Issue Position: Rational Policies

Issue Position

Reasoned Debate and Rational Policies

Since January 2009, we've had an administration and a Congress run by a single party. They have focused on rapidly pushing through major pieces of legislation that have not been vetted or approved by the American people. Bipartisan debate and compromise has been abandoned. When you turn on the TV, you see gridlock in Congress and political talk shows where "discussion" is really just extreme partisans yelling at each other across a table. Where is the spirit of engaged, civil discussion that made this country great?

It is possible to hold strong positions but to speak with a moderate voice. Ronald Reagan had a clear and strongly held ideology that could have been extremely divisive. Instead, he spoke with moderation, behaved with dignity, and worked with leaders of both parties. The result was that Reagan, a giant of conservatism, won 49 of 50 states in his 1984 re-election. Columnists George Will and Peggy Noonan speak with a similar voice. They focus on reason, intelligence, and principle, rather than vitriol, bombast, and partisanship.

Governing from the middle requires engaging with all reasonable ideas, applying those ideas to core principles, and reaching solutions--without resorting to empty partisan rhetoric. As a conservative, I believe that we can, and should, use the power of our ideas, in addition to the volume of our voices, to arrive at the best policy outcomes. That's what Americans are asking for, and that is what they deserve.

It's time to stop bickering and start governing.

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