Conservatives cannot delegate to others the responsibility of reaching the uninformed with the policy solutions offered by our side. If they’re going to wait for the elected officials or campaign consultants or think tanks or issue advocacy organizations to get the job done they’re going to be waiting a very long time.
“But I’ve got a life to live. A job. A family.” Yes, you do, and God bless you for it. “I’m too busy.” You poor thing. Here’s how George Washington would answer that:
It should be the highest ambition of every American to extend his views beyond himself, and to bear in mind that his conduct will not only affect himself, his country, and his immediate posterity; but that its influence may be co-extensive with the world, and stamp political happiness or misery on ages yet unborn.
Highest ambition? I think it’s safe to say it’s not an ambition at all for too many conservatives today. Who wants more trouble in their life? Politics is so contentious, it’s best to be avoided. Everybody prefers to heed the old admonition that used to apply to Thanksgiving Day dinners: avoid the topics of religion and politics when you’re with family and friends.
Our side had better get over that aversion and fast. The radical political left never hesitates to inject their opinion. You’d be hard pressed to find one area of public life where left-wing views can’t be found. Leftist thinking even invades light-hearted films and situation comedy television shows. Why is it that they aren’t concerned about controversy or contention?
While George Washington said it should be our highest ambition to extend our views beyond ourselves, his fellow Virginian Patrick Henry was a bit harsher. In his famous “give me liberty or give me death” speech in 1775 he said this:
Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offence, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the majesty of heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.
“Through fear of giving offense.” Yep, Patrick Henry not only thinks that not wanting to upset anyone is a bogus excuse — he thinks it’s treasonous. Sorry. The stakes are too high now and they’ve gotten that way because our side holds its tongue for fear of offending. Let’s save the country, persuade the persuadable, and leave the offended to their growing up process.
Everyone has family and friends that rank among the low information crowd. Through conversation and email and the right use of social media there are countless opportunities to bring them out of darkness and into the political light.
We’ve discussed the old tried and true methods of outreach and the consequences of our failure to do so. We’ve also addressed the need for experimentation and innovation. Who on our side is involved in any serious efforts to get good information out to those otherwise untouched by it? If you know of any please shoot me a note here.
Where are the networks of citizens ready to help disseminate the truth when the media lies? We had better develop them because right now if the liberal media wants to destroy a Republican candidate during the last week of a campaign, they can and do.
Let’s keep going on this tomorrow.
