Aug

Ascent!

Back a few months ago, when the Obama administration was pushing its cap and trade legislation through the House, hot off the passages of multiple massive spending bills, the prospects for America’s future looked bleak. Coupled with the reckless printing of money begun under Bush, an already heavily indebted nation could not afford to impose what would have been the most pervasive tax in the nation’s history – a tax on all energy. Cap and trade would have sent the Dow on a 1,000 point drop in a matter of hours and crippled American productive ability until its repeal.

It was then that the often maligned, often ridiculed, often looked down-upon “right wing” of the party, the talk radio audience, began to melt the Congressional phone lines. For days the effort kept pressure on key legislators, with promises of defeat if they were to throw in with the apocalypse-preaching environmental lobby. Although Speaker Pelosi, in the end, was able to twist enough arms to get the necessary votes, the severe backlash from a vocal and, frankly, pissed off public has tabled the legislation, the Senatorial vote thus far unannounced.

The same playbook has been followed with respect to the Democrats’ healthcare proposals, but unlike the esoteric and nebulous nature of “anthropogenic global warming” (“climate change,” in its new branding), this issue resonates with the majority of Americans, not just a well informed, select (albeit large) audience. The Democrats may yet choose to ignore their constituents’ wishes and push through this socialized medicine and cap and trade, but a certain political reality is becoming increasingly obvious: conservatism is on the rise, primed and ready to take back the party in Reaganesque fashion.

Sure, there are competing groups vying for control of the Republican Party. The major players are the “moderates,” the libertarians, the paleos, and the conservatives. Sure, there will be coalition building and horse trading, but the conservatives are bound to win. The why of it? Well, the “moderates,” the only challengers to the conservatives with substantial numbers, had their candidate in 2008 and got whupped, leaving us with a bona fide Marxist in the Oval Office. (Is that controversial? It shouldn’t be.) Following McCain’s tragic loss – tragic in that it resulted in the current abominable administration – Republicans aren’t exactly in a compromising mood.

Not that they need to be: conservatism offers something for everybody.

Some suggestions for the new conservative Republican leader, whomever you may turn out to be: Substantially reduce the size of government. Do so openly, all along articulating your case. Point to successes and address perceived failures with wisdom. Do not let your opponents twist the language or steer the debate. Address critics substantially, openly, and thoroughly. Claim the moral high ground and do not concede it. Use history as a guide, and correctly place this specious breed of “liberal” in their correct Genus and Species: Statist Authoritarian. When advantageous, point out how these purportedly caring Democrats always demean the private sector, encourage anger toward fellow citizens, demoralize those who wish to make a profit, and viciously demonize two of our most treasured industries – healthcare and energy. Point out how theft is illegal, yet the liberal Democrat’s advocacy of confiscatory taxes is tantamount to robbing citizens of their hard-earned wages.

One more piece of advice. Being the part of Liberty does not mean being the party of license. Do not shy away from social issues of morality. Encourage strong family values. Encourage marriage, fidelity, commitment, in addition to hard work and self-reliance. These are popular issues that need little explanation to your average American. It is the liberal Democrat that abstracts wildly these common sense notions, turning it them sheer nonsense.

Yes the Republican Party is on the ascendancy under conservatism. The Obama administration, meanwhile, sinks lower and lower into unpopular impotency. It is crucially important we do not lose our way in the trappings that come with power. The welfare statism that has characterized America since FDR must slowly be reversed if we are to preserve American freedom for posterity. Only when Republicans begin acting like conservatives will we have any tangible gains to show to voters.

This post and the contents thereof are the views of only the author identified immediately above and do not necessarily represent the views of the New York Young Republican Club, Inc. (the "NYYRC"), its officers or its members. The NYYRC expressly disclaims responsibility for the contents thereof and by its charter documents may not, and does not, endorse any candidate for any office, except in a general election.