"A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have." - Barry Goldwater

Today, many in the Republican Party are wondering where we should begin with efforts to reshape our party's messages, and, more importantly, our party's role in America's future - and thus America's future in the world.

During the past 8 years, the Federal government grew faster than any true conservative appreciates. This growth in government, fostered by the policies of a neo-conservative administration in the White House, has shaken America's confidence in our party's representatives like never before.

To our party's strategists, I submit to you that conservatism didn't lose 19 seats in the House and 6 seats in the Senate. Governing liberally did.

Moving forward, Republicans must redefine what our party represents by reshaping our party's message. The quality of that message must become more informative and specific in nature.
It is imperative for the Republican Party to find more representatives who are competent communicators.

Our party's representatives must be able to illuminate the grim prospects for America's future posed by leading liberals' profligate economic plans. Our party's representatives must begin explaining why the policies we champion will give rise to the long-term economic stability Americans pray for.

Resource stewardship has long represented a core area of interest among conservatives.

It is prudent stewardship of our economic resources that must once again become a defining characteristic of the policies embraced by the Grand Old PartyÕs representatives, both in word and in deed.
Working from the grassroots back up - state by state - is the course our party must take if we are to renew the fast-fading confidence in the Republican Party, confidence our candidates will need if conservatives are to take back Washington. By devising and articulating the soundest economic strategies for securing the financial futures of each state Republicans will once again demonstrate our party's commitment to serving the interests of all Americans.

The majority of Americans are conservative to middle thinking.

Thus Republican leaders within every state must embrace and bolster platforms that will bring more citizens together before the Republican Party is further polarized from the majority. When we look inward and concentrate our efforts toward the right principles our party will once again be the exemplar of frugal spending and reform.

Ultimately, voters will reward our party's candidates for such efforts.

Here in South Carolina legislators recently approved $488 million in budget cuts. My office, The Lieutenant Governor's Office on Aging, took a 10 percent cut without issuing a single pink slip (and I personally have had to forgo a paycheck). This form of leadership must once again symbolize the spirit of the entire Republican Party.

While I believe our representatives in Washington should follow our state's example of restraint, and try to curb the size and influence of the Federal establishment, I honestly doubt many Democrats set to run the show for the next few years will heed such advice.

However, hope remains alive for conservatives.

Democrats are pretty consistent in their messages.

And it is in the Democrats' persistent refusals to acknowledge bureaucracies based in D.C. will never do a better job of promoting the American dream than private businesses based across our country that a light shines brightly for the future of the Republican Party.

Andre' Bauer is the lieutenant governor of South Carolina.