Now that the Inauguration has ended, it’s time to govern. President Barack Obama has been chosen by the American people to lead. The Republican Party must work to find common ground with the new President, and to support him whenever possible. But Republicans cannot sacrifice principles to do so. If the President wants bipartisan support for his policies, he must find solutions that do not involve asking opposition leaders to violate their core beliefs.
The most powerful nation in the world swore in its 44th president in a peaceful transfer of awesome power. America continues to show the world how democracy works, and how far America has come in its pursuit of a more perfect Union.
But now that the parties have ended, the work begins.
President Obama was elected on a platform of change, and received clear majority support. He has a mandate to propose bold new policies to move our country forward. And he is entitled to the support of every patriotic American in the high hope that he will be a successful president, including support from the opposition party.
The GOP must be the party of loyal opposition. But to what is the “loyal opposition” loyal? Both parties have certain principles they believe best embodies America’s promise. The principles of limited government, personal responsibility and economic opportunity form the bedrock of the Party of Lincoln.
Party affiliations are not simply labels. America has two major political parties because people hold differing beliefs. Democrats and Republicans agree that our nation is founded on the premise that government exists to secure the blessings of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But while they agree on many things, Democrats and Republicans differ on what policies best secure these blessings and what role government ideally plays in the process.
One of the reasons Republicans lost last November was because many of them weren’t true to the party’s principles. Many Republicans lost their way and lost the people’s trust and the right to govern. They must not make that mistake again.
Therefore, Republicans must be willing to do everything possible to work with the new administration. However, President Obama needs to be keenly aware that Republicans cannot betray their core beliefs for political expediency.
Three examples perfectly illustrate how these beliefs inform policy decisions:
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