Grassroots campaign seeking to reclaim GOP's core principles

Originally published in The Providence Journal

By: Gary Sasse, RI State Chair

Throughout America’s 250-year history the two-party system has discouraged extremism and fostered compromise. However, today too many citizens believe that the two dominant political parties have abandoned their core values and are catering to extremism fueled by a hyper-partisan approach to problem-solving.

Among self-identified Republicans over one half (56%) say they are more loyal to MAGA than the party itself. Concurrently, Democratic “identity politics” has alienated traditional Democrats who are uncomfortable with its socialist, cultural and woke positions.

Political parties driven by principles have a compass to distinguish between what is fair and just, and short-term “feel-good” wins from sustainable accomplishments. Acting out of principles not only sets a standard of accountability, but provides a framework to prevent governing chaos and tyranny.

Recently a coalition of Republican leaders announced the creation of Our Republican Legacy (ORL) – a 50-state national grassroots campaign to restore the GOP’s core conservative principles and to facilitate a principled-driven party. Our Republican Legacy’s mission is to focus the GOP on core principles rooted in national unity, constitutional values, peace through strength, fiscal responsibility and free enterprise. Its co-chairs are former Sens. John Danforth and William Cohen, former Reps. Charlie Dent and Barbara Comstock, and former Montana governor and RNC head Marc Racicot.

Political parties exist to acquire power so that their core principles can drive public policy. The evolution away from principled to fringe candidates has cost both parties’ electoral success. Candidate quality makes a difference. In 2022, Republicans in several states chose unconventional candidates that likely cost them control of the Senate. In 2024, President Trump’s election was impacted by the Democratic Party allowing part of its traditional agenda to be seized by fringe groups.

William M. Dailey, President Obama’s former chief of staff, warned that the Democratic Socialist victory in New York City’s mayoral primary should be a wake-up call for Democrats. He opined, “Mainstream Democrats might say there is no way their party would embrace such a far-out agenda.” Really, consider how the GOP has changed since Presidents Eisenhower and Reagan.

It can be argued that failure of party leaders to be guided by principles has made it more problematic to solve our national challenges. As Charles C. W. Cooke wrote in the National Review, “It was fanaticism that led Joe Biden to start off his presidency with a promise to completely remake the economy of the United States, and it was the fanaticism that led Donald Trump to commence his second presidency with an attempt to unilaterally rearrange world trade.”

Since the Lincoln administration, the Republican Party has been the home of enduring governing principles. The aim of Our Republican Legacy is to focus the party on these following fundamental principles to address the critical issues facing every citizen:

• Promote national unity by rejecting populist and extremist positions based on grievance and rage.

• Support core constitutional mandates of due process, checks and balances and, most importantly, the rule of law.

• Reverse fiscally irresponsible policies that have evolved into a national unsustainable debt legacy our children will inherit.

• Support the private sector combined with strategic public investments as the pathway to innovation, good jobs and prosperity without government overreach.

• Promote free enterprise and equal opportunity as opposed to government imposed equal outcomes.

• Restore President Reagan’s foreign policy legacy of “peace through strength” by leading strong alliances to oppose aggression whether it comes from Russia, China, Iran or North Korea.

  
  

If you are concerned about America’s future and believe in these sustaining principles, please consider learning more about Our Republican Legacy (http://ourrepublicanlegacy.com).