What the Moderate Republican Stands For

Republicans came to power as the party of big ideas, and without returning to that model they could be looking at a long winter. Additionally, those big ideas need to focus on Middle America. Three issues that could work are conservation, reform and localism.

Conservation- a return to the Teddy Roosevelt model of conservation. One doesn’t necessarily have to buy into global warming to appreciate the need to protect the natural resources we have.

Reform- the federal government is bigger than ever, and won’t be getting any smaller over the next four years. Republicans need to fashion themselves as national reformers. Much of Middle America wants the government as safety net, but bloated bureaucracies breed corruption that needs to be dealt with.

Localism- this is the lynchpin that brings it all together. If we bought our food locally, shopped locally, governed locally, many of the issue we now have to deal with would go away, or at the least become manageable.

Below is a collection of writers who speak about the things that matter. Some are Right, some Left and some Center, but all intelligent and rational voices.

The American Conservative » Rod Dreher

Via Meadia

Front Porch Republic

David Brooks

The Soap Box

Weekend Book Review

Each weekend we'll bring a new book recommendation. If you'd like other suggestions try our book wheel below.

The author, a political scientist, historian, businessman and former military professional uses illustrations and analogies to explain his points in a lively, easy to read and understand original work. This book is for people who want to understand today's political landscape and how to take action if they aren't happy with what they see. Young people just becoming eligible to vote, as well as seasoned voters should read this book.

People wanting moderate balanced candidates to choose from must speak up. This book shows the reader why this is so and how to do so with maximum impact. Written with the feel of a self-help book, Neither Liberal Nor Conservative Be seeks to stop polarized politics by causing people to explore their political philosophy and think about what they believe with regard to the purpose, rules and definitions of politics and government.

New insights provided include: Why voters feel they are being forced to choose between the lesser of two evils (and what to do about it). Evaluating the acceptability of political solutions to social issues. Developing your own personal political philosophy. Why inconsistency is a key factor enabling polarized politics to exist. Three principles that can be used to overcome inconsistency. How to evaluate political issues without the labels of liberal or conservative. How to talk about politics with unreasoning zealots (on both sides).

Achieving better government by focusing on the desired outcomes of government instead of conflicting accusations about who to fear and who to blame. What issues are today's equivalent of Prohibition and how they can be settled. The conflicts of Polarized Politics will not resolve themselves. Read this book to find out the simple easy things you can do to make a difference.

Post sponsored by Quality-Resumes. 

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