Saturday, July 05, 2008
Look back to (and fighting for) Republican Roots
This weekend, being July 4th, I like many Americans participated in various patriotic activities. I spent a portion of my day reading a biography of Alexander Hamilton. There are many quotes, passages and ideas in the book which I will bring to this blog in the future. However, for now I will say that the more I read of this book, the more I agree with Hamilton's politics. So, this got me thinking to the start of the Republican Party.
Today, July 6th, marks the 154th Anniversary of the Republican Party.
In Jackson, Michigan in 1854 the first convention of the United States Republican Party was held. It was a coalition of Whigs, Northern Democrats and "Free Soilers" who opposed the expansion of Slavery (opposed Kansas-Nebraska Act) and held a Hamiltonian vision for modernizing the country. Besides opposition to slavery, the new party put forward a vision of modernizing the United States—emphasizing higher education, banking, railroads, industry and cities, while promising free homesteads to farmers.
Given the historical significance of today, I got to thinking: In business, the best way to justify a higher price for a better value is to educate your customer on the difference. Teach your customer to appreciate the better quality, allow them to grow accustomed to the better quality, then they will pay for it. Similarly, I think the best way to expand the base of the Republican Party is to explain the historical and practical reasonings for its beliefs. Educate the people as to why Republicans feel the way they do, illuminate the responsible choice, and people will follow.
The modern Democrat Party, with their Jefferson-Jackson dinners to name one example, have some how managed to hijack the legacy of early presidents to justify their political positions. Yes, Jefferson was in favor of a purer democracy while Hamilton was more in favor of republicanism. However, the Republican Party needs to celebrate Adams & Hamilton and draw a straght line to Lincoln - TR - Reagan. The GOP also needs to explain how Washington was a Federalist and how John Marshall (Chief Justice), as a Federalist, preserved nationalism and the integrity of the Constitution. The Republican Party is losing the battle to protect and celebrate its history. Some how the Democrats have used Jefferson's popularity as a means to bury Hamilton; they have used John Marshall's judicial review as means to justify their activist-judges. And, in the biggest historical-scam of all, the modern Democrat Party has used early Democrat-visions of a purer democracy, in the hands of the people to protect against a strong executive, and have turned it into a justification for socialist programs via Wilson, FRD & LBJ.
More importantly, and this goes back to educating the masses, the Republian Party (in its true form, when not being watered down by quasi-conservatives who spend too much) is failing to showcase how fiscal responsibility, a strong executive and conservative judges are not modern creations. These ideas are not a creation of the modern GOP to take advantage of fear (war on terror) or cultural opportunities ("religious right") or money, as the Democrats would have you believe. These principals of fiscal responsibility, a strong executive and conservative judges are the root of our founding as a nation. They were at the root of our first 2 Presidents, our first Secretary of the Treasury and our first Chief Justice. They were at the root of the first meeting of the Republican Party 154 years ago, and these were the guiding principals of Lincoln, the First Republican President, when he saved our nation from ruin. These pillars of conservatism can be seen at the turn of the 20th century in Teddy Roosevelt and at the end of the 20th century in Ronald Reagan.
I have alway believed that conservatism is a more intellectally challenging belief system. The onis is on the Republican Party to educate the voters, highlight the historical precedence for Republican beliefs, and do not let the Democrat Party own the political history of the USA.
Today, July 6th, marks the 154th Anniversary of the Republican Party.
In Jackson, Michigan in 1854 the first convention of the United States Republican Party was held. It was a coalition of Whigs, Northern Democrats and "Free Soilers" who opposed the expansion of Slavery (opposed Kansas-Nebraska Act) and held a Hamiltonian vision for modernizing the country. Besides opposition to slavery, the new party put forward a vision of modernizing the United States—emphasizing higher education, banking, railroads, industry and cities, while promising free homesteads to farmers.
Given the historical significance of today, I got to thinking: In business, the best way to justify a higher price for a better value is to educate your customer on the difference. Teach your customer to appreciate the better quality, allow them to grow accustomed to the better quality, then they will pay for it. Similarly, I think the best way to expand the base of the Republican Party is to explain the historical and practical reasonings for its beliefs. Educate the people as to why Republicans feel the way they do, illuminate the responsible choice, and people will follow.
The modern Democrat Party, with their Jefferson-Jackson dinners to name one example, have some how managed to hijack the legacy of early presidents to justify their political positions. Yes, Jefferson was in favor of a purer democracy while Hamilton was more in favor of republicanism. However, the Republican Party needs to celebrate Adams & Hamilton and draw a straght line to Lincoln - TR - Reagan. The GOP also needs to explain how Washington was a Federalist and how John Marshall (Chief Justice), as a Federalist, preserved nationalism and the integrity of the Constitution. The Republican Party is losing the battle to protect and celebrate its history. Some how the Democrats have used Jefferson's popularity as a means to bury Hamilton; they have used John Marshall's judicial review as means to justify their activist-judges. And, in the biggest historical-scam of all, the modern Democrat Party has used early Democrat-visions of a purer democracy, in the hands of the people to protect against a strong executive, and have turned it into a justification for socialist programs via Wilson, FRD & LBJ.
More importantly, and this goes back to educating the masses, the Republian Party (in its true form, when not being watered down by quasi-conservatives who spend too much) is failing to showcase how fiscal responsibility, a strong executive and conservative judges are not modern creations. These ideas are not a creation of the modern GOP to take advantage of fear (war on terror) or cultural opportunities ("religious right") or money, as the Democrats would have you believe. These principals of fiscal responsibility, a strong executive and conservative judges are the root of our founding as a nation. They were at the root of our first 2 Presidents, our first Secretary of the Treasury and our first Chief Justice. They were at the root of the first meeting of the Republican Party 154 years ago, and these were the guiding principals of Lincoln, the First Republican President, when he saved our nation from ruin. These pillars of conservatism can be seen at the turn of the 20th century in Teddy Roosevelt and at the end of the 20th century in Ronald Reagan.
I have alway believed that conservatism is a more intellectally challenging belief system. The onis is on the Republican Party to educate the voters, highlight the historical precedence for Republican beliefs, and do not let the Democrat Party own the political history of the USA.
