful at using the same tool to put forth their message.
The consensus view was that the Republican message includes lower taxes and government spending, a strong defense, the sanctity of life, constitutionalist judicial nominations and secret ballots for union organizing.
BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT
During a panel discussion on problems with the economy and the current government plan to help ailing businesses, Romney said there is a need for government regulation of business, but not excessive regulation. Former Pennsylvania Representative Pat Toomey, who is now president of the political advocacy group Club for Growth, said the way for government to encourage economic growth is through lower taxes.
Darcy Olson, president of the Goldwater Institute, a policy advisory group, said most Americans still believe government should not interfere in business. Regarding issues that conservatives believe do not belong at the federal level, Olson said the future lies in state solutions. Subjects here include education, voting rights, right-to-life issues and protection of property, she said.
Concerning the role of the courts in the U.S. democratic process, panelists held the consensus view that judges should be strict constructionists and not use the bench to make laws that belong in the domain of the legislature.
Edward Whelan, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, said when judicial candidates are vetted by the Senate, Republican senators should engage them on the merits and vote against them if they fail to advocate judicial restraint.
The legacy of the outgoing Bush administration, panelists agreed, is yet to be determined by history. They all gave the president high marks for keeping America safe since the September 11, 2001, attacks, for promoting tax cuts, and for appointing two conservatives justices to the U.S. Supreme Court.
But the panelists also said the president’s relationship with conservatives was “complicated” because the Bush administration moved in the direction of bigger government. They cited increased spending, especially on the Medicare prescription drug benefit and the No Child Left Behind education program.
However, “the surge in the Iraq war worked,” said former Bush speech writer William McGurn. Thompson said that because of Iraq, the president eventually will be treated positively by history.
The magazine National Review sponsored the floating conference, which was attended by more than 700 people from throughout the United States.
