Letter to my representatives

Republicans have lost 3 out of 3 special elections this year, including what normally were solid Republican seats. They fear the loss of another 20 seats in the House and maybe surrender a filibuster-proof majority to Democrats in the Senate. They fear a run from libertarian Bob Barr. What are the lessons to be learned?

Immediately after the 2006 election, I wrote my representatives to explain that the people won't bother voting for Republicans when they act like Democrats. I pointed out that Republicans earned the antipathy of the American people by doubling the burden of government so quickly it made LBJ jealous. I pointed out that Americans rejected the entitlement mentality that Republicans had adopted just like Democrats. I pointed out that Americans did not want to start wars, but they sure wanted to win the wars were engaged in. I pointed out that Americans wanted the US to acknowledge the new Cold War of Terror being waged by China and Russia, and adopt policies to check their dangerous advance in power compared to ours. And I pointed out that the only way Republicans could rebound in 2008 was to reject the Democrat way of doing things, reject their entire leadership and reclaim the libertarian principles that Reagan championed to make the country more prosperous and the world safer.

Republicans did nothing I suggested. Instead, Republicans re-elected the same group of leaders, including one of the main architects of the Democratization of Republicans, Trent Lott of all people. Instead of fighting pork barrel spending, Republicans continue to try and out-pork Democrats. The war in Afghanistan has gotten worse, not better. Instead of reducing the budget, Republicans have pushed it over $3 trillion. We need to cut the size and scope of government in half, not keep increasing it.

When both parties are big-spending, big-entitlement, big-social program, income taxing, war-starting, war-never-ending parties, Americans vote Democrat.

The lesson is that the great mainstream America, including many on the right and left (often called Reagan Democrats) and the majority of Americans who have been driven in frustration from politics by the 2 big-government parties - hold libertarian principles. I don't think Republicans have the desire, or the time even if they had the desire, to win back Americans. I think we're going to have suffer under Democrats until some Republican steps up with libertarian values and leads the party back out of the wilderness.

ETA: Republicans have unveiled their grand new strategy - oops, I mean slogan - change you deserve. That ought to fix everything. But somehow I doubt this means the change Americans really deserve - government getting off their backs.