In a speech in 1975, Ronald Reagan called for a Republican Party of bold colors, not pale pastels. The future president called for a party that would stand for certain values, which would not be comprised. Today is no different. Republicans need a presidential candidate who will present a sharply different way forward for our country and will stand firmly on conservative principles.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, one of today’s frontrunners and the candidate who most think will come out of the pack as the eventual nominee, has the ability to articulate conservative ideas and can beat President Barack Obama. Romney, however, is not a conservative nor does he seem to have the courage of his convictions. He has flip-flopped on a handful of important issues and has shown that he is a principled politician, not a principled conservative. The Washington Post writer George Will accurately described Romney as the ‘pretzel candidate’ for this very reason.

Romney’s campaign knows it can’t win by painting in the bold colors that Reagan talked about. It is hoping that the Republicans’ desire to regain the presidency will drive them toward Romney and his perceived electability. Electability must not drive the search for a candidate because the mere act of winning the White House will not move this country forward. The electoral tradition of picking the lesser evil or choosing between two candidates who seem too similar must end.

Most Republican candidates should be able to beat Obama, who has presided over one of the worst economies since the Great Depression and has advocated for and signed various unpopular pieces of legislation. A candidate like Romney can win the presidency, but should he? Most Republicans don’t want him as their candidate, but other candidates have so far failed at being a solid alternative.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry seemed like he was the alternative conservatives had been looking for, but his catastrophic debate performances and loopy behavior has put him toward the back of the Republican pack. He has gone from a frontrunner to something similar to the subject of a Warren Zevon song. Herman Cain is on the rise, but it isn’t yet clear if he can maintain his momentum and seriously challenge Romney.

If Romney is the nominee for the Republican Party, conservatives need to make a choice. They can vote for another candidate who doesn’t represent their views and is the palest of pastels. Or they can vote for a third-party candidate. Conservatives need to send a message to the establishment in the party that they won’t accept the same old candidates. The good news is that the next generation of conservatives is coming and are willing to paint in bold colors.

Republicans need to make the next election not only about replacing the residents in the White House, but also about expanding conservative ideas and solutions to the problems we face. Unfortunately, the current Republican field doesn’t seem to possess an individual that is both conservative and able to unite the country around his or her ideas.

Patrick Mocete is senior political science and policy studies major. His column appears occasionally. He can be reached at pdmocete@syr.edu or on Twitter @patrickmocete.

 

Published on November 16, 2011 at 12:00 pm