"America is not great because of the size of our government, but because of the vision and values of our people.
I am convinced that those who believe in big government have little faith in self-governance. Their philosophy says that government should do what a man can't -- or won't -- do for himself.
Perhaps I'm jaded, but I believe that the gush of taxpayer dollars issuing forth from Washington is not driven by compassion, but from an unspoken belief that Americans are not smart enough to govern their own lives, strong enough to take some risk or compassionate enough to help neighbors in need.
Conservatism has gotten a black eye over the past few years, not because our core principles are less true, but because so many of our leaders lost their way.
When conservatives forget the values that got them elected and morph into big-spending, favor-trading politicians, voters will simply vote for whoever offers change, and, in 2008, they did.
I don't think such an outcome dictates a redefinition of conservatism. If anything, it is a stark reminder that we need to return to our fiscally conservative roots.
Not just in Washington, D.C., but in every state in the nation." --Texas Gov. Rick Perry