In the early years of this nation, there were two parties. Liberals were Democrats and conservatives were Wigs (later to become Republican). In the 1800's there was a migration between parties as the Republican party became more liberal and pro-centralized big government. Democrats pushed for the conservative values of strict construction of the constitution and maintenance of the constitutional protections of governmental checks and balances.

   By the turn of the 1900s, the roles once more reversed. Wilson and later FDR were Democrats drawing more and more towards a strong central government engaged in overseeing all aspects of public live. Constitutional checks were often ignored in a slow but steady march towards a Soviet-styled socialist model...just easing into the concept one small program & government agency at a time.

   Currently, it appears that hard-line socialist and ultra-liberal wing are still control and are driving the Democrat party. While the two remaining Democrat candidates may be angering the vocal fringe by "triangulating" towards the center for the purpose of winning the national election--Both candidates share a Senate voting record that would do Stalin proud.

   The Republican party historically has offered Americans a conservative alternative to the Democrat's socialist policy initiatives. Unfortunately, the last few weeks have proved that a strongly liberal influence is definitely in a power ascendency within the Republican party.

   Just four years ago, Senator McCain, shortly considered switching party affiliation and running with John Kerry on the Democrat’s national presidential ticket. Notwithstanding this, with the right political organization, a straight-faced denial of almost 50 years of liberal Senate voting, Senator McCain has become the Republican party’s national candidate.

   The values and core-beliefs of the majority of the Republican Party-faithful certainly didn't change--so what is going on?

   With this shift we've seen, I'm concluding that there are only a few things left for the majority conservative wing of the Republican party to keep from becoming the party of socialist-lite:

1) Abandon the caucus concept.

   For years, activists have used the caucus process to distort & influence candidate selection . . . which is counter productive when the intent is to choose a candidate that reflects the values, issues, and priorities of the general party membership.

2) A closed national Republican primary.

   The early "primary" states: New Hampshire, Iowa, Michigan, and North Carolina are generally more liberal. In past national elections, these states and have either gone Democrat or the Republican margin of victory has been extremely small. Is it surprising then that a liberal Republican candidate does well with this electorate? The liberal influence is compounded by many of the early states holding "open primaries" where non-conservatives have an even greater sway in picking the Republican "front-runner" and choosing our candidate. Would the Democrats agree to an open Utah primary being their first primary state; with conservative cross-over voters having a similar influence on their candidate selection? Of course not. Why then should Republicans continue to acquiesce and allow a few traditional non-Republican/marginal Republican states to significantly sway our selection of a national candidate?

   While California, New York, Ohio & Florida will have a significantly greater influence in a closed national primary, at least they would have the virtue of representing the will of a larger and more representative body of our party membership. An easy answer to those state parties that object to a closed national Republican primary–take a page from the Democrat play-book, don’t seat any delegates from states that refuse to comply.

3) Standardize primary polling times

   To preclude the influence on early poll reporting, have a fixed national time for poll opening and closing. Polls open at 9:00 AM EDT and close at 9:00 PM PDT; with the reporting of poll results held until after closure. Most states already permit early voting for those that would find poll times inconvenient. We’ll still have networks breathlessly proclaiming trends via exit polls; but, recent spectacular failures has tempered broadcasters willingness to stake their reputations on early pronouncements.

   A side advantage is that this change would refocus time spent at the national convention from reporting on old news --where states report on the results of their primary vote–-that everyone already knows about, building the national party platform.

4) Standardize the party’s delegate allotment process

   To emphasis the change to a national primary, another needed change is to move away from the practice of state winner-take-all delegate allotments. The rationale for winner-take-all is to increase the political influence of a particular state. Simply put, its an ego and power-play thing. If the intent is to take a more accurate pulse on who the party membership wants to represent them in a national election, then this kind of gamesmanship is counter productive. An argument that the current electoral-college practice is primarily a states’ winner-take-all process, that does NOT need to drive the way our party selects its national candidate. Using the current primary as a base-line for analysis, an state allotment based on a popular vote, or the California-style allotment by congressional district, really wouldn't’t have a significant impact or sway the selection of a national party candidate.

   These changes won’t make the process perfect, but they will go a long ways toward mitigating the current situation, were the many conservatives in the party are being unwillingly drug by a minority of RINOs. Our party is on the cusp of selecting a candidate who does not reflect our grass-root values and has been historically on the wrong side of most issues important to conservatives. The current process has forced upon the Republican party a liberal candidate that has no chance of winning – no chance of winning either the support of the dominate party majority of conservatives, nor a national election.

   With the withdrawal of Mitt Romney, the last remaining candidate who had any claim of representing our party’s conservative values, its too late to avoid a debacle in 2008. Perhaps we’ll learn from 2008 and implement the changes needed to retake the party nominating process in time to right the ship for the election in 2012.