The Moderate Republican: William F. Buckley was right

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.

In David Frum's new post over at The New Majority he channels William F. Buckley:

Many years ago, at another dark time for conservatism, William F. Buckley did a marvelous interview. It's collected in his book of columns, Inveighing We Will Go. I'll have to quote from memory here, but the interview concluded with an explanation from Bill about the mission of National Review as he then saw it. We are maintaining an air strip in the jungle. And when the planes begin to land, we'll be there to welcome them - coffee and coke on the house.

That is the spirit that the GOP needs now. After all Obama won approximately 10 million more votes than McCain did. Luckily, many of those right-of-center voters who decided to go with Obama out of frustration with the Republican Party now have reason to regret their decision. We need to encourage and include any converts we can if we hope to make significant gains in 2010 and 2012.

The Moderate Republican

What the Moderate Republican Stands For

The American Conservative » Rod Dreher

Via Meadia

Front Porch Republic

David Brooks

The Soap Box

William F. Buckley was right

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