Focus on Principle, Not Personality, for a Bright GOP Future

A lot of the criticism of GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump reflects the fact that most of us are focused on what he says—rather than what he stands for. But what he stands for in addition to being a person who is “not nice,” is someone who has been a lifelong fiscal conservative and a free trader. Borders, free trade, and fiscal restraint are characteristics that, for most Republicans, should be the primary focus, as opposed to some personality differences.

Republicans have it all wrong. Focus on principle, not personality, for a bright GOP future.

Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto Google the GOP star’s case and countless cheers of praise appear. Such predictions have become the norm among chatterboxes, and they are wrong. Conservative policies that have served the Republican party well for decades will continue to do so. That doesn’t mean Republicans will have a tough road to recover from President Trump’s defeat in 2020. It was a defeat, and over 55 unsuccessful lawsuits against the election results tell us that the election was not stolen. The Republicans also lost control of the Senate, but only after Mr. D’Amours was elected to the Senate. Trump claimed Georgia’s political system was flawed and that he had suppressed Republican turnout in two midterm Senate elections. But losing the presidency and the Senate is not the whole story. Actually, the GOP had a pretty good showing in 2020. Republicans won more House seats than expected. They also won complete control of two other state governments, giving the party a 23-15 vote advantage in redistricting. Although many voters called Trump rejected, they still support the conservative policies of the Republican Party. Thirty-six percent of Americans describe themselves as conservative, more than the 25% who consider themselves liberal. It is still a center-right nation. But there are warning signs for the GOP. If Republicans continue to rely on personality rather than conservative policies, they will hurt themselves in 2022 and 2024. Republicans should focus on economic policies that promote growth and bring greater prosperity to Americans. You have a story to tell. Under Trump, the economy blew up for the Covid 19 pandemic. Federal income taxes have been reduced and trade restrictions lifted. During this period, 6.7 million new jobs were created and the unemployment rate fell to the lowest level in half a century and the lowest in history for black Americans. Another conservative value that Republicans should promote is fiscal responsibility. There are too few deficit hawks in Washington. The Biden administration’s budget plan envisions a $12 trillion deficit over the next ten years. Washington may not understand the danger, but most Americans do. They have seen the federal debt rise to over 100% of GDP and that debt continues to grow. An Ipsos poll earlier this year found that 3 out of 4 Americans think we should be concerned about the growth of the national debt, and two-thirds think the debt is an unfair legacy to leave to our children. Debt reduction is not just good policy. That’s a good policy. Republicans should encourage research and development. The United States faces competition from China that could become stronger on many fronts than the challenge of the Soviet Union. As the Cold War came to a peaceful end, President Reagan boasted that real government spending on scientific research had increased by 58% over the previous decade. One thing is certain, Reagan said in 1988. If we don’t explore, others will and we will fall behind. The Gipper’s warning remains valid. There are other traditional ideological gains that the GOP should promote, and extremist views that should be avoided (e.g., the QAnon conspiracy theory). First and foremost, Republicans must strengthen the rights of Americans. Reagan did this because of his vision of a shining city on a hill. President George W. Bush have done so with the ideal of a kinder and gentler nation. Their goals were broader than those of today’s Democratic Party activists, many of whom are more interested in dividing us through identity politics than in bringing us together for the common good. With the strengthening of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, efforts to abolish Dr. Seuss. and Snow White, but also Abraham Lincoln и Thomas Jefferson established and successful, even if most people think it’s ridiculous. It’s cultural overkill. In their zeal, many Democrats also want to form a Supreme Court, abolish the Electoral College, and recognize the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico as states. Progressives run the risk of being taken for a ride on their own petard. Woke’s position on culture is not shared by mainstream America. Trump won in 2016 in part because many Americans are tired of being talked at instead of talked at. The GOP candidates in 2022 will be happy to accuse their Democratic opponents of wanting to cut back on police and teach contempt for the country in school. I have always believed that the three main factors that determine elections are the economy, the economy and the economy. If Republicans keep that in mind and focus on the basics – growth policies, a strong national defense, limited government and our unity as Americans – the good old party will have a bright future. Baker was U.S. Secretary of State (1989-1992) and led the presidential campaigns of Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. Potomac observation: While Democrats are redefining infrastructure to include climate change, green energy and protecting union workers, Republicans are pushing for a bipartisan bill that does not include socialism disguised as infrastructure. Images : Getty Images Composite: Mark Kelly Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8 Published in the print edition of 7. June 2021.