Former Senator Jim Demint once said that he would rather have 40 conservatives true to their principles in the Senate rather than have a majority of 60 unprincipled Republicans. In theory, I understand what he is saying. What is the purpose of having power if you do not have the will to do good, such as limit government and enforce the right rule of law, with that power? It’s a good point.
In reality, however, that is not the kind of choice we faced. We all woke up to a Republican majority Wednesday morning that is neither wholly good nor wholly bad; a majority with both constitutional conservatives like Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Mike Lee (R-UT) and moderate politicos like Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Susan Collins (R-ME). The question is: Can we both be true to our principles without being a party of purists? Is there room for centrists in a party of principle?
I believe the answer to this is based on the art of statesmanship. We must recognize that there are two forms of truth: Abiding truths that we establish as principles and circumstantial truths that are merely reflective of the realities on the ground. The art of statesmanship is marrying these two truths as best as he can.
The principles of the Republican Party are based on conservative values; limited government, adherence to the Constitution and rule of law, the dignity of life and the family, etc. The reality on the ground in places like Utah is that there is strong support among the people for these values. Thus we have a good Constitutional Senator from that state. The reality on the ground in purple Colorado and purple North Carolina is that the people there are somewhat chilly to our values and only slowly warming up to our principles as they begin to see the results of their principles and see the value in ours. Right now, the kind of candidates who can win in this purple states are Cory Gardner and Thom Tillis. I am not saying that conservatives should stop trying to replace the Thad Cochrans (R-MS) of the world. There must be room for the Cory Gardners of the world in places where only Cory Gardners can win.
We need to bide our time as we direct hearts, minds, and souls towards the values and principles of this nation. It doesn’t mean we have men like Scott Brown forever. Fruit has already been borne in liberal New England as the liberal Republican Olympia Snowe (R-ME) retired and the more conservative Patriots fan and pro-life mother Kelly Ayotte was elected in New Hampshire in 2010. I want our principles to become reality, and in order to do that we must also win. Not at the cost of abandoning our principles, but by recognizing that it will take time to get there and we need people who do not fully agree with our values to stand with us. We do not need to be a centrist party with conservative ideals; we need to be a conservative party that has room for people of all stripes.
Do not have unfair expectations for this Republican Congress. It is not going to establish conservative principles throughout society. We, the American people, must choose to adopt these conservative principles in our society. What this Republican majority can do though is stop President Obama’s overreaching administration from further undermining the Constitution and our religious freedoms. It can paint a vision of a better path forward. Perhaps not a bold pastel of a city on a hill, but a nation of laws with a respectful desire for liberty and a beginner’s understanding of the Constitution. I hope we can build off of this. We must take what we are given and run with it.
We must stem the tide of liberalism that is threatening to wash away the very foundations of our republican democracy and our values from this nation. We must win with the right candidates in the right place at the right time and slowly, through prudent and inclusive application of principle, we will bring this nation closer to the values and principles which define us as a free people under God.
