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« Back to Opinion & Analysis
A Perfect Storm Brewing
Steven F. Hotze, M.D.
July 26, 2008
A perfect storm is brewing which could rock the Republican Party this November.
The Republican Party has been living off the legacy of Ronald Reagan who advocated free enterprise, personal initiative, limited government, low taxes, family values, and a strong national defense. Reagan spent his life challenging collectivism. He believed that the socialistic policies of the federal government were the problem which undermined American productivity. Reagan extolled entrepreneurship and viewed the free enterprise system as the best way to create wealth and prosperity, and promote liberty for all Americans.
McCain can be elected if he adopts and commits himself to Reagan's principles and articulates those values. The mainstream Republicans in Congress became complacent and lost their way. They seem to have forgotten about the small business owners and the common person on the street who elected them to carry out the Reagan agenda. These people were the backbone of the Reagan Revolution. To President Bush' credit, he did push through tax cuts and a decrease in the death tax. Yet the federal government has continued to expand with huge increases in government deficit spending.
In Texas, Governor Perry pushed through the Perry Business Tax and sold Republicans on it. This tax hit small businesses hard but large corporate interests were granted special exemptions. Businesses, not government, are the economic engines of our economy. Businesses need profits to grow and create more jobs in the private sector. When business profits are transferred to the government, then business declines and more entitlement programs are started and more bureaucrats are hired. The Republicans in Austin have presided over an enormous growth in the state government. If we had wanted that, then we could have left the Democrats in charge.
These and other shenanigans have undermined the confidence of conservatives in the Republican brand.
When Republicans campaign and govern as principled conservatives, they are victorious.
Many Republicans in leadership positions have realized that they made a terrible error in trusting Perry and are now strategizing on repealing Perry's Business Tax. This is to their credit. If the Democrats were to control the legislature, then they would increase this and all other taxes.
Obama and the Democrats claim they want change but all they offer is a more expansive government, socialized medicine, a nationalized oil industry and an undermining of Christian values in society. If we keep letting the federal and state governments grow, then we'll compound our problems. As Reagan warned us, "Government is the problem."
The perfect storm can be weathered and the tide turned if the Republican Party and its elected leaders will return to the free enterprise principles and constitutional values espoused by our forefathers and revived during the Reagan revolution.
The next few months will provide a great opportunity for those who want to reaffirm conservative principles. It will take a commitment from every conservative to hold our ground. If the ground is lost, then it will be very difficult to recapture it.
About Conservative Republicans of Texas
Steven F. Hotze, M.D. is president of Conservative Republicans of Texas and founder of Hotze Health & Wellness Center in Houston, Texas.
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