A Return to the Party of Big Ideas

Conservation- a return to the Teddy Roosevelt model of conservation.  One doesn’t necessarily have to buy into global warming to appreciate the need to protect the natural resources we have.

 

Reform- the federal government is bigger than ever, and won’t be getting any smaller over the next four years. Republicans need to fashion themselves as national reformers. Much of Middle America wants the government as safety net, but bloated bureaucracies breed corruption that needs to be dealt with.

 

Energy- this is the lynchpin that brings it all together. If new fuels can be developed, by American companies, which reduce or eliminate our dependence on foreign oil our environment benefits, our economy grows and the US could retake its position of dominance in the auto industry. A Manhattan Project like focus on energy independence would inspire the country to move forward dramatically on this issue.

 

The benefit of these three issues is that they appeal across a wide spectrum of the electorate, they can be done within the traditional boundaries of small(er) government and they combine the readily achievable with the long range dreams that motivate people to follow a movement.