Dear Editor:

The results of Tuesday's election have created an opportunity for traditional Republicans to return their party to its conservative roots. For too long, the GOP has been dominated by top-down political doctrines that run counter to traditional conservative values.

 

The party's leadership has eroded individual rights in the name of the so-called culture war. It has abandoned the principle of limited government in favor of an expansive military, police, and prison system.
Free-market capitalism has given way to cronyism and oligarchic economics. Fiscal responsibility has been sacrificed for tax subsidies benefiting the wealthy and an ever-mounting national debt. Prudence and restraint in governance have been displaced by the relentless pursuit of political power for its own sake.

 

Conservatives recognize that populism is not a sustainable governing philosophy. It is a political fad, shifting with the winds of public sentiment. True conservatism embraces patriotism, which puts the well-being of our people first, rather than nationalism, which demands loyalty to the state above all else.
Traditional Republicans now have an opportunity, and a mandate, to restore the kind of conservatism that once made the GOP a great political party. America needs a strong, principled conservative party, one grounded in individual liberty, limited government, fiscal responsibility, and respect for democratic institutions.

 

The Republicans are the yang to the Democrats' yin. They are America's right foot, while the Democrats are its left. Together, they move the country forward, even when the path ahead is uncertain. Neither party has all the right answers, nor should either regard the other as an enemy. We have enough enemies beyond our borders without treating our fellow Americans as adversaries.

Our political differences are real, and they should be debated vigorously. But the health of our democracy, our national unity, and our prospects for the future depend on recognizing that we are ultimately working toward a shared national purpose.