The GOP Must Create An Effective Sales Pitch
Friday, January 8, 2010 at 1:02PM 
(FLP Opinion) - If Republicans want the broad support of the Tea Party faithful, independents and even some Democrats, they need to come forth with a set of Conservative principles that clearly articulate where they would take the country (similar to the Contract With America).
This document needs to effectively sell these fence-sitters on why the GOP candidate is a much better choice than the Democrat candidate. I selected twelve principles, some forward-thinking and substantive and others that serve as a reminder of the gross overreaching and general stupidity Democrats exhibited in 2009.
This strategy serves two purposes: 1) It reminds already angry voters what the Democrats in Congress did, and 2) It clearly articulates how Republicans would change course for the better.
I believe if Republicans committed to these principles, they would have the greatest chance of enticing the largest number of voters without having to compromise their values.
Republicans In The House and Senate Commit To The Following:
- Introduce legislation to rescind the Health Care and Cap & Trade bills (if either passes).
- Make it illegal to provide citizenship to any person who first entered this country unlawfully.
- Cut all federal spending by 3% across the board (with the exception of defense and homeland security); extend Bush tax cuts to help revive the economy.
- Post all legislation online for at least ten days prior to any vote to ensure members of Congress and the public are given enough time to read it.
- Hold all legislative hearings and debate in public forums open to the media – like C-SPAN.
- No more Republican earmarks.
- Make it illegal to buy legislative votes with taxpayers money.
- Sell all private aircraft used to transport Congresspersons and use the proceeds to pay down the national debt.
- Eliminate the current oppressive, inefficient tax code and replace it with the Fair Tax or Flat Tax to increase tax revenues and allow taxpayers to keep more of their own money.
- Hold all legislative votes during regular business hours to ensure the largest number of Americans are able to witness it.
- Cut the corporate tax rate, currently the highest in the world, by 50% to stimulate jobs and investment.
- Ban all use of the term Man-Caused-Disasters and instead return to using the word Terrorism to explain fanatics attacking American interests.
Obviously, some of these are more tongue-in-cheek than others, but they deliver a clear message to the voter.
Let me hear your thoughts and suggestions.
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Reader Comments (17)
Jobs, jobs, jobs ...
The GOP needs to clearly articulate actions (e.g. O'Reilly's bullet points) on what must be done to restore job growth in the U.S. (See: http://www.gop.com/index.php/briefing/comments/the_democrats_job_standard/ for background ).
Because of the deep recession, companies have learned to survive with fewer employees, and real job groth can only take place when the economy truly grows. We need to remove the inhibitors to job growth (union rules, federal laws and regs. (e.g. EPA, etc.)). Energy jobs (not necessarily "green" ones) are a great place to start. Lets kickstart a modern nuclear energy program and get the ball rolling (this cannot be delayed).
Also, the GOP needs list all the federal agencies and identify which ones are truly needed, and which ones could be cut to the bone or eliminated altogether (possibly the education department, and maybe the department of energy??)
Thanks for that Bruce. I had left out my restructuring of the corporate tax rate.
Totally agree with your other points, but I tried to pare it down to things that I though would engender and immediate, angry response from voters. You and I may vote on logic, but many in the middle seem to vote on whims that are driven by emotion.
The contract with America is what got the Republicans elected in 1994. They are going to have a similar contract to get elected again. They need to find a good leader real quick to lead the party.
I agree with your strategy on the emotion angle. Maybe if Sarah could make a few bad movies between now and 2012, she could be another Ronald Reagan? Most folks either love her or hate her; very little middle ground there.
You've got that right. I question how credible she is as a candidate. I love her conservative pedigree, but she really needs to know the information cold and I'm not sure she is there yet. Hopefully, she'll get to that point.
I definitely like how your twisting the knife in some of these points. It will remind people what the Democrats done.
A few other points, Unions need to be taken out of government, TERM LIMITS IN CONGRESS, and we need to have an amendment that makes it unconstitutional to have a deficit in any given year.
My fear is that there is more than one other party that is opposed to these arrogant greedy takeover activities that will ruin the country. And that this will dilute the sane people that see this mess for what it is and we might not get back all that is needed to fix things.
For example, please Mrs. Palin, wait till 2016 and endorse someone that is part of the GOP that you feel is the one to get us out of this. We need to join forces to defeat the 4th Reich and be allies all of us. Sweat the details (the differences) later. This mess needs to be fixed first before it reaches critical mass and we're lost.
Good list!
Re Palin: "I love her conservative pedigree, but she really needs to know the information cold and I'm not sure she is there yet. Hopefully, she'll get to that point."
Could you elaborate on what info she doesn't know "cold"?
TIA !
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How about no law that exempts members of congress and congress shall not vote for their own tax increases?
Bob, I'd be happy to. My primary concern with Palin is her tendency to speak in platitudes and cliches - she does it constantly. It's appealing at first, but as you move along it becomes less so in my opinion. Additionally, she does not seem to speak about foreign and domestic affairs with the same level competence as say a Dick Cheney.
I'm not suggesting that Palin is not sharp, but I think she needs to bone up before considering a run for the Presidency. The press will attack her relentlessly and she needs to be ready for that. Much more so than your run-of-the-mill Democrat.
Smoke and mirror BS - just what I would expect from you. There is no way the American public will put Republicans back in office. Besides, between immigration reform and the Universal Voter legislation that is going to pass, you don't have a prayer in a national election anyway.
Ha, ha.
Crunk pot calling the kettle here, you say we are all just smoke and mirrors but then go on to champion two pieces of legislation that will make every election smoke and mirrors. It also seems to me that you actually rooting for voter fraud and illegal aliens being given the right to vote Democrat only to tip the power of politics liberal forever. Shame on you. By the way the peoples cube has a new name for progressives to counter "tea baggers' its the Fisters, I love it.
One of the most credible things congress could do would be to tie their pay and raises to the economic index of the nation, just like the private sector does (are you listening, GOP?) Priority legislation, doesn't cost us anything, will actually save money and will improve performance and accountability.
Speaking of "smoke n mirrors", you'll definitely want to see their most excellent calendar at NobamaCalendar.com.
A petty, partisan, Republicrat list. Not one proposal tries to revamp the welfare/warfare State.
The fiscal propoals must rest on Reagan's Laffer curve where some miracle wipes away huge deficits that budget numbers indicate. How's that worked out so far here 30-years on? Obviously,wild idea was and remains vodoo economics.
A Constitutional Conservative's List
1. Abolish the Federal Reserve and return to sound money.
2. Abolish Commerce, Education, Homeland Secuity, HHS and Energy transferring some functions. Sharply reduce all other departments eliminating functions beyond the limits of the Constitution.
3. Bring all the troops home in short order ending the military-industrial-congressional complex.
4. Introduce job competition and cost incentives for all federal employees, epecially military officers. (Former JAG.) .
5. Impose means-tests for all entitlements ending entitlement accrual in most instances and ending all forms of corporate welfare promptly. Encourage charitable organizations from the bully-pulpit.
6. Abolish most federal taxes once the national debt has gone way down.
7. Amend the Constitution to end most congressional powers under the Commerce Clause. Appoint judges who limit government to its enumerated powers unlike all the present judges.
8. Breakup the government education monopoly by giving choice a level playing field.
9. End entanglements with other nations that limit the freedom of our nation while pursuing one exception, free-trade.
10.Establish an enforced immigration policy that seeks to attract the best and brightest from across the world.
Lodestar, as I said, my list is an effort to sell the mushy-middle on voting for more conservative candidates. I hardly think Republicans are perfect, but we can't afford to elect more Democrats. My list did not include a great deal of substantive policy recommendations like yours does.
That being said, I agree with most of what you've outlined, however, I don't agree with your assertion that Reagan policies were somehow voodoo economics. He had to work within the framework of the existing government which included Democrat majorities in one or both houses of Congress during both terms. Your suggestions, while attractive, couldn't have passed Congress at any point in the last 100 years - the political will or ideology was simply not there. If that changes moving forward, great, but until then, any Conservative President will be hamstrung and only capable of achieving legislation on a compromise basis.
I don't like it, but it is reality as it stands today.