America is at a crossroads… actions in Washington DC have many questioning if America is still the land of opportunity and prosperity. With President Obama in the White House and liberals in control of the House and Senate, the path for conservatives should seem clearer. Yet, the Republican Party is also at a crossroads; a resurgence of conservative voters and grassroots organizations has conservatives salivating in anticipation of new life and the possibility of returning to power, but not all this activity and energy is necessarily partisan at its core.
I believe that conservatives must take the following steps to prevail and capitalize on the momentum and ultimately achieve victory. Basically stated, Republican’s must show the American people that we are connected to our principles and as we stay connected to them, we will help return America to a land of opportunity and prosperity.
Currently conservatives are divided, fearful, and full of distrust…of each other and unfortunately of groups with similar goals. But the bottom line is the American people will not follow an angry, frustrated, and distrustful party. So what does the Republican Party need to do to unite conservatives and capture the momentum? First off, we must recruit, train and motivate our neighbors. I’m excited by the undercurrent of conservative, business-friendly discussion and attention. Many are active in recruiting and training their neighbors to get involved; this is a great trend and we need to accelerate this activity.
I believe some of the reasons we face serious challenges as a nation is voter complacency and apathy, and government corruption. When complacency and apathy are solved, or more actively addressed and reduced, then we’ll see less corruption in government. When I say corruption I’m talking more than just fraud and back-room deals. I’m also including the growth of government with its out-of-control spending (if this behavior were being committed by any other entity, public or private, it would be illegal). I’m talking the corruption of big government, which is best kept in check through greater citizen involvement.
Second, to reduce complacency and apathy, we need to bridge the gap between our leaders and the people. Conservatives we must lead out to bridge this accountability gap. But as we do we can expect some resistance. Thomas Jefferson said, “Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.” Thankfully we have citizens not afraid. But as we encourage this bold action I ask, are we effective?
Third, conservatives must unite. The various grass-roots movements right now must unite or divided we fall. I believe as a conservative the GOP is the best vehicle to accomplish my goals to defend the Constitution and protect the family. So while the Republican Party may need to purge a bit and get back to our foundational principles (and I think for the most part this is happening) we need to make sure that the variety of grass-roots movements doesn’t take us off track.
Finally, stay connected to conservative principles. The proof is in the none-partisan but conservative nature of the frustrated voter. For example, the Scott Brown win in MA and the struggles of Charlie Crist in FL demonstrate that the candidate that demonstrates his connection with conservative principles will win, regardless of party. The voters are rejecting all officials/candidates regardless of party if they remain aloof and defend big government. So I suggest conservatives unite and help the Republican Party be the champion of the Founders. This is easier as we return to our core values, but conservatives can’t win if we are angry and distrustful. We will be the party of the future as we recruit, train and motivate others to get involved.
For the Republican Party to achieve victory we must follow V.I.C.T.O.R.Y.: The GOP has the right vision and message. We need to be more inclusive and communicate better. We must incorporate technology better to help us do both of these and we must do so in an open and transparent way. Relationships are critical to our success and these relationships, especially with the youth, must be based on relevant information, delivered in a timely and effective manner.
This is how as conservatives we can prevail and achieve victory; as we show the American people that we are connected to our principles and stay connected to them, we will help return America to a land of opportunity and prosperity.
