Are we seeing the end of the Liberal Era in America?

Why Americans in 2012 will vote for a Conservative as President.

   

Left and Right are labels that designate the two contrasting and opposing Liberal-Progressive and Conservative political philosophies. The American political system operates like a pendulum that moves Left or Right adjusting to the results of the election outcomes for President and Congress.

The Progressive and Conservative operating philosophies line up on the opposite sides of the spectrum in the following ways:

Core Liberal-Progressive Values:                         Core Conservative Values:

Collective duties and responsibilities	Individual Freedoms and Personal Responsibility
Expansive Government	Limited Government
Federal Control by Washington D.C.	Local Control by State and Local Government
Secular Society – Man is supreme	Belief in a higher authority
Interpret the law according to the circumstance	Enforce and live by established standards
The law should change over time	Traditional, the law is more eternal by nature
The Minority rules	The Majority rules
Celebration of what makes us different	Celebration of what we have in common
Emotion and feelings dominate	Rationality and Reason dominate

                                               

On a Presidential Level, Democrats Wilson, FDR, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson and Carter moved the political pendulum to the Left and Republicans Coolidge, Hoover, Eisenhower, Reagan moved the pendulum to the Right. Nixon was labeled a conservative who operated at times somewhat to the Left and Clinton a liberal who was forced to lean a small degree to the right for several pragmatic reasons.  George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush moved the pendulum to the right of center; however, many of their fiscal policies were not conservative in nature.  Teddy Roosevelt changed his political outlook from conservative to progressive as the years went along. He became a prominent pioneer of the Progressive movement. 

Every measure of current sentiment points to Americans feeling extremely uneasy about their government and their futures. In order to move forward and address the challenges that face us, it is important to have a clear understanding of the current situation. President Obama’s vision of America moves the political pendulum significantly to the left at an accelerating rate. More and more Americans are alarmed each day that the current Administration has implemented policies based on the liberal progressive agenda and they have failed us miserably. Americans are more cognizant that Liberalism in practice does not work.

The dramatic increase in Federal Government spending leading to record deficits, the passage of  Obama Care, increased Federal regulation of business, the lack of an energy policy that promotes self-sufficiency, failed Education policies and promotion of the grow of Union power all contribute to an economy that is suffering with no end in sight. Small business and Entrepreneurs are the drivers of job growth in this country. Their reluctance to hire and expand is caused by the increasingly uncertain environment created by current politics.

Beyond our own failures, many European countries on are also on display desperately fighting the economic catastrophes created by advanced Socialism. The burdens of Cradle to Grave Socialism have caught up in devastating ways to Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, the United Kingdom and lately France.

What do we do? The traditional answer has always been the best answer for America. Americans are faced with failure especially in economic matters due to the movement of the public policy pendulum too far Left. When the economy is dramatically suffering, we have a strong history of voting into office leaders that worked to regain a proper balance between the two competing core value systems.

From Hoover to FDR,

From Truman to Eisenhower,

From Carter to Reagan,

From George H.W. Bush to Clinton,

From George W. Bush to Obama,

From Obama to a Conservative.

2012 will be the year Americans vote to adjust the political pendulum back to the right.

 

How do we repair the American Economy?

Follow the Leaders to Prosperity

America’s dynamism is enabled by our economic prowess. Our traditional economic strength was made possible by the exercise of individual freedom in a predominately free market by a highly educated population. The major challenge faced today by America is to create jobs and spur economic growth.

It has always been true that the private sector has produced the majority of the wealth of this country. The major challenge facing America today is that the Progressive ideology practiced by President Obama and the modern Democratic Party focuses primarily on economic re-distribution rather than economic growth. When the Progressives do face the issue of economic growth, they base their approach on the assumption that the Government is primarily responsible for job creation rather than the private sector.

In the name of social justice, the government has played an ever increasing role redistributing wealth from the taxpayers to the designated disadvantaged at the expense of a dynamic and growing economy. President Obama’s economic policy includes such job killing measures such as more government control in health care, increased regulation of the energy sector and more environmental controls, the public sector takeover of the auto industry and Financial Reform legislation.

In addition, the promotion of labor union power increases at the expense of both the private and public sector has had dampening effects upon our economic health. The ever increasing power of the Democratic Party controlled Education and Legal monopolies stymie meaningful reform in these two strategically important sectors of our society. All the increased measures of having the Federal Government play an increased role in our economy has made America less competitive in the global economy. Americans cannot afford these policies any longer.

Our move further to the Left in regard to these economic policies has made the Middle Class increasingly the target of its failure. At the heart of the implementation of progressive economic policies, is the punishment of success. Progressives aim to level the opportunity for outstanding achievement usually by lowering the standards for all but the anointed elite. Progressive economic philosophy depreciates the traditional successful middle class American values of hard work, self reliance and competition.   

If we are to face up to our current economic challenges, we need models of success for America to emulate to lead us out of our economic malaise. As a counter to the prevailing Progressive economic agenda, where can we look for models of positive policies that have produced more successful outcomes? Where are the exceptions to these prevailing rules?

Several State Governors have shown the way. State and local governments possess an inherent advantage when it comes to fiscal responsibility. Unlike our Federal Government, State and Local Governments are mandated by law to balance their budgets every fiscal year. A partial honor role of leaders taking truly opposing and successful approaches to the issue of economic growth and job creation during challenging times are Governors Chris Christie, Scott Walker, Rick Scott, John Kaisch, Rick Perry, Mitch Daniels, Bob McDonnell and Luis Fortuno. What approaches do they have in common and what can this nation learn from their successful efforts? What do such seemingly differing places such as New Jersey, Wisconsin, Florida, Ohio, Texas, Indiana and Puerto Rico have in common?

The Governors of these States and a Commonwealth promote the following policies:

-       Limited government and spending.

-       Reliance on the private sector.

-       Low taxes on individuals and business.

-       Promotion of pro-business climate through a favorable regulatory environment and development incentives.

-       Implementation of programs that make the delivery of services more efficient and less costly that utilize both public and private sector resources.

-       The limiting of the cost of labor by curtailing the power of public sector unions.

-       Reform of education through imposing higher academic standards, school and teacher accountability and increased competition through school choice.

Each State and Puerto Rico have slightly differing approaches to addressing the above listed goals; however, in each case implementing solutions based on Conservative principals have resulted in the creation of more jobs and revenues. Contrast the success of these examples with progressively governed California. By every measurement of economic health, California is a failure. People vote with their feet and move from Progressive States such as California and New York to settle in an oasis of economic freedom such as Texas. How do we turn around our economy on a national basis? Follow the leaders to prosperity and free the American entrepreneurial spirit.