The ideal Republican candidate for president would be divorced, a former governor of a liberal state, allow amnesty for millions of illegal aliens, a card carrying member of the Hollywood elite and heresy of all heresy, approve tax increases. Of course I am talking about the patron saint of the modern Republican Party, Ronald Reagan.
Reagan and the great saints of the church have become mere idols rather than authentic role models. How many people really understand why the early church elevated certain followers to sainthood? How many can tell you of the brilliance of St. Augustine or the compassion of St. Francis? To the extent most people know of them, they have been reduced to simple icons and have lost all depth and meaning of what really elevated them to sainthood.
I would argue we have done the same to the political genius that was Ronald Reagan. He is much more than an icon portrayed by so many in the Republican Party and the talk show network. He was a man of deeply held principles and yes, he was even a darn good politician. These two attributes are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are critical and it is paramount that the modern Republican Party recognize this fact if it want to effectively govern and lead the nation.
A member of Congress who merely has convictions or principles is little more than a clanging gong. All the right convictions coupled with the inability to sway others is useless in the political process. The congressperson might be good for exciting sound bites or TV punditry but they are ill suited for political effectiveness. Now don’t get me wrong. Convictions are the bedrock of any good politician. Reagan had them and everyone who came into contact with him knew he had them.
Reagan had several core principles that shaped his political philosophy. These convictions were: belief in the individual rather than groups, a smaller and less intrusive federal government and an undeniable sense of optimism about America’s exceptionalism and its future. In addition he was a big tent Republican. He sought to include as many people as possible into his political world view. He evidenced this by his famous statement that ‘if somebody agrees with me 80% of the time, that doesn't make him my enemy.” Reagan would work with the modern day Republican In Name Only (RINO’s) and blue dog democrats. These are (or should be) the core principles that drive the Republican Party today.
However, convictions are not enough. Just like a monk isolated on a mountain top monastery, the best ideals without the ability to influence those around you are a waste. Saint Reagan was an effective politician not only because of his convictions but due to the fact he did not stay on the mountain top. He entered the fray of politics in California and Washington. He was the most effective Republican president in generations, if not all time. He was not held hostage by his convictions, rather he used them to drive the political process. He consistently moved the nation closer his core beliefs one step at a time. Sometimes he even took a step back to take two steps forward. That is the essence of politics.
Remember, Reagan is not a simple icon or a medallion to hang around your neck. He was the consummate politician. He was so successful that Bill Clinton, the patron saint of the modern Democratic Party was forced to declare “the era of big government is over”. Reagan won, clear and simple. He had won the hearts and minds of the American people.
He did it by sticking to his convictions AND compromising along the way. Today’s Republicans and many in the Tea Party have much to learn from this. The nation is split. The fact that the Republicans think the other half of the country is flat-out wrong does not matter. The genius of our government is it follows the collective will of the people not those with the most passion or loudest voices. As long as the nation is split the Republicans will be unable to significantly achieve their goals. This does not mean that they quit trying; it just means they will have to get big and small victories whenever and where ever they can.
The Republicans need to win the majority of the hearts and minds of the American people. They do this by adopting and implementing the principles and political philosophy of the real, not sanctified, Ronald Reagan.
LaGrange Daily News 7.21.11
Monday, July 25, 2011
What the Republicans Can Learn from Reagan
The ideal Republican candidate for president would be divorced, a former governor of a liberal state, allow amnesty for millions of illegal aliens, a card carrying member of the Hollywood elite and heresy of all heresy, approve tax increases. Of course I am talking about the patron saint of the modern Republican Party, Ronald Reagan.
Reagan and the great saints of the church have become mere idols rather than authentic role models. How many people really understand why the early church elevated certain followers to sainthood? How many can tell you of the brilliance of St. Augustine or the compassion of St. Francis? To the extent most people know of them, they have been reduced to simple icons and have lost all depth and meaning of what really elevated them to sainthood.
I would argue we have done the same to the political genius that was Ronald Reagan. He is much more than an icon portrayed by so many in the Republican Party and the talk show network. He was a man of deeply held principles and yes, he was even a darn good politician. These two attributes are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are critical and it is paramount that the modern Republican Party recognize this fact if it want to effectively govern and lead the nation.
A member of Congress who merely has convictions or principles is little more than a clanging gong. All the right convictions coupled with the inability to sway others is useless in the political process. The congressperson might be good for exciting sound bites or TV punditry but they are ill suited for political effectiveness. Now don’t get me wrong. Convictions are the bedrock of any good politician. Reagan had them and everyone who came into contact with him knew he had them.
Reagan had several core principles that shaped his political philosophy. These convictions were: belief in the individual rather than groups, a smaller and less intrusive federal government and an undeniable sense of optimism about America’s exceptionalism and its future. In addition he was a big tent Republican. He sought to include as many people as possible into his political world view. He evidenced this by his famous statement that ‘if somebody agrees with me 80% of the time, that doesn't make him my enemy.” Reagan would work with the modern day Republican In Name Only (RINO’s) and blue dog democrats. These are (or should be) the core principles that drive the Republican Party today.
However, convictions are not enough. Just like a monk isolated on a mountain top monastery, the best ideals without the ability to influence those around you are a waste. Saint Reagan was an effective politician not only because of his convictions but due to the fact he did not stay on the mountain top. He entered the fray of politics in California and Washington. He was the most effective Republican president in generations, if not all time. He was not held hostage by his convictions, rather he used them to drive the political process. He consistently moved the nation closer his core beliefs one step at a time. Sometimes he even took a step back to take two steps forward. That is the essence of politics.
Remember, Reagan is not a simple icon or a medallion to hang around your neck. He was the consummate politician. He was so successful that Bill Clinton, the patron saint of the modern Democratic Party was forced to declare “the era of big government is over”. Reagan won, clear and simple. He had won the hearts and minds of the American people.
He did it by sticking to his convictions AND compromising along the way. Today’s Republicans and many in the Tea Party have much to learn from this. The nation is split. The fact that the Republicans think the other half of the country is flat-out wrong does not matter. The genius of our government is it follows the collective will of the people not those with the most passion or loudest voices. As long as the nation is split the Republicans will be unable to significantly achieve their goals. This does not mean that they quit trying; it just means they will have to get big and small victories whenever and where ever they can.
The Republicans need to win the majority of the hearts and minds of the American people. They do this by adopting and implementing the principles and political philosophy of the real, not sanctified, Ronald Reagan.
LaGrange Daily News 7.21.11
Reagan and the great saints of the church have become mere idols rather than authentic role models. How many people really understand why the early church elevated certain followers to sainthood? How many can tell you of the brilliance of St. Augustine or the compassion of St. Francis? To the extent most people know of them, they have been reduced to simple icons and have lost all depth and meaning of what really elevated them to sainthood.
I would argue we have done the same to the political genius that was Ronald Reagan. He is much more than an icon portrayed by so many in the Republican Party and the talk show network. He was a man of deeply held principles and yes, he was even a darn good politician. These two attributes are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are critical and it is paramount that the modern Republican Party recognize this fact if it want to effectively govern and lead the nation.
A member of Congress who merely has convictions or principles is little more than a clanging gong. All the right convictions coupled with the inability to sway others is useless in the political process. The congressperson might be good for exciting sound bites or TV punditry but they are ill suited for political effectiveness. Now don’t get me wrong. Convictions are the bedrock of any good politician. Reagan had them and everyone who came into contact with him knew he had them.
Reagan had several core principles that shaped his political philosophy. These convictions were: belief in the individual rather than groups, a smaller and less intrusive federal government and an undeniable sense of optimism about America’s exceptionalism and its future. In addition he was a big tent Republican. He sought to include as many people as possible into his political world view. He evidenced this by his famous statement that ‘if somebody agrees with me 80% of the time, that doesn't make him my enemy.” Reagan would work with the modern day Republican In Name Only (RINO’s) and blue dog democrats. These are (or should be) the core principles that drive the Republican Party today.
However, convictions are not enough. Just like a monk isolated on a mountain top monastery, the best ideals without the ability to influence those around you are a waste. Saint Reagan was an effective politician not only because of his convictions but due to the fact he did not stay on the mountain top. He entered the fray of politics in California and Washington. He was the most effective Republican president in generations, if not all time. He was not held hostage by his convictions, rather he used them to drive the political process. He consistently moved the nation closer his core beliefs one step at a time. Sometimes he even took a step back to take two steps forward. That is the essence of politics.
Remember, Reagan is not a simple icon or a medallion to hang around your neck. He was the consummate politician. He was so successful that Bill Clinton, the patron saint of the modern Democratic Party was forced to declare “the era of big government is over”. Reagan won, clear and simple. He had won the hearts and minds of the American people.
He did it by sticking to his convictions AND compromising along the way. Today’s Republicans and many in the Tea Party have much to learn from this. The nation is split. The fact that the Republicans think the other half of the country is flat-out wrong does not matter. The genius of our government is it follows the collective will of the people not those with the most passion or loudest voices. As long as the nation is split the Republicans will be unable to significantly achieve their goals. This does not mean that they quit trying; it just means they will have to get big and small victories whenever and where ever they can.
The Republicans need to win the majority of the hearts and minds of the American people. They do this by adopting and implementing the principles and political philosophy of the real, not sanctified, Ronald Reagan.
LaGrange Daily News 7.21.11
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