Copyright The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The GOP traditionally stood for the rule of law, limited government and unity. It should again. President Ronald Reagan, in 1984 in Atlanta, stood with Southern GOP Chairman Bill Harris (left), Newt Gingrich and Mack Mattingly as he promised a new "Solid South" for Republicans. (File) By Mack F. Mattingly – For The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 12 minutes ago America’s center has collapsed. But it can be restored if Republicans return to their roots. Both political parties have gravitated toward their extremes but given my background and experience over the past 70-plus years of working to foster, grow and protect true conservatism, my focus is squarely on protecting truth and standing up against a twisting of that truth. ”eurt“ dlos“ ”laer“ htiw ohw erew esoht eht eht eht taht tseggus wohemos ytrap ”tuo ro won ton .tnemevom tnemevom ti evah depoleved sevitavresnoc evitavresnoc evitavresnoc tliub detaicossa dna ynaM — eht eht taht semitemos semitemos ,thgir msilupop fo fo .tfel gninael si si tnerehocni mrof tcaf tnemidobme tnerruc na msinacilbupeR tuB uoy uoy eht troppus ,elbisnopser ytrap .sdeen ,eman ,tsum ti ti t’nsi fi leef evitavresnoc tub eb :erawa a tI eviG aciremA GOP should not abandon these five core tenets ohw ohw ohw rieht eht eht larutcurts setats devres tneserper fo fo ynam .noitutitsni edulcni ni ni ,ebolg krowemarf rof sedaced msitavresnoc tliub sa dnuora dna dna lla a notgnihsaW nacilbupeR ruO srebmeM ,ycageL Former Georgia U.S. Sen. Mack Mattingly ohw ohw ohw rieht eht eht larutcurts setats devres tneserper fo fo ynam .noitutitsni edulcni ni ni ,ebolg krowemarf rof sedaced msitavresnoc tliub sa dnuora dna dna lla a notgnihsaW nacilbupeR ruO srebmeM ,ycageL – revetahw siht rieht eht taht taht hcus llits dnats ,elbisnopser selpicnirp ytrap rehto ycagel sredael yek si gnidulcni ni ni ni yllacirotsih evah evif mrif tcaf .secnereffid denifed yrtnuoc evitavresnoc ,denoipmahc nac yb feileb eb sa dna dna a eW dlanoR snacilbupeR nagaeR stnediserP ,nlocniL rewohnesiE thgiwD .D maharbA - tey edispu denrut yeht eseht eht stenet niamer s’ytrap ytrap ruo fo noitatsefinam sti ni sah .noitadnuof evif ,nwod gninifed tnerruc senotsrenroc kcordeb ehT :era yehT – revetahw siht rieht eht taht taht hcus llits dnats ,elbisnopser selpicnirp ytrap rehto ycagel sredael yek si gnidulcni ni ni ni yllacirotsih evah evif mrif tcaf .secnereffid denifed yrtnuoc evitavresnoc ,denoipmahc nac yb feileb eb sa dna dna a eW dlanoR snacilbupeR nagaeR stnediserP ,nlocniL rewohnesiE thgiwD .D maharbA - tey edispu denrut yeht eseht eht stenet niamer s’ytrap ytrap ruo fo noitatsefinam sti ni sah .noitadnuof evif ,nwod gninifed tnerruc senotsrenroc kcordeb ehT :era yehT The rule of law. True Republicans embrace the fact that we are a country of laws, not men. The U.S. Constitution establishes checks and balances to prevent the concentration and abuse of government power, vesting the power to tax, spend and impose tariffs in Congress, not in the president. The Bill of Rights protects the people against a government that punishes critics and wreaks retribution on opponents. Unity. The true Republican Party is the party of Lincoln. Just like him, at the core of our corporate “soul” is a determination to unite, to hold America together as one indivisible nation. “A nation divided against itself cannot stand.” Period. Identity politics that inflame the passions of grievance and resentment are no longer the sole property of any one political party. Using mass condemnation to pressure those of certain faiths, races or ideologies to select “correct” words or live “correct” lives, even to accept the binary judgment that they are either social offenders or victims of “the elites” – this is a grave threat to all of us. Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment – “Thou shalt not speak ill of fellow Republicans” – today might best be surrendered back to the commandment from whence it came: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” Fiscal responsibility. The true Republican Party opposes large and persistent federal deficits. The national debt increased nearly 40% in the first Trump administration, and under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, it will grow over the next decade by more than $3 trillion. Our current fiscal trajectory isn’t greatness. It is weakness, and we are accelerating toward that end. Limited government. The true Republican Party insists that the private sector, not an overreaching federal government, is the source of America’s strength. Governmental control, once the province of progressive Democrats, has now become the hallmark of current Republicans. They impose high tariffs and propose government ownership stakes in corporations. And no administration should direct what universities can teach, where law firms can practice, or whom comedians can mock. Strong national defense. The true Republican Party is the party of Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan, which since World War II has protected the West against Russian aggression, whether communist or totalitarian. We support a national defense that is second to none, and we encourage reliable alliances among democracies that protect our national interests overseas. We are under no illusions about Vladimir Putin’s intentions, and support providing Ukraine with the weapons it needs to defend itself. Present party establishment is not conservative or Republican siht em ekam tel .yhtlaeh sah .raelc neeb syawla tnemeergasiD ,tuB esoht eht eht selpicnirp noitacifinosrep fo fo ton ylerem .elbitapmocni desuopse .elbahsiugnitsid tnerruc yb era era dna yehT ehT nacilbupeR s’nagaeR POG POG ”,evitavresnoc“ ”nacilbupeR“ ot yeht meht gnihtemos ro yam ni tcaf .esle tcele llac tub era emoS tahw ot yeht yeht meht rieht naht rehtar nwo .ton ,eman tsenoh evig mialc retteb eb era era dna raF htiw ot devres rotanes ,srehto fo ,rebmem si morf morf gnidnuof remrof remrof remrof sa dna gnola a a eciV .S.U .S.U .neS yraterceS nacilbupeR elyauQ tnediserP ruO iruossiM ylgnittaM ylgnittaM kcaM .ycageL nhoJ aigroeG ,rednuoF .F esnefeD ,htrofnaD naD ,nehoC lliB .7891 1891
