Filed under: National Issues
The greatest question which has gripped the Republican Party of late, particularly after the NY-23 debacle, is whether the future of the party will be driven by solid principles, or by political pragmatism. Some argue that we must compromise our principles in order to be the majority party, while others argue that if our party is not consistently conducting public business according to our principles that it is useless even with a majority. Like with most things, nothing can illuminate this question with greater authority than history can.
Remember last time the Republicans had the majority in both houses of Congress? It was only a few years ago. What led to their demise and the recent branding of Republicans as being “irrelevant”? Was it the inability or unwillingness to act according to a) political pragmatism, or b) conservative principles? Yes, the answer is “B” of course! Compromising principles for political expediency is the epitome of irrelevancy. The result was that liberals pointed to the failures of the Republican Party and attributed them incorrectly to conservatism, and that is what the ill informed people who vote for the liberals believe. Can anybody point to me one example within the last hundred years where political pragmatism has brought about something good for America in the long run?
First let’s define our terms a little bit. Pragmatism can be defined as the philosophy that whatever seems to be practical or whatever works in a situation, is right. So then, to our list of a few of the greatest contributions of political pragmatism in the last hundred years;
1) Social Security
In the 1930s, amidst the Great Depression, President Roosevelt signed into law a series of legislation including the Social Security Act, in response to the widespread poverty. This was an act of sheer pragmatism. It seemed practical, and it “worked”. Where was principle on this one? Well, the Supreme Court was ready to strike these new laws down because of the mere fact that they were clearly out of the bounds of the constitutionally enumerated powers of the federal government. That is, until Roosevelt threatened to stack the court with additional justices, and they caved in. So now we have this wonderfully bloated and corrupt federal entitlement program called Social Security. Thank you, political pragmatism! This one sent the USS Constitution and her principles listing out of control. And she has yet to regain her bearings.
2) Medicare
Another great program like social security for which we can thank political pragmatism! What would we do if the government wasn’t taking our money from us so that it can take care of us when we’re old? God forbid we might have to resort to forming stronger familial relationships or saving our own money.
3) Roe vs. Wade
How did political pragmatism contribute to the “legalization” of abortion across America? By trampling on the principles of the Constitution in other matters such as Social Security and Medicare, making it possible for the Supreme Court, which has no Constitutional authority to legislate, to make it so.
4) Universal Government Run Healthcare
Just like with Roe vs. Wade, if it were not for the political pragmatism of the past which has discombobulated the principles of the Constitution, there would not be this clear and present danger of government run health care which we now face. Social Security and Medicare have paved the way for this monstrosity.
These are just a few examples which particularly stand out. All of which could have been averted by simply following the Constitution! Some will argue that while we want to be principled on the issues, we must be pragmatic when it comes to candidates we support. They say we must be mindful of who has the best chance of winning in a given area and support them within the Republican Party. How self-defeating! When we support candidates who are not strong on the fundamental conservative principles of the Republican Party because we feel that they have a better chance of winning than a conservative candidate, we damage the cause of conservatism. We truly become irrelevant, as Republicans were labeled after losing control of Congress due to their lack of principled leadership and action.
This then begs the question: Are we Republicans to be Republicans, or are we Republicans because Republicans stand for conservative principles and for following the Constitution? If we are just merely members of one team playing a political game to gain control for the sake of control, then America is lost. Political pragmatism cannot help save our nation, but conservative principles and returning to the Constitution can. If our Republican leaders don’t believe that then we must vote them out for their lack of vision.
Here’s how we grow the Republican Party, the principled way:
Dedication—to conservative principles, to restoring the constitutional boundaries of the government, and to raising up and supporting candidates to run for office who will do so.
Education—we must work within communities across the country to educate people on the history of our nation, the Constitution, and what conservative principles are all about. Most liberals are liberals because that’s all that they’ve been taught to understand. We need to reach out to those people with our principles, not by accepting liberal politicians into our camp.
Inspiration—by working to promote a clear understanding of the principles which we stand for, and with dedicated leadership, we can inspire the disenfranchised American people to believe in the Republican Party again and to engage in the political process as Republicans. While strong principles have the ability to inspire, pragmatism does not because it is tepid. And if the Republican Party can inspire even its own people to believe again, the gains that that will represent both to America and to the Republican Party will be beyond quantification. And the growth which will result will be far greater and more useful to the cause of conservatism.
It’s time for conservative, principled leadership in our government. We must be willing to take the long and hard road—the narrow path as it were, to bring our country back. It will not come without sacrifice or without opposition, and our character will be tested; but this is not a game, it is a battle for the future of the country which our children will inherit.
