Pulling Back the Curtain a Little on the Great Oz…
Recently, I had the pleasure of reading something that a new associate from these network groups many of us belong to wrote. I enjoyed it so much, and it got my juices roiling so much, that I decided to respond to what she had written. While I was responding, I thought “Wait- I really ought to share what SHE wrote with the folks that cruise through the blog.”
So, I got her permission to use it here, and here it, and my response, is…
Rebuilding our party
Like many of you, I was first greeted by a comment from Stephen Sexton. He began with the question, “Do you have a plan or suggestion to help rebuild the Republican party?” Since I read it, I’ve found myself giving mini-lectures in my mind, to the television, to my dogs. Yes, Stephen, I do. Thanks for asking, and here it is:My suggestion for rebuilding our party is to recover our party. I’ve heard over the last several years that we should reinvent our party–to be more liberal, more moderate, more like our opponents. But here’s the thing. I am not a conservative because it’s the sum of my views on issues. I have certain views on issues because I am philosophically, thoughtfully, intentionally conservative. While issues are up for debate, my principles are not.
When I was in school, I always resented the notion that Democrats are “idealistic” and Republicans aren’t. I knew no one who was more idealistic than I. I stand by the ideals that our strength and success have always been tied to our hard work, ingenuity, education and opportunity to rise regardless of who you or your ancestors are.
I stand by these ideals. I will not apologize for them, and I am tired of my party apologizing on my behalf. As a party, we succeed when we stand on our idealism. When we have compromised, apologized, moved to the center, we fail. Our party will be rebuilt when we speak about these things. The people resonate with idealism, with philosophies of hope and duty and opportunity. We will rebuild when we recover and communicate those conservative beliefs. They–not issues, not political ambition, not disdain for the other party–are what hold us together, and what will rebuild our party. I am an idealist, and I believe I am not alone.
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Laura,
Very well put. I too am disgruntled in the illusion that is fabricated in our society and spoon fed to all of the eager yet shallow segments of our society. When you peel back the layers a little more, the idiocy of some liberal positions is mind-bendingly apparent. And it is very clear that many intelligent liberals are aware of this- that they must keep the curtain covering Oz. So many of our voters are cursorily informed. They receive their information which is the foundation of their decision making process in a “drive-by” manner- newsbites, soundbites, talking points intentionally designed to confuse and obfuscate… The voter is not informed, not asking questions, and not probing.
The goal of the left is to in fact “keep the people stupid”; undermine every voting base by watering down integrity via the introduction of large groups entitlement bound zombies latched onto the government tit, and the masses who follow them don’t even understand they are being placed into bondage… Once they own your special program, they own your vote, and in the end, they own YOU.
Basic liberal operational tactical formula:
Create a program attractive to the masses
Get everyone ON that program
Promise to take care of them if you continue to receive their vote
Threaten that their entitlement will be harmed by their opponent if he/she gets into office.
Social Security
Welfare (pre 90’s)
Union memberships and benefits, wages
This is partly how the left maintains a handle on the people that support them. What would be their next plan for vote harvesting? How do they intend to grow their voting base (more accurately, grow the number of people “beholden” to them)?
Do the words Government Health Care ring a bell? How about Universal Health Care? Comprehensive Health Care?
Alllllllll neatly package with cute little marketable sweet sounding terms, much like “Progressive” and “Pro Choice”.
Once the “masses” get a taste for this nice little health benefit, they will never want to give it up. They will plan on it, count on it, and in a generation or less, it will not be considered a benefit but rather an entitlement. And bingo! Millions of voters on the hook!
(breath)
OK. Rant over.
Well done, Laura. I really just wanted to say well done, but your post got my ire up, when I started thinking how wrong the left is on so many principles.
Well done.
Good points, Brian.
Then, there is the “single issue” voter. You find them in unions; many are Roe vs. Wade women; Seniors on Social Security.
These people are targeted every cycle by the left, and even though they (voter) may have broader beliefs that side with conservative principles in most other areas, they don’t want their “precious” taken away… So they Vote Dem.
Great post and response here. I think Laura has highlighted one of the major problems in the electorate today, that people make decisions on issues and candidates without consulting their core beliefs. They are instead swayed by emotion and slick marketing.
I also believe that a bigger problem still is the reason why a lot of people don’t start at their foundation and work out to specific issues. They can’t because they don’t have a foundation. They’ve never invested the time and effort in study and contemplation to figure out what they truly believe in their heart of hearts. This is both dangerous and troubling.
While I am not conservative on all issues (I’m more moderate on social issues, conservative on economic, foreign policy, etc.), I do resent the stereotype that conservatives are old fashioned.
I once had a professor that, in introducing a new topic, asked what the difference between a conservative and liberal was. One student explained that conservatives value small government, liberals value big government, etc. The professor said “OK, but it more comes down to conservatives being old fashioned and liberals having a more open mind”.
I resent that notion. I am the type that watches MSNBC or CNN not because I enjoy their programming, but because I enjoy hearing both sides. I do not watch or listen to Hannity because while I agree with him on many issues, I do not engage in confirmation bias.
But hey, maybe that’s just me.