Keep GOP debate, campaign on track

In the mid 19th century, multiple new railroad lines helped expand and accelerate Iowa's settlement. Those rail lines were a key starting point for future expansion west of the Mississippi, and served to help power a future for our country.

As we get closer to Iowa's first in the nation caucuses, Iowans find ourselves in a modern version of laying down the first rails on America's track to the future. And how important it is for those first tracks to be put down firmly on the right course. If the first few miles of track are just a little off, we'll be miles off course by the end of the line.

President Barack Obama and his Democrat party have given us a lot to say 'no” to. We'll hear a lot of candidates rightly object to his failed agenda. And that's an important part of setting a new course. But it's only one part.

The truth is there are no governing principles in human history that have lifted so many people to better lives than ours. For our next president to chart a course for a great American renewal, they must be able to explain not just what must be opposed - but also how our principles get every American to a brighter future.

Never have I been more optimistic that we can achieve this. Something is happening in the Republican Party, and it's happening right here in Iowa.

We are seeing a new generation of conservative leaders who understand our principles are the greatest force for good in our world. Instead of simply saying ‘no' to the top-down, artificial and political policies of the old Democrats, Republicans like Joni Ernst are offering fresh, new ideas to lead our country into the future.

Now we're seeing more presidential candidates frame the real choices of this election. Do you want an open economy that grows organically from our local communities, or do you want a closed economy, where Washington elites pick winners and losers politically and artificially?

Do you believe every parent should have an equal opportunity to choose the best school for their child? Or do you think our kids do better when we leave those choices to the education bureaucracy?

Do you want health care decisions made in the sacred space between you and your doctor, or do you think a one-size-fits-all Washington approach is a better idea?

In Iowa we lay the first rails on the line to the future. Let's make sure we set the course straight. Candidates will be what we demand of them.

So at this first Republican primary debate in Cleveland, let's listen for a candidate who does more than say ‘no.' Our principles are good for so much more than that.

Let's listen for a candidate who can tell us why our conservative principles are the best to lift up our nation and why freedom is more important than ever.

And next time they come to your town, remember that we Iowans have the best opportunity to keep them on track.

' Jeff Kaufmann is the chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa. Comments: chairman@iowagop.org