Americans yearn for freedom. Many have been seduced by the absurd promises of big-government politicians claiming they'll solve everybody's problems. But even most of those people will respond to a message of empowerment through limited government that will create opportunities for them to generate wealth. These positions will also animate the untapped libertarian mainstream of America that long ago opted out of big-government politics because nobody represented them. Even those who are unsuccessful because of their own decisions will be able to blame the government.
To that end, Presidential candidates in 2008 should adopt the following positions and rhetoric based on the idea of helping Americans take back power, freedom, and responsibility from the government. It's a "power to the people" message with substance. It capitalizes on the rhetoric both sides use so hypocritically, but it implements libertarian principles that will really work to empower people to generate wealth and security and appeal to almost everybody, the same principles that made America great before big government took over.
A number of these positions are bold and many would be considered unpopular. But America is sick of having mealy-mouthed, feel-good politicians lie to them. Americans will sacrifice to make this a better country for their kids if they're well informed and they trust the leader. And America is looking for a bold leader who will tell it like it is. A savvy candidate will turn the unpleasant news to his advantage and emerge as a bold leader the likes of which we haven't seen since Ronald Reagan.
1. Hold the budget flat for 2 years.
People are so used to growing government that promising to hold spending flat for 4 years would be too scary, and attacks from the left would be hard to overcome. But everybody in America on both sides knows that we'll get along just fine if the budget is held flat for 2 years. Picking 2 years is bold - it's not just 1 year. A candidate should wield this position as a weapon against all opponents, challenging them. Representatives can get on board with the 2 year promise as well. The candidate can always repeat for another 2 years after the country sees how successful this is.
2. Adopt the FairTax.
The FairTax will be popular with 90% of Americans. It's a no-brainer. The FairTax will let Americans compete on a level playing field with foreign workers by taxing foreign goods and American made goods exactly the same. The candidate can sell the FairTax to protectionists (or populists as they're being called), because it will bring jobs back to the US. At the same time, the candidate can support free trade. Everybody wants to see drug dealers and tax cheats pay their fair share. Everybody keeps 100% of their paychecks. This issue will galvanize support from both sides.
3. Abolish the Dept. of Education.
Only those in power support the Dept. of Education, once they understand what it does. From the most liberal mother to the most conservative mother, they want their children to get a good education. They also agree to disagree about what a good education is. That means they both want school choice. Getting the federal government out of the education business is the best and fastest way to get school choice implemented all over the country. And it saves money.
4. Get the government out of health care.
The left, and even some of the right have come to think that socialized medicine is the way to go. But that's because nobody has explained the problem in the right terms. The problem is the same as the education problem, and you can't explain it by saying government drives up the price. What people really want is health care choice, they just haven't ever heard of that because nobody has made that argument. All the talk about government involvement driving up prices of education and health care is useless. Tell them they can have the choice between different kinds of cheap, effective health care from multiple vendors.
5. Win the Iraq war.
With the press telling us that most Americans want us out of Iraq, this may seem counterintuitive, but Americans do not want to be defeated. A candidate with a message of victory will overcome the anti-war sentiment. And the reasons we started the war no longer matter. A candidate can make those cases, just not Bush, but no other candidate has tried. A candidate that comes out firmly for victory and the positive results of victory without focusing on the past can galvanize the country.
Make the case that it'll be far more expensive in blood and treasure in the long run to lose in Iraq than it will be to win. The loss of credibility alone, even without the subsequent violence that will explode all over the planet, is enough. What credibility we have left will be gone for years or decades if we choose to lose. All the credibility we have lost by floundering in Iraq can be regained, and more, by winning. Push this positive message.
6. Stop illegal immigration.
Poll after poll reports that Americans want an end to illegal immigration. A candidate who will dry up the jobs and benefits for gate crashers, is smart enough to tell the difference between a gate crasher and an immigrant who came here legally and tried to work within the system only to be screwed, without being a hypocrite like the johnny-come-lately Republican hawks in 2006 who were defeated, will get all that support. A candidate can be a real immigration hawk and moderate at the same time because of these two classes of illegal immigrants.
7. Phase out entitlements completely.
Americans will understand the hard truth of entitlements if somebody just tells them. FDR knew that Social Security was unsustainable when he created it, and every politician since knew the same. Unfortunately we have to pay the price for the folly of our political ancestors, and better now than later. Entitlements will drive us into bankruptcy otherwise.
And as part of the message of people taking back power, freedom, and responsibility from the government, entitlements need to disappear, because Americans get that power and wealth, not the government. They don't want another Federal program, like ownership accounts, to replace it. The young will have to pay benefits to cover commitments to the elderly, and they'll receive reduced or no benefits themselves. This is inevitable thanks to titanic spenders FDR, LBJ, GWB and Republicans and Democrats, but all Americans will be better off when entitlements are completely gone. Americans will understand this from an honest candidate.
8. Significantly reduce government interference in the free market.
A smart candidate will explain that government interference in the market suppresses wages and drives up CEO salaries. The so-called wage gap that is such a hot issue is caused by big government interference, and making that point will win over a lot of workers from both sides. This is a winning issue for a smart, small government candidate.
9. Appoint judges who acknowledge that the Constitution means what it says.
Judges who acknowledge the Constitution means what it says are our second best guarantee of limited government. The best guarantee is the people themselves, of course.
10. These positions will unite America, and that is our best tool for foreign policy, and it will empower Americans, which is our best weapon in the War on Terror. Those two factors, along with success in Iraq, will put China and Russia and their terror war proxies, Iran, North Korea, Syria and Venezuela on notice that the US is not to be messed with. A revitalized US, unburdened by titanic government, will again be a model to Europe, which might wake up from its self-destructive torpor.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment