Forum Speech, Harvard University
November 16, 2009

 Excerpt:

Now let me make an attempt to define what I mean by center-right America.

I will start by saying what it is not: it is not just a ‘meet in the middle’ or liberal plus conservative divided by two. I am reminded of the guy who encountered a statistician with one foot in a pot of boiling water and the other in a block of ice. He said, “That looks terrible! How are you doing?” The statistician said, “Well on average, I’m doing fine.” That’s not what I’m talking about.

My view is that center-right America has certain noble, enduring values which can lead the country forward boldly – if leaders embrace them and articulate them powerfully.

If you visit Union Station in Washington – a magnificent structure — you may see the plaque of dedication to its architect Daniel Hudson Burnham. He wrote, “Dream no small dreams, for they have no power to stir men’s souls.”

The center-right vision I am talking about may be moderate in tone, but it needs to be bold in scope and passion.

Here are five articles of belief that I think capture the heart of center-right America:

1. They want better government, not bigger government.

They don’t agree with either notion that government is the problem or the solution for America’s problems. But they do believe in an activist role for government, if that action has a few important characteristics.

They want government action that reforms the status quo. As Mayor of St. Paul, all my efforts to reform government by merging and consolidating city and county bureaucracy, attempts to lower cost and improve quality by privatizing services, and my advocacy for education reform, including charter schools, merit pay and opportunity scholarships (vouchers!) were all rebuffed by the defenders of the status quo—which is in large part why I became a Republican.

The vast majority of the American people aren’t opposed to government action which is general welfare oriented. They just don’t want government action which is a sop to entrenched special interests.

And they want government action that has good bang for the buck. They want to have the promise of effectiveness and results up front before they are willing to write the check. (That’s why health reform is hitting a bumpy road: there is broad bi-partisan consensus that health care in this country needs reform, that we must strive to bring down cost, and keep up quality and access.. but center-right America doesn’t just want good intentions, they want improvement). In Minnesota we all know the Norwegian who loved his wife, he ALMOST told her. My friends on the other side of the aisle may have good intentions, but that’s not enough -you’ve got to deliver on the promise.

The second item is related to the first:

2. Center-right America will only support tax increases if they are convinced it will improve the country, and the burden of proof is on the tax raisers.

We have a lot of center-right people in Minnesota. The key is watching how they spend their own money. They clip store coupons. They go to yard sales. They modestly mention to their friends how little their cars, clothes and lawn mowers cost. It drives those people crazy to see government take their hard-earned money and waste it.

They believe government is a noble institution and deserves its fair share. But the way their tax dollars are collected, and especially spent, is crucial to their attitude toward taxes.

3. Center-right America has an economic vision of this country as a prosperous, competitive nation that generates great jobs and world-changing innovation.

 They embrace an entrepreneurial vision rather than a collectivist vision. Do you know what 4406 Kingswell Ave., Los Angeles, California; 58 Bagley Ave, Detroit, Michigan; and 2066 Crist Ave., Los Altos, California have in common? Out of the garages at those addresses, began corporate giants Disney, Ford, and Hewlett-Packard.

They trust markets that usually work over government regulation that occasionally does. They are ready to bet on the fact that we can invent our way out of problems and are slow to accept a bigger government footprint in their lives. They measure progress in job creation, not in Washington bill signing ceremonies and the accumulation of debt.

4. Center-right America believes it is the duty of the judiciary to interpret the laws in light of the original intent of the Constitution, not use its power to make social changes that legislatures are unwilling to.

Certain traditional values and relationships are the anchors of our culture in turbulent times. There is a reason that politicians on both sides of the aisle continue to follow the will of the voters on such controversial issues as the long standing definition of marriage, the balance between the free exercise of religion and the establishment clause of the First Amendment, and respect for life. And at least in Minnesota, and most other parts of the country, pity the politician who comes between a citizen and his personal Second Amendment rights. And the use of the courts as a short-cut to change is wrong, in my view. When the Founders used the term Supreme Court, they meant it was supreme among the courts, not supreme in the balance of power among the branches. However, although these social issues are the ones that engender the most passion, it would be tragic if we let the passionate debate over values issues so damage our unity as Americans, that our ability to achieve consensus on difficult issues like heath care, social security and national security is destroyed.

And finally,

5. Center-right America believes we are exceptional in the world and view strength as the path to peace.

They harbor no illusions that we are perfect but they maintain a strong pride in America as having, in Churchill’s phrase, “the worst form of government, except for all the others.”

It may seem like a below the radar thing but I think there is major negative reaction in center-right America to President Obama bowing to the Emperor of Japan and the King of Saudi Arabia. Courtesy is one thing, but we don’t willingly surrender, even symbolically, that they are better than us.

Center-right America believes in a strong defense to back up aggressive diplomacy to achieve America’s security and economic interests. Support for Israel, the Middle East’s only functioning democracy, is part of that as well.

We still believe Lincoln’s words that America is the “last, best hope of earth” and think our leaders should act accordingly…

READ THE FULL SPEECH HERE.

Source: (Republican Jewish Coalition)