Smart Girls Politics

The world may well be upside down because I think I might actually see a bit of truth in Hillary Clinton’s now infamous line.

“What difference does it make?”

Except that I’m not talking about Ms. Clinton’s shocking and disturbing comment delivered during the Congressional committee hearing regarding Benghazi and the four murdered Americans, or the potential cover-up of what actually happened and went horribly wrong.

I’m talking about the big government Democrats versus the big government Republicans.

What difference does it really make?

It’s a painful question that will anger a lot of people, but in order to turn this country around we must see a more clear distinction in economic governance.

If Democrats and Republicans alike bask in the spoils of big government and crony capitalism, what difference does it make which one is in charge of the goodies?

I fully understand the social issue differences but those matters should be addressed by educating our children and grandchildren as to moral right and wrong which is foremost a parenting and church role rather than a function of government. When we have Republicans expanding government (think “No Child Left Behind” and the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan) rather than dealing with the alarming and ever-increasing debt of this nation that will financially cripple and likely destroy us, is there really a difference?

Please do not misunderstand me – there are MAJOR differences between conservatism and liberalism. My concern is that a multitude of the problems we face are exacerbated because too many of the “conservatives” elected seem to either forget or ignore those principles of limited government once they are safely entrenched in their seat. And it quickly becomes THEIR seat rather than belonging to the constituents they are hired to represent.

Republican members of Congress are still leaning towards an expanded government via their support of continued subsidies and discretionary spending. Conservative accountability groups such as Heritage Action (www.heritageaction.com) and the Madison Project (www.madisonproject.com) work diligently at identifying legislation that expands government and scores legislators accordingly. Unfortunately, too many of the GOP Congressional caucus have accumulated less than stellar scores with these organizations. I urge you to take a look on the above-mentioned websites and review the grades from your representation from Alabama as the results may shock you. Sadly, saying one thing on the campaign trail and doing another isn’t limited to Democrats.

Never forget that every expansion of government, whether by new law, tax, or regulation, brings a corresponding contraction of our freedom, particularly our financial liberty.

According to The Heritage Foundation and the 2013 Index of Economic Freedom, the United States has registered “a loss of economic freedom for the fifth consecutive year” and now holds its lowest score since 2000. This is why conservatives are increasingly frustrated when those we elect fail to hold the line and decrease spending, and the scorecards listed have provided abundant examples of wasted opportunities.

After recognizing and accepting that both political parties are more similar than not as it relates to spending and government expansion, can voter apathy really be a surprise?

So here’s my message for all the candidates in the upcoming 2014 primary…please don’t bother to tell me again that you are going to “make a difference” because that campaign line is so overdone, as is invoking the name of Reagan if your record reflects otherwise. Instead, I need specifics of just how you are going to BE different and how you will lead the GOP back to its core principles. And then “just do it.”

Marcia Chambliss is the Alabama State Coordinator of Smart Girl Politics, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to the education and training of activists and candidates, and Smart Girl Politics Action, http://sgpaction.com/, a 501(c)(4) which focuses on conservative issues. She can be reached at Marcia@sgpaction.com. Her views do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Smart Girl Politics Action.