A Duty to Fulfill

According to the most recent election polling by Gallup, the GOP holds a strong 9-point lead over the Democratic Party for the 2010 election. And while DNC chair Tim Kaine has been feigning victory over the past several days, it has become obvious among Democrats that their hopes of commanding the House of Representatives are all but lost as nearly one hundred seats are in place for a party switch this year. Not surprisingly, most Republicans are already fantasizing about their return to power in the lower house, yet something must remain constant even as they accept the laurels of confirmed triumph: their commitment to the American People.

In 1995, a giddy conservative majority led by Newt Gingrich took the oath of office, coming to power with a supposed dedication to the country through their Contract with America, a multiple bulleted document that promised among many things, to abolish the Department of Education and privatize part of the American social security system. Regardless of their signing however, most of the Republicans turned back on their promises, quickly becoming a corrupted party of age which led them to a humiliating defeat in 2006, and a supplemental version of the same in 2008.

Last month, the Republicans unveiled their 2010 “Pledge to America,” which is arguably more modest than its counterpart of 1994, yet still does take some braver steps towards cutting the budget deficit, albeit very slightly. What’s more important than this however is that the GOP follows through with their promises of fiscal conservatism, including not creating more federal agencies to balance out the 100 billion which they have committed to eliminate from the spending projections.

Furthermore, Republicans must act to give a new agenda to America to contrast that of Barack Obama, who obviously remains in the Whitehouse at least until 2013. Simply complaining about his policies will quickly sink the conservatives into a mire of defeat in the 2012 presidential race, much like William Clinton trounced the opposition nominee in 1996, despite a Republican -controlled House and Senate. This means looking at ways to solve the problem of social security, cutting large amounts of government waste, and potentially passing a resolution to limit the mandate of the Department of Homeland Security to no more than ten years. The latter has simply become a convenient way for less than qualified college graduates to get jobs which do not generally contribute to the nation’s security—and instead limit its financial stability.

But finally, the issue comes down to how firm the GOP intends to be on ethics and governmental integrity. It truly has become too easy, under the former GOP majority and now beneath the Democrats, for lobbyists and financial institutions to grab hold of the collar of most representatives, forcing them to obey or forfeit considerable campaign funds with their denial. Republicans have a duty to either stand up against this corruption, or stand down in defeat at the ballot box.

The next two years, more likely than not under a lower house GOP leadership, must include a majority part which does not falter or grow weak to the pressure of the lobbyists. Conservatives need to preserve truth and honor in Washington, starting with their own party.  

Jordan Wells

National Alliance Vice President for Policy