Cal Thomas
It is a line I have used to open speeches on
the lecture circuit for years and it never fails
to get a laugh: "I'm happy to be here tonight
from Washington, D.C., where the only
politicians with convictions are in prison."
That's only partially true. Democrats have
convictions. They know what to do with
power when they get it and how to isolate,
even punish, any member of their party who
dares to take a different position on an issue.
Republicans seem to constantly react to the
policies of Democrats or slam each other
instead of making a case for the superiority
of their ideas. It doesn't help Republicans that
they lack the Democrats' uniformity.
President Obama's approval ratings continue
to plummet while polls showing that voters
think the country is on the "wrong track"
seem to be on the rise. Republicans should
focus less on scandals and policy failures and
begin promoting a positive, inspirational and
motivational message that reminds
Americans of who we are, where we came
from and what we can be again. Rather than
settle for a Democratic nanny state,
Republicans should feature in their speeches,
political ads and conversations the virtues of
liberty and the benefits and personal
satisfaction that come from the power within
each of us to make decisions that can improve
any life far better than government.
Telling America's story might inspire a
younger generation to reach back and
consider the values that sustained this nation
in the face of numerous challenges. Good
history is worth repeating.
Cynics might say it is too late, that
government has grown too big and there are
far too many dependent on it to turn the
country around and embrace liberty and
personal responsibility. What the country
needs is the political equivalent of a Rev.
Billy Graham to rally the nation. A spiritual
revival would be even better, but that's for a
Higher Authority to direct.
Americans should never have to "settle," even
in the midst of a failed presidency, as this
one is by any objective standard. Americans
have always believed we can do things better
than other nations and we have proved it in
the past.
inspiration-motivation-perspiration, rather
than the envy-entitlement-greed culture in
which we are now immersed. "We can do
better," said John F. Kennedy during the 1960
presidential campaign. Indeed we can.
Indeed we must.
As I write in my book "What Works: Common
Sense Solutions for a Stronger America," we
didn't just crawl out of a cave; we don't have
to discover fire or invent the wheel. We have
a history of problems that were solved,
challenges met and innovation encouraged
and rewarded. Why do we continue to
conduct political discourse that sounds like
stale sitcom dialog and lob the same
rehearsed and focus-grouped sound bites at
each other to no effect? Why not try
something old that worked?
Given their party's deplorable state of
disunion and the country's fixation on self, a
Republican "revivalist" will have to sell his or
her platform based on self-interest, featuring
men and women who have overcome by
making right choices, if we can still define
"right" in a country that increasingly
considers all choices equal.
Republicans should promise that if voters
allow them to regain control of all three
branches of government, an outside auditor
will be named to go through the federal
government, recommending to Congress
which agencies can be reduced in size or
even eliminated. Congress would require
itself to accept the auditor's findings, as with
the Defense Base Realignment and Closing
Commission, which has been charged with
increasing the Defense Department's
efficiency by the realignment and closure of
unnecessary U.S. military installations.
This will be a challenge for Republicans.
We'll soon know if they can meet it and,
more importantly, whether voters will
respond to such a message. The time may be
right for someone with real convictions and
the courage to state them, regardless of what
polls say.
Meanwhile, God save us from popular opinion
and from politicians whose only convictions
come in a courtroom.
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