As I listen to the presidential candidates speak and engage in what passes
for debate these days, it appears that most, if not all of them are simply
talking about improving the old government model, rather than boldly
proclaiming a new one. Carmakers, if they want to sell cars, produce "new
and improved" models, not remakes of previous ones. So why do politicians
continue to rely on a Model T version of government when it's outmoded and
unfit for modern life?
Presidential candidates should speak about what has worked in the past and
could work again. The candidates - at least the Republican ones, if they
remember what Republicans are supposed to stand for - should be talking
about freedom from dependency and a return to self-sufficiency. Government
doesn't need to be reformed under the present system; it needs to be
transformed under a new one.
Last week, a small group of fellow journalists and I had breakfast with
former Speaker Newt Gingrich. Talk about a man who has learned from his
mistakes! Gingrich now heads American Solutions for Winning the Future, an
organization whose Website describes it as "a unique nonpartisan
organization designed to rise above traditional gridlocked partisanship, to
provide real, significant solutions to the most important issues facing our
country." It is thrilling to sit and listen to his ideas that are no longer
based on partisan posturing and strategies to win the next election, but on
proposals that would work and benefit all Americans, regardless of party
affiliation.
"We need a new American dialogue that focuses on evidence and data and sorts
out what works and what fails," he says. "Then we need to migrate government
policies and government bureaucracies away from failure and toward success."
Gingrich calls government at all levels "incompetent" and makes no
distinction about which party is running it.
Who could argue with that? Only those with a vested interest in the status
quo, lobbyists and polarizers, for example.
Is there anyone who is satisfied with the way large and ever-growing,
bureaucratic, impersonal government works? No matter who's running it,
government doesn't work precisely because of its aforementioned traits. It
costs more and delivers less than ever before. It has created a dependency
culture that prevents - not helps - some of the disadvantaged from achieving
their dreams, if they have any after relying too much and for far too long
on government.
"The solutions we need are bigger than the current political process can
create," says Gingrich. Who can credibly disagree? And if you do disagree,
can you give an example of what major problems government is fixing? Social
Security? Education? Health care?