I think I was less disappointed than many conservatives when the "Mount Vernon Statement" was released last week. I think the conservative movement needs to clarify a few things in unison, at the moment, and the Mount Vernon Statement lacks the detail to bring this about. I do think that it could be useful in getting potential or new conservatives to get used to thinking along the right lines, however.
Fortunately, I have been working to spread the word about a somewhat more detailed, concentrated statement of conservative principles,
the Twelve Points. Like the Mount Vernon Statement, the Twelve Points were inspired largely by the Sharon Statement, but unlike the Mount Vernon Statement, the Twelve Points were not the project of a committee of big-name, established conservative leaders, but were rather the work of a 26 year-old Indianapolis conservative (which I was when I began writing them in early 2008).
http://the12points.com/p/twelve-points.htmlPlease let me know what you think. Also, if you like the Twelve Points, spread the word!
P.S. If I may preemptively answer the main objections to the Mount Vernon Statement to prevent them from being needlessly raised against the Twelve Points:
1) The Constitution is great, but it is not so
comprehensive that it leaves nothing else to be said about government in the United States. Among other things, conservatives must be prepared to persuade Americans that the Constitution should be faithfully enforced, even though the Constitution was designed to be followed as the Supreme Law of the Land, not to argue for its own existence. Also, clearly, it is capable of being misconstrued, whether on purpose or not. Restoring the Constitution as the Supreme Law of the Land therefore
requires us to communicate with our fellow Americans concerning its importance and meaning. The Twelve Points (along with the Mount Vernon Statement) are just the kind of communication we need in order to accomplish this.
2) It is true that the Twelve Points (like the Mount Vernon Statement) do not make a lot of specific, immediately implementable policy proposals. I agree that a policy platform of that kind is needed, but the Twelve Points are meant to serve other needs of the conservative movement.
