There is no doubt that the nation is in need of change. Unfortunately, there is a misconception that the Republican Party is resistant to this idea. In reality, the GOP is not against change and being a Republican does not mean being in favor of the status quo.
The Republican Party has laid the groundwork for many of the greatest changes in American history and has established institutions which are extremely important to our country. Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, and it was under Republican administrations that the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments—the civil rights amendments—paved the way for the extension of political rights to all Americans. Under Theodore Roosevelt, the party halted the power of rampant businesses through trust-busting. Roosevelt also helped bring America to the forefront of the world stage, a position we still occupy to this day. Dwight Eisenhower brought a successful ceasefire to Korea, launched NASA and began the civil rights movement when he signed into law the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960. Richard Nixon, despite the criticisms, did wonderful and visionary things, not the least of which was normalizing trade relations with communist China, with whom we now share $354.2 billion in trade per year. Nixon also understood the need to protect the world we live in when he founded the Environmental Protection Agency and began the withdrawal of American forces from South-East Asia. Ronald Reagan helped bring a peaceful end to the Cold War. At home, President Reagan oversaw America’s longest period of peacetime prosperity.
Once again, the Grand Old Party will rise to today’s greatest challenges: Islamic extremism, illegal immigration, Social Security and healthcare. Our success is grounded in the belief that “Government is not a solution to our problem; government is the problem.” We believe that the way to fix many of our nation’s problems is not with the bureaucracy and the lobbyists in Washington but with the people who make this nation great. The last several years, we have watched the government increasingly mishandle situations such as the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the war in Iraq. Special interest groups and wasteful spending rule the day.
The solution lies in good citizens and local and state governments which have served as the “laboratories of democracy,” yielding concepts like women’s suffrage. In these local governments, workable solutions and methods are being found for problems like illegal immigration, the healthcare crisis and equipping America’s children with the skills to compete in today’s society. Republicans fundamentally believe that individuals and municipalities have a much better grasp on what is needed to solve a problem. What may work in New York City might not work in Kansas City or Boise.
We believe the way to economic strength and prosperity is with minimal government intervention, allowing citizens to spend their money and stimulate continued growth. America’s greatness lies in the ingenuity and creativity of the people, not in government mandates.
The American people need a president who can confront the harrowing times that face this country and who can give the American people real hope for the future, not just empty rhetoric. As Democratic New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has said, “Is experience a leper?” There is nothing wrong with experience, as long as it comes hand in hand with proper judgment and wisdom. Experience can be gained in a multitude of ways. Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.), Fred Thompson (R-Ten.), and Representative Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) worked in government on the national level. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.) and Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.) spent years in the governor’s mansion, and even Rudy Giuliani (R-N.Y.) the former mayor of New York City, which has more people than 39 states.
The Republican Party has a long history of bringing change; the crop of true leaders running this year will continue this trend and bring continued success for the nation in the future. These candidates share a history of bipartisanship and they possess many of the unique qualities, along with the essential values and beliefs, necessary for a successful presidency.
