John McCain and the other Republican candidates across the country are experiencing a political nightmare right now. I feel, however, that this election could be the perfect opportunity for the Republican Party to reestablish the conservative principles that can best get us through our country’s current economic crisis and all of our other serious domestic and foreign policy challenges.

For far too long, many Republican politicians have tried to buy votes by outspending their Democratic counterparts and strong-arming votes from conservatives by talking up social issues and saying things such as, “You might not like me, but consider how radical the alternative is!” Americans deserve better than deciding between the lesser of two evils.

“It’s the economy, stupid!” This famous political phrase was coined by Clinton campaign strategist James Carville in 1992, but it also rings true today as the single most important issue in American politics. Conservative Republicans should be the ones to trust when it comes to the economy, but our Republican leaders have gone astray of the conservative core principles. I love George W. Bush, but he has spent money like a fat kid in a candy store.

Richard Viguerie, credited as being one of the architects of the Reagan Revolution, asserts in his book Conservatives Betrayed that federal spending has grown five times larger under President Bush than what it was under Democratic President Bill Clinton. We need to go back to the Reagan mantra of decreasing the size of government so we can get our country back into surplus.

On Friday, Oct. 10 at Lakeville South High School, I was able to attend a John McCain town hall meeting. Senator McCain came across as a much more genuine person than he sometimes appears during the debates. He also showed great class by telling the anxious crowd that Barack Obama is a good man who cares about his family and should not be feared despite his starkly different vision for America.

As he spoke, I once again realized that cutting wasteful government spending has long been a goal for John McCain. He may not have conservative views on all issues, but he has been a leader in this area for many years and should emphasize this strength.

The other side of the economic coin is tax policy. Keeping taxes low is crucial during tough economic times, but conservative politicians must go beyond the politically popular income tax breaks and individual tax credits. One of the most important tax breaks we need is on the corporate tax rate. Corporations are the big bad wolf in American political culture, but having the second highest corporate tax rate in the developed world has moved corporations into other countries-taking thousands of jobs away with them. Even socialist-leaning countries like Sweden and Norway have lower corporate tax rates than the U.S., but I feel American politicians are afraid to tell voters that tax cuts for corporations are probably the best way for average Americans to get long-term relief for their pocketbooks.

Both Barack Obama and John McCain are extremely weak on economic issues, so I believe John McCain needs to let the American people know that if elected president, he will bring into his cabinet great conservative economic minds who can navigate through our present challenges. I’m talking about people like former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who spent most of his life as a CEO taking over struggling companies and making them efficient and profitable. Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman is another McCain ally who understands the economy and could give advice and direction as a member of a McCain administration.

The American people aren’t abandoning conservative economic principles; they just haven’t seen them in awhile, and I think John McCain could gain a lot of credibility with voters if he brought in a team Americans could trust to handle our economy.

Both social issues (such as eliminating abortion and protecting the sanctity of marriage) and civil liberties issues (such as protecting the right to bear arms) are important, but conservatives can no longer make those issues free passes for Republicans to be liberal on economic policy. On the same note, inflating the threats of global terrorism and using foreign policy threats to scare voters into the booth for the Republican ticket is shameful and should not be tolerated. Conservatives believe in a strong military that protects our freedoms when necessary, but should never be used aggressively to gain political points. If you give me an Independent or a Democrat who will follow conservative principles on the economy and defense, I’ll give you my vote. These issues are too important to be put on the back burner by our politicians, and if we can’t defend ourselves or have a strong economy, then all of our rights and liberties are in jeopardy.

With so little time until election day, most columnists will be telling you why you should vote for their candidates or why certain candidates will be bad for America. I believe Gusties already have enough information to make an educated decision and aren’t going to be swayed just because I give you a stump speech or fear rhetoric. The issues are too big for that kind of shallow political posturing. I find it far more important to spend my time telling you about why conservative principles are what our country needs to succeed in the future. As Republican President Abraham Lincoln said, “[America] is the last best hope of Earth,” and we can lead the world to greater prosperity if we just have the courage to stick to the principles that led us to success in the past. Having liberal Democrats win in this election is regrettable in my view, but it will be worth it if it wakes up the Republican Party to the conservative ideas the American people need for long-term prosperity.