Rand Paul/Joe Miller 2016

By Bernie Quigley

For The Hill on 4/17/12

Could be that the Mitt Romney tenure could be a quiet, stabilizing time and scaffolding for the arrival of new ideas in 2016. We are there already. The Republicans’ long primary season bristles with new thinking – Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich - that has formed a true binary forking of the ways, leaving the old Democrats vs. Republicans binary behind, a historic anachronism from a bygone era. Everything ends, Then it begins again. What we have been seeing all since Woodrow Wilson is Keynes v. Marx, what we will see ahead is Keynes vs. Hayek. What we have been seeing since the creation is Hamiltonian centralization. What we will see ahead is the rise of Jeffersonian decentralization springing spontaneously and organically from the heartland.

Romney seems a good guy for that; a transitional figure, personally stable and true. And he loves America so much he is actually starting to physically resemble Billy Graham. He is interested in some of the old school but with interest rising as well with the new. Interested in everything and a good manager. Maybe he will bring in Texas Governor Rick Perry to bridge the gap (“states' rights, states' rights, states rights' . . .”) but Perry like Newt Gingrich is old school as well: They want states rights and responsibilities but still seek the external conquest. So does Romney. It is a reflex built now into the DNA these past 236 years.

Maybe we will see all new people by 2016; call it Republicans v Jeffersonian conservatives, leaving the Democrats to dangle. Today Rand Paul hobbles the old school by demanding $2 billion in foreign aid to Egypt be stripped. 2016 starts already.

And finally the young generation begins to speak its mind, like “Hunger Games” actor Jennifer Lawrence who was heavily criticized this week by PETA for teaching her brother to skin a squirrel in the excellent movie Winter’s Bone. That is, teaching her brother how to save his life and family honor by feeding himself.

“Screw PETA,” she replied. Formidable. Perfectly well spoken.

Rand Paul/Joe Miller 2016: Vote for grownups.