As far as THE agenda of the Republican party, I think Greadius' take on coalitions within the party is dead on so that there is not really as much of a unifying agenda as people might think.
As a general rule, the consensus agenda of an unfettered Republican guard would be high on getting the government out of the way on fiscal issues but more intrusive on social issues.
Fiscal policy would be a continuing targeting of the elimination of wealth-based taxes (a tax cut a year seams to be the rallying cry), a loosening of antitrust concerns, privatization of social security, elimination of affirmative action, less mandates on how employers treat employees, and caps on legal liability for bad business as usual.
Social policy - all you have to do is think of is what kind of precedents that a Supreme Court with a six pack of Bush would overturn. We would again have the government having greater ability to take away freedom of choice when it comes to abortion, consensual & private adult activity, and state driven issues regarding gambling and use of drugs. On social issues where states have traditionally been morally harsh (abortion and bedroom activity), a Bush Court would give the states back their right to be morally harsh. On issues where the states may be more liberal than the Feds (gambling and drug use), legislation and court backing of such legilation will Federalize these issues to the extent individual states have less and less control over them.
The sphere of individual freedom granted by the Bill of Rights would generally be tightened. Most 1st, 4th, 5th, and 10th amendment issues would be intepreted and legislated in a more restrictive fashion. The glaring exception to this would be 1st Amendment freedom of religion issues which would gain ground at the expense of establishment clause concerns. 2nd Amendment issues would be treated a lot less restrictively.
I am actually with the Republicans on certain issues, if done with moderation, but if the Tom DeLays of the party end up running the asylum, then any moderation is out the window and future elections (if allowed by Tom Delay prior to him redrawing every Congressional district in the country) will take corrective action to restore the country to a fair and balanced state not as envisoned by Fox.
As a general rule, the consensus agenda of an unfettered Republican guard would be high on getting the government out of the way on fiscal issues but more intrusive on social issues.
Fiscal policy would be a continuing targeting of the elimination of wealth-based taxes (a tax cut a year seams to be the rallying cry), a loosening of antitrust concerns, privatization of social security, elimination of affirmative action, less mandates on how employers treat employees, and caps on legal liability for bad business as usual.
Social policy - all you have to do is think of is what kind of precedents that a Supreme Court with a six pack of Bush would overturn. We would again have the government having greater ability to take away freedom of choice when it comes to abortion, consensual & private adult activity, and state driven issues regarding gambling and use of drugs. On social issues where states have traditionally been morally harsh (abortion and bedroom activity), a Bush Court would give the states back their right to be morally harsh. On issues where the states may be more liberal than the Feds (gambling and drug use), legislation and court backing of such legilation will Federalize these issues to the extent individual states have less and less control over them.
The sphere of individual freedom granted by the Bill of Rights would generally be tightened. Most 1st, 4th, 5th, and 10th amendment issues would be intepreted and legislated in a more restrictive fashion. The glaring exception to this would be 1st Amendment freedom of religion issues which would gain ground at the expense of establishment clause concerns. 2nd Amendment issues would be treated a lot less restrictively.
I am actually with the Republicans on certain issues, if done with moderation, but if the Tom DeLays of the party end up running the asylum, then any moderation is out the window and future elections (if allowed by Tom Delay prior to him redrawing every Congressional district in the country) will take corrective action to restore the country to a fair and balanced state not as envisoned by Fox.
