What's in a name? Plenty

Democrats. Republicans. At first sight these names seem like empty labels, cloaks for diffuse and contradictory sets of sound-bite positions on hot-button issues. They stand for platforms, party lines espoused without deliberation. But are the labels of today's major parties really that meaningless? I don't think so. Granted, their philosophical content has been clouded by decades of politicking and stereotyping, but as George W. Bush, DC '68, might say, they still reflect a "fundamental difference of opinion" about the way this country should be governed—a difference especially pronounced in the upcoming presidential election.

Let's begin with the Democrats. Most people know that this term comes from the Greek for "rule by the people." That's all the people, no matter how qualified or well-informed they are. With this in mind, it never ceases to amaze me that so many intelligent people will support a candidate who flaunts this label. What does rule by the people entail? For starters, the entire process begins with a falsehood. It begins with the dogmatic and unfounded assumption that the majority knows best. Even those Democrats who seek the truth believe that it can be decided by a popularity contest. Al Gore appeals not to what is right, but to what is popular. In so doing, he reaches down to the lowest common denominator. He seeks not reasoned deliberation and criticism but rather a visceral grunt calling for action without thought: a tyranny of unnatural force. Now, I'm not saying that this is all the Democrats will get. Many people do possess the ability for governing well. But an organized system is necessary to ensure that these people are the ones who make the decisions that govern our lives. At the very least, it should stop the majority from interfering with the way these fit rulers conduct themselves.

This is where republicanism enters the picture in both its "little-r" and "big-R" forms. The term comes from the Latin respublica, perhaps best translated as "public matter." As such, it has an existence independent of the whims of the moment. If democracy is government by men, a republic is government by law. Democracy sets a process in place but leaves its goals to the whims of the masses. A republic is founded on unchanging principles and lets the qualified select the means most appropriate for the situation. The founders had this in mind when they designed our government. They severely limited the government in the scope of its authority but granted full power within its restricted sphere. As Governor Bush says, "The government should do a few things and do them well." This message was implied in the Constitution, but the Founders made it explicit in the 10th Amendment, which prevents the federal government from exercising powers not specifically granted to it. These powers are given instead to the states, or "the people." Yet this is not Al Gore's "people," the monolithic victim of a collective sacrifice of all to all.

Governor Bush knows that America was founded on the principle of individuality. He will stand for this principle even when it means siding with the powerful against the will of the masses. He knows that one's liberty and labor belong to oneself, not to the government. He supports the right of parents to educate their children as they please. He stands for the right of all individuals, including those not yet born to make their own choices. While they aren't perfect, Governor Bush's ideals reflect the principles on which our nation was founded, and when faced with the choice we must make on Election Day, he is the candidate we must support. America is a republic, and it deserves a Republican.

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