Steele: “The Start of a Republican Renaissance” Part 2

Earlier today I posted a commentary on RNC Chairman Steele’s address to the GOP state party chairs.  Take a look there for part 1 of the commentary as well as links to video of the speech and the text.

Here’s the finale to my look at Steele’s remarks:

The Republican comeback has begun. It is underway, and it is not in Washington.

This should be a rallying cry to activists everywhere.  For too long our Party has focused on the inside the Beltway crowd when making decisions and planning strategy.  We’ve seen this through our interactions with other Granite Staters and should continue to fight for our ideals and give our friends and neighbors a reason to be a Republican.  The Republican comeback will be from the blood sweat and tears of  the foot soldiers on the ground, not from the grasstops and talking heads in Washington.

Finally, let me conclude today by talking for a minute about where the Republican Party is headed.

For me the Republican Party owes its moorings to Edmund Burke, William F. Buckley, and Ronald Reagan. Those are the people that I trace my roots to in the Republican cause.

For each of them conservatism must always respect reality, effectively assess the times, and become relevant to them. Thus is our charge.

While Chairman Steele is talking about his personal view on this, it is a good starting point to where the ideology can trace its beginnings and will be forever connected.  We must learn from the past and apply those lessons when shaping our debate.  We must take the principles that Reagan, Buckley and Burke stood for and make them relevant.  This does not mean that we must become more moderate or change our party platform.  It does mean that we must be able to realize when our message is stale and in need of a jump start through new ideas and solutions.

Ronald Reagan always insisted that our party must move aggressively to seize the moment. He insisted that our party recognize the truth of the times and establish our first principles in both word and deed.

As conservatives, we must stop acting like we don’t really believe in our principles. Too often, we act as if we are scared to apply our timeless principles to today’s problems and challenges.

While we need to look forward for our solutions, we must take President Reagan’s words to heart and follow our principles and be unafraid to stand by them at all times.  We also must  be  ready to act when the Democrats, both in New Hampshire and in DC, fail to act or offer a plan that is so outside the values and ideals that we stand for.

In this hour conservatives stand just a bit stronger, just a bit wiser, ready once again to think and act with a freshness and a boldness that is uncompromising. For conservatism to take root in the next generation we must offer genuine solutions that are relevant to this age. A Republican Renaissance has begun!

We will conquer the challenges not of the last century, but the challenges of our time. Our success will not be found in dusting off old campaign manuals from the 70’s and 80’s. Our success will be found in speaking directly to the American people about a rebirth of the American Dream for this generation and generations to come.

I could not agree more with Steele than in those words.  It is my generation, the recent college grads and those that are just starting to form their political views, that the party must reach out to and communicate with.  On too many campaigns I’ve heard “that’s not how we’ve done in the past”.  Well, its time to realize that we need to use new tools and new ways to communicate our views and message.  Red Hampshire is one piece of the puzzle but, we should look for new tools to spread our message and learn what has worked and what hasn’t.

We have been and must be once again the voice of the majority of Americans. It is up to us to expose the great Democrat fraud that is now being thrust upon this nation. Personal freedom, liberty, and a desire for self-governing are the timeless values that Americans hold dear.

When I see those last few words I see winning issues for the GOP.  Those aren’t values  that are being espoused  by the Democrats, in NH or nationwide.  We can grab that mantle and continue the tradition of  being the party of ideas.  We can disagree with some views within our party but understand that we are stronger for having had those discussions and debate over important issues facing our Party and nation.

… Our Renaissance has begun. Our opportunities lie before us, and our cause is as true today as when we first began in 1854.

So in the best spirit of President Reagan, it’s time to saddle up and ride.

Our country needs us.

I would only add, the Granite State needs us.  Now more then ever.