I Changed My Mind

I'm not resigning from the Republican Party. I know a few posts ago I said I was going to, but I have done some rethinking. After all it's the Republican Party that has left the republicans, not the true republicans who have left the party.

One of the problems as I see it through my somewhat jaundiced eyes is that there aren't many people who really know what a true republican is or what one stands for, including myself. We have let the media and the big money interests define what a republican is.

Go to any website, whether a tea party related one or any news site and there are as many definitions as to what a conservative or a republican is as there are, well websites. These sites are full of articles and blog posts discussing the decline of the party, etc. etc. yet none of them seem to have the same definition of what a conservative or republican really is.

And therein lies the problem. If every one has there own definition of who we are, how can we get anything done? How can we agree on anything? How can we ever come to a consensus as to where or what we should be doing?

There is one big difference between republicans and democrats, the democrats try to pander to everyone. Whatever group you belong to, black, white, Hispanic, gay, transgender, left handed whittler, they will pander to you. Republicans, on the other hand, until recently, haven't done that. This election we saw more of that from them, although it didn't work, and now there are calls for even more. I am not sure including everyone just for the sake of including everyone is the answer.

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We need to be a party of ideals, true conservative ideals, which we first need to define, or maybe redefine would be a better word. We need to get back to true conservatism, and then we need to bring back the current party to what it really should be.

It won't be easy. It took a long time to lose the party, it will take a long time to bring it back. But the time s now to start


I am a Republican because

• I believe the strength of our nation lies with the individual and that each person's dignity, freedom, ability, and responsibility must be honored.
• I believe in equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, creed, sex, age or disability.
• I believe in free enterprise and encouraging individual initiative have brought this nation opportunity, economic growth and prosperity.
• I believe government must practice fiscal responsibility and allow individuals to keep more of the money they earn.
• I believe the proper role of government is to provide for the people only those critical functions that cannot be performed by individuals or private organizations and that the best government is that which governs least.
• I believe the most effective, responsible and responsive government is the government closest to the people.
• I believe Americans must retain the principles that have made us strong while developing new and innovative ideas to meet the challenges of changing times.
• I believe Americans value and should preserve our national strength and pride while working to extend peace, freedom and human rights throughout the world.
• Finally, I believe the Republican Party is the best vehicle for translating these ideals into positive and successful principles of government.

-- Author Haley Barbour, former RNC Chairman