Recently, Americans rated Ronald Reagan as the nation’s greatest president. Reagan merits such praise, because his ideas were successful: they ended the domestic economic recession and the international threat of communism. But Reagan’s ideas were successful, because they were anchored in certain timeless principles. And now these principles are being evoked by a new generation of leaders, including Marco Rubio. In his speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library last week, Rubio invoked many of the Gipper’s principles:
Limited Government: “Defining the proper role of government is as important as it has ever been.” Our current domestic and international problems do not require us to reject limited, constitutional government in favor of an ever-expanding bureaucratic one. Since Reagan left office, both Republicans and Democrats have strengthened the government instead of strengthening America. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have delegated legislative powers to administrative agencies, allowing unelected, unaccountable “experts” to make the rules by which we live.
Inalienable Rights: “Government’s job is to protect rights, not grant them.” The Declaration of Independence proclaimed the self evident truth that we are endowed with inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The government does not have the power to guarantee happiness. And we ought not to forget that the government that gives us rights can also take them away.
A Compassionate America: “Poverty does not create social problems. Our social problems create our poverty.” Americans want a free, prosperous, and also compassionate America. Yet, replacing families, neighborhoods, and communities with government programs is not compassion. Welfare has a legitimate purpose: to provide temporary assistance to those in dire need so they can get back on their feet. But welfare programs today are not acting as safety nets—they are becoming hammocks.
Free Enterprise: “The free enterprise system creates prosperity.” The goal of economic policy in a free enterprise system is not redistribution or “sharing responsibility”—it’s growth. Government’s job is to create a system of fair taxes and regulations that enables and encourages Americans to be productive. The role of government is to create a fair playing ground, not arbitrarily pick winners and losers. As the son of a poor immigrant, Rubio understands that poverty occurs when people do not have the opportunity to access free enterprise system.
Opportunity: “We have a golden opportunity.” Reagan said that conservative principles would bring a “new morning in America,” and Rubio sees the same opportunity today. We are at the beginning of a new era. Yes, a recession is not an ideal place to begin. But as Reagan proved years ago, a recession is not insurmountable.
When Marco Rubio was in grade school, the American economy was suffering a severe recession and the Soviet Union seemed to be the future global power. By the time he went to college, the economy was strong and the Soviet Union had been consigned to the ash heap of history. The principles that guided the Reagan revolution are sound. We don’t need leaders to reinvent our principles; we need leaders to apply them.
I agree with Rubio 100%. If the next Republican nominee for President echos these themes, It will be a landslide victory.
Hopefully, he will be our next Vice-President.
I too would welcome seeing him on the next Presidential ticket … but unfortunately he is not qualified; although he was born in the USA, at that time his parents were not yet US citizens.
I realize that Obama should have been similarly disqualified, but he had the Main Stream Media pulling for him and you can well imagine how they would ignore that fact and use every means of resisting a Rubio candidacy (or a Jindal one — same citizenship reasons).
Why not our next President? After all, we just elected a complete neopyhte to the job whose only calim to fame was as a community organizer. Most of us wanted another Reagann…well, here he is. By the way, take a look at the Governor of Maine.
Yet Reagan is viewed by many as one of our worst presidents as well . . He began the villification of Government and that seed has set this nation into a political civil war .. with the present GOP taking the worst of Reagan and putting it on steroids. Rubio is a complete idiot and most people who wouldn't think of watching FAUX News know it . . !!
We simply can't wait until 2016 for Rubio or the equivalent!
I had the pleasure to sit in on a small meeting with Senator Rubio in DC. He is absolutely the real deal. We need him on the ticket, especially if Romney wins, in order to add Marco's powerful oratory skills and conservative passion, both of which Romney largely lacks. The rumor on the Beltway, and this was two months ago, was that the top potential nominees were jockeying to get into position to get him as their running mate. Hope it happens!
Unfortunately, Rubio runs into the same problems with natural citizenship. The Obama problem. Rubio's parents were not natural citizens at his birth. This is a big issue. Are we going to hew to the constitution or are we going to just use it as a sometime problem to overcome. Constitutional government is the only for of governance provided by the Founders. And, it is not hard to figure out. Rubio would be a dream in the executive positions, but it is blocked, His service can be of equal or greater magnitude in numerous positions in the government. Now is the time to re-institute the Founders intent. If not now, when?
There is another glaring problem with Rubio, his record with the State of Florida. Though I sent these facts to every major media outlet in the country during the 2010 Senatorial elections; they sat on it. There is no surprise he has drafted his own version of the “Dream Act”. Here are the facts on where he stands on illegals. These are the facts and they are indisputable: http://www.examiner.com/article/marco-rubio-what-…
We need the economic side of Reagan but, not the whole guns a blazin war on drugs kick your door in Reagan that overcrowded our jails & let dangerous felons loose so they could lock up more drug convictions.