Viguerie: Mitt, Why Not Run on the Republican Platform?

Richard A. Viguerie's Perspective: Republicans never ever win the presidency unless the election is nationalized and a bold contrast is drawn between a conservative Republican agenda and the liberal Democratic agenda.

Despite this history, with every bump in the polls for Obama, or bad day in the media for Romney, Washington’s establishment Republicans see their ambassadorships and lobbying opportunities slipping away, so they tell the Romney campaign to run to the center.

Unfortunately, Governor Romney seems to be following that advice.

Conservatives see the kind of content-free campaign Governor Romney has been running since the Democratic Convention as a recipe for disaster. We think that to win, Governor Romney is going to have to layout a set of real actions — a future that will only happen if a conservative is elected president.

A future such as that envisioned in the 2012 Republican Platform.

The Democrats threw down the gauntlet on the social and cultural issues at their convention, and yet there has been no response from Governor Romney.

Likewise, the Democrats spent a great deal of time during their convention arguing for a “more of the same” economic policy; again, mostly silence from the Romney campaign or when there has been a response it has been a backward-looking indictment of Obama’s record.

All the Romney campaign needs to do to answer these challenges with a boldly contrasting position is to look to the Republican Platform.

First Lady of the conservative movement, and president of the Eagle Forum, Phyllis Schlafly said that this year’s Republican Platform was “the best ever” for conservatives, and that because of its pro-life and traditional marriage planks, its pro-growth economic policies and its calls for a strong national defense it re-assembled the old Reagan coalition.

We would add that it has many things to attract the small government constitutional conservatives of the tea party, as well. Ideas such as a balanced budget, a super majority to raise taxes, a flatter income tax, congressional veto of EPA regulations, regular audits of the Federal Reserve and the creation of a national commission to study returning to the gold standard are all in there.

We have many disagreements with how the establishment insiders who run the Republican National Committee managed the convention, but this year’s platform isn’t one of them.

From its re-establishment of the “three-legged stool” of Ronald Reagan’s winning coalition, to the addition of issues on freedom and rolling back the size and scope of the federal government that appeal to small government constitutional conservatives that add a fourth leg to the Reagan coalition, we agree with Phyllis Schlafly that “altogether, the 2012 Republican Platform is an excellent document written by grass-roots conservatives. It is a true reflection of American values.”

Running on the 2012 Republican Platform would nationalize the election by drawing a strong contrast with the Democrats’ liberal agenda. Just as importantly, the GOP Platform is future-oriented — it can only become reality if a conservative president is elected. The 2012 Republican Platform sets forth a bold conservative vision of the future that reflects the values of the grassroots of the Republican Party, why not run on it?

Richard A. Viguerie pioneered the use of direct mail in politics. He made it possible for candidates and causes to raise money from millions of small contributors rather than from a few “fat cats.” Read more reports from Richard Viguerie — Click Here Now.