Real Change Now: The Opportunity to Listen to the American People

With the victory of Governor Huckabee and Senator Obama in the Iowa caucuses, “change” rapidly became the buzzword that defined the 2008 primaries.  In New Hampshire, Senator McCain rallied independents behind his record of reform in Washington and Senator Clinton scored an upset win by rapidly shifting her sales pitch from focusing on her experience to focusing on her track record of change.  Tuesday in Michigan, we saw this pattern emerge again, with a victory by Mitt Romney who emphasized economic issues to illustrate his message that "Washington is broken."

This clear message being sent by the voters begs an obvious question.  If Americans want real change, why should they have to wait until 2009 to get it?  Why can’t the President and Congress respond immediately? 
Earlier this week I encouraged President Bush to use his State of the Union address to outline a series of dramatic changes and challenge Congress to pass them this year.  These changes should be issues overwhelmingly popular with the American people.  

For example:

• English as the official language of government;
• Accelerating energy solutions through the establishment of large financial prizes for technological breakthroughs;
• Lower the cost of gas by building more oil refineries in America;
• Cut carbon emissions by investing in nuclear power;
• Implementing a prosperity agenda that includes an optional, simple flat tax;
• Protecting America by making it a crime to advocate terrorist activities.

Each of these items has the support of a majority of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans.  I outline even more of these “tripartisan” issues in my book, Real Change.  In addition, I offer a step-by-step, issue-by-issue guide on how citizen-leaders can bring these and other “real change” to their local, state, and federal government. 

It may surprise some to learn that America is united on so many issues.  It certainly will come as a surprise to those in the elite media who have insisted on peddling the falsehood that America is divided between red states and blue states.  The truth is that Americans are united on almost every important issue facing the country.  The real division is between “red, white, and blue” America and a fringe on the Left that has control of our news media, universities, and government bureaucracies.

America is an overwhelmingly center-right nation.  The first chapter in Real Change talks about “the myth of red vs. blue” where I outline the enormous divide between the values of the American people and the values of the left.  Americans overwhelmingly believe that lower taxes are better for America, the danger from radical Islam is real, and that entrepreneurs and not union controlled bureaucrats will create the innovations that make life better for Americans.

I’m proud to be blogging on the Freedom's Watch website today because its mission of defending America against radical Islam and advancing market based solutions to domestic challenges is not only critical for our nation’s future; it has an overwhelming base of support in America, deeply rooted in our values and principles.  As we work together to advance these goals it is important to remember to advance them with confidence.  After all, we have the American people on our side. 

Just as the Jeffersonians did when they defeated the Federalists and just as the Lincoln Republicans, progressives, and Reagan Republicans did when they cast out the old order, we can rally the American people to overwhelm the status quo in Washington and the state capitals.  That’s why I wrote Real Change.  That’s why I founded American Solutions.  And that’s why I’m excited to be working with Freedom's Watch as we work together toward this goal.