Conservatives must return to their core values

By Shay Bapple

After 26 years in Congress, you would think Sen. John McCain would have had things figured out.

Instead of being all over the map on issues in the past-including a threat to leave the Republican Party in 2001-maybe he could have taken a stand on bringing back real conservative values to the party. So far, he has come up with few conservative solutions to our economic problems and leaves us with the impression that he will spend more money than we can afford to if he becomes president.

Then he chooses the woman who runs Alaska as a running mate, who puts his conservatism to shame. It’s too bad Gov. Sarah Palin doesn’t have more experience in the national spotlight because she would represent the Republican Party with much more respect than McCain. She reduced spending and stopped relying so heavily on federal dollars in her home state, cut taxes for home and business owners and still had money left to implement social services for her people. This seemingly simple attitude seems to be forgotten by many conservatives in our federal government. She is extremely conservative when it comes to social issues and has no problem owning up to and defending her beliefs, unlike McCain.

When it comes down to standing up for the party and its for core values, somewhere the lines were skewed. There was a point in time when conservatives could stand proud in the United States. Post-World War II success under President Dwight Eisenhower was the perfect embodiment of what “Made in America” was all about. People didn’t struggle to find jobs-more workers created more tax revenue without having to punish the middle and upper classes for more of their income to support federal programs. Our country didn’t have to worry about social security being around for future generations, and federal spending, including pork barrel, was at a minimum.

What has happened since then? Well, the conservatives fell off track. No longer are we worried about prosperity created on the backs of Americans for Americans. Now conservatives only seem to be concerned with selling out the heart and soul of the average American to protect their own pocketbooks. It is time for conservatives

to stop using social issues reserved to state judgment as a way to troll for votes and start pushing concrete economic issues, like using the falling value of the dollar to our advantage to bring jobs back home. Depending less on foreign products and oil is key to reviving our economy, not bailing it out with more borrowed money.

One of the biggest concerns with the true right wing is the spending of money that we do not have to fund expensive wars. Voters on the right have seemed to accept these practices because of deep-seeded allegiances without thinking of their repercussions on the country and the party’s future.

Even more disheartening are potential voters on both sides lowering themselves to issues like who is wearing a flag pin. Who looks better on camera?

Whose running mate has more experience than who may potentially be in charge? Sure, experience is a big deal, but comparing a No. 1’s experience to a distant No. 2’s experience isn’t good form.

We have a chance to take advantage of the falling dollar and increased prices of imported goods to bring jobs back into the U.S. It is no longer cheap to buy from China or an incentive to outsource when our own currency is taking a hit and other countries are experiencing inflation. “Made in America” can make a comeback. The dream of reducing our multi-billion dollar trade deficit can become a reality within the next few years. At the same time, Republicans need to get back to reducing

taxes on companies in order to ease up on their outsourcing.

The initial threat of crude oil drilling and the eventual expedition of the process can curb speculation in the short term. When energy sources are launched into the mainstream, we will reap the benefits when we can centralize a bigger piece of the crude oil market. The threat to the environment as a result of drilling in Alaska hasn’t surfaced the way environmentalists said that it would, and there is no reason to think that any additional lines would do the same.

There has been strong opposition to privatizing social security. However, something needs to be done to fix our failing system.

The amount of workers paying into the system has been cut in half since 1960. This will be detrimental to younger workers. If maintenance fees for the program can be regulated to a reasonable percentage and the investment percentages can be left open-ended to the worker, it could be successful. Additionally, you do not have the government telling you when you can collect, unlike the current social

security system.

The United States can regain economic stability and it can still be the superpower it was in the past if we stop selling out and start to rebuild using examples of the past.