America Needs Two Strong Parties

I have always tried to make clear my political biases. I am a moderate liberal Democrat. I make no apologies for that and feel it is consistent with my religious beliefs and personal philosophies. With that said, I firmly believe we need a strong Republican party and strong Republican candidates for President and for the legislative branches. It is the mix of ideas that give us the best overall product for our country.

I also believe that the entire political spectrum has changed for the worse over the past three and half decades. The entire spectrum has shifted significantly to the right, both Republicans and Democrats. But that shift has not brought the parties closer together. I have written about this before that the most left Republicans are still significantly right of the most moderate Democrat. Those moderate folk of both parties that could work out deals for the good of the country no longer exist. Thus, the incredible mess we find ourselves in today; the gridlocks of all gridlocks. In my opinion the worse it has been in all of American history.

Now to the point of this article. I think the real problem facing us today lies primarily in the conservative movements which have their traditions, value resulting in lost direction. Here me out before just writing this off as the whining of a liberal.

I want to the Republican Party to be stronger and more reflective on conservatism we have seen in times gone by. The type of Conservatism that existed prior to the past three and half decades when conservatism move away from its roots and basic values.

There is a book out by Mickey Edwards, entitled, “Reclaiming Conservatism: How a Great American Political Movement Got Lost -- and how it can find its way back,  that I think expresses this viewpoint extremely well. For kindle users, you can download a sample of this book to try it out for free before you buy it. I think it is great and plan on buying it when I finish the sample.

In my college years I was quite enamored by Barry Goldwater. Edwards takes us back to those times and clearly lays out the traditional conservative values that have contributed greatly to this country. In our recent era those values have been lost. Reagan, while he believed in these values I think lacked a full understanding of conservatism and led the party down an unrealistic garden path that Republicans have been following in one form or another since. Reagan promised less government, reduced taxes, military buildup, and reduced debt all at the same time. It couldn’t be done and he led the country on a ridiculous spending spree, worsened by G.W. Bush. And now we have these irrational intractable beliefs that has created a lose lose way of politics.

Let me repeat my premise, we need two strong political parties for this country in order for our government to live up to the dreams and visions of the countries founders. Parties that can adapt to a new and changed world bringing the values that will benefit all.

So, let me strongly implore you to read Mickey Edward’s book and ask others to read it as well. It is a good compliment to President Obama’s book, The Audacity of Hope. Together they bring the values of two great traditions that made us the country we were and hope to become again. Read them both, not just to back up your own viewpoints and arguments but learn of the values of these views of our country.