Contract with America II

Six weeks before the 1994 Congressional election, the Republican Party released what it called the “Contract with America.”  Many believe it was a revolutionary document because it promised specific legislation that would be voted on, and it marked the first time since 1918 that a Congressional election was run from the national level.

All but two Republicans running signed the document. It was an all-in bet by the party believing they identified key issues that Americans cared about at the time.
The bet paid off, and the Republican Party captured control of the House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years.

Fifteen years later, many Republicans, including myself, feel that a similar contract is necessary to refocus a party that has completely lost the faith of a majority of the American public.

Proponents of this idea may well get their wish.

In a recent interview on C-SPAN, Newt Gingrich revealed he is currently talking with Republican Chairman Michael Steel about creating a “first principles model” from which the Republicans would base their 2010 campaign on. 

According to Gingrich, the plan would specifically outline the positive steps Republicans would take if given Congressional power back. The goal would be to reposition the party as an alternative party instead of the opposition party model that they are currently running.

While Gingrich admitted that a formal plan would not come together until after Labor Day, when the key issues could be more easily outlined and create the most public attention, he did outline areas in which he believes the plan will highlight.

First, the plan would need to outline a specific course of action for job creation in America. Since the unemployment rate is currently at 10.2 percent, this seems like the most logical first step.

Other issues would include a detailed energy plan and an alternative health plan to counter the big government proposal currently being debated.  With the current massive government debt, the Republicans need to form a plan that takes this into account, even if it means sacrificing some of the goals of the current legislation. Leadership means making tough choices.

Lastly, an education plan would need to be created that every state must adopt, allowing for a massive charter school reform and giving every parent the right to choose the best education for their child. Gingrich said he wanted to make education the “first civil right of the 21st Century.”

As America losses its edge in the world, education must be the starting point for regaining its lost position.

Will a second “Contract with America” work?  Most likely it will depend on the status of the economy and Afghanistan at the time of the election next year.

Nevertheless, a second “Contract with America” is a fundamental starting point for repositioning the party.

Many liberals would say that the recent surge by Democrats isn’t simply a reaction to poor leadership by President Bush, but a fundamental shift in Americans thinking away from the political philosophies of Ronald Reagan. 

With the recent victories by Republicans in several governors’ races a few weeks ago, this theory is highly debatable.

Regardless of its success or failure, it will give Republicans a clear direction for 2012. Will conservative principals still work in America, or will the Republicans need to restructure their philosophies?

A “Contract with America II” is coming, and its success might well define the Republican Party for generations.