John Danforth, William Cohen and Alan Simpson are former Republican senators.
We three former senators, all Republicans, will not presume to tell these people what to do on Nov. 5. What we do want to offer, however, is a framework for thinking about the decision and for helping to secure America’s future beyond 2024, no matter what happens on Election Day.
We believe that our nation’s well-being depends on having the positive, stabilizing influence of a healthy, two-party system, which we currently do not have; and that one of those parties must reflect the traditional Republicanism which we embraced in our decades of public service.
Recently it has become popular to assert that this traditional brand of Republicanism is dead, replaced by a new populist, radical version. We disagree. In our view, traditional Republicanism, though currently in eclipse, is no more extinct than the sun was over portions of the country on April 8. And all of us who believe in it must do what we can to ensure its expeditious return.
To facilitate this comeback, we and other former GOP officeholders and officials are not leaving the party, but instead forming a new organization within it — “Our Republican Legacy.” This new group will serve as a big tent for all of us who believe in what the party has been and must continue to be.
This initiative rests on the most solid of foundations — the five principles that historically have defined our party and been universally accepted across its membership. Sooner or later — and we hope sooner — these principles will reassert themselves because they are as relevant and critical to the well-being of our nation as ever. They are:
The Constitution — We are pledged to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. Our allegiance to the Constitution includes acceptance of the vote of the people, obedience to the decisions of our courts and support for the peaceful transfer of power. We think Jan. 6, 2021, the date of the mob assault on the Capitol, was one of the darkest days in U.S. history, and the events leading to that assault were direct attacks on our constitutional order.
Union — Since the time of Abraham Lincoln, ours has been the party of the Union, of holding a fractured country together as one indivisible nation. That remains our purpose today. Americans come from many different backgrounds and interests, yet we are one people. We stand against the divisive tactics of both right and left that divide “us against them” by exploiting emotions of grievance and rage.
Fiscal responsibility — In recent years, Republicans have joined Democrats in abandoning that responsibility. The profligate explosion of our national debt is a legacy of weakness that future Americans must inherit. We renew our historical commitment to a sound economy.
Free enterprise — We support the private sector as the source of prosperity against big government interventions such as high protective tariffs and price controls.
Peace through strength — We believe that a peaceful world depends on a strong United States that is steadfast in opposing the aggression of Russia and other hostile regimes and is unwavering in our support for our allies.
It is certainly true that each of these principles extends back in history — in some cases, way back. The rule of law dates from the time of Moses, the free enterprise system to Adam Smith. But to recognize a principle as old is not to say that it is outdated — and none of these five are.
To sustain these principles, the three of us are launching “Our Republican Legacy.” It will not be a lobbying organization or a political action committee. It will not, as we said, tell people how to vote in 2024 or beyond. It will be a digital rallying place for all of those currently dispirited about the state of our party and see nowhere to go with their beliefs. It will be an information hub — a center of news and commentary and ideas about strategies and tactics.
In short, this group will be a catalyst for a movement to reassert traditional Republicanism against the populist version it has become under Donald Trump.
This is something new. Many Republicans have given up on trying to winch their party out the populist ditch. National resistance has been missing. Our Republican Legacy will provide that resistance and do so with credible leadership and sufficient funding and will continue as a force well beyond the November election.
For those who boast that traditional Republicanism is dead we issue this challenge: Tell us — tell the nation — precisely how and why you disagree with this group’s five defining principles. Tell us how the embrace of these principles would contradict the ideals of this great nation. And tell us how their abandonment would make our nation stronger.
