Saturday, November 06, 2004

What Liberals Fail to Get

The Liberal Left view their failure as a matter of message, marketing, and the messenger. This is all wrong. They have no overall prevailing belief system they can defend at face value with no apologies. There is a deep fracture within their very foundation. They preach tolerance and inclusion, which their moderate members appear to believe and attempt to practice; however their far left is neither tolerant nor inclusive!

As a result they are having a tough time accepting Tuesday’s results. As I listen to their self analysis/blaming I am struck by just how out of touch they truly are.

Regarding their analysis, they seem to find fault with the delivery of their message. (How it was packaged, or who delivered this so called message) This misses the point completely. It was the message delivered that failed to connect.

  1. Defense of Marriage issue:
    1. Their message was; we support States rights to decide this issue. They also packaged this message in a civil rights parcel that completely obscured their few statements supporting these amendments.
    2. This is not a civil rights issue. The Red State/County folks already know what a marriage is. We do not want intellectual meddlers messing around with the basic tenants of our society, thank you very much.
  2. Taxes:
    1. Their message was; raise the taxes on the top 1% ($200,000+ earners). This was wrapped in A “Two Americas” gift wrap to appeal to the disadvantaged among us.
    2. They fail to see the forest for the trees on this one. If they spent just a little time in the Red States/Counties attending say a major flea market or two, or a local drag/stock car race or two, and were to look beyond the event, behind the scenes, consider the vendor rigs, their setups at the flea market, and look at the patrons’ rides, what they are buying, then consider the houses they are returning to, or at the races consider the investment in the trucks, race cars, tools and the campers they see in the pits. These folks are neither poor nor disadvantaged. Now consider that these events are happening all over America, every week without interruption. These very people are the ones that will be affected by their lame tax plan.
    3. Now I will admit many among this group may be facing financial difficulty, but it is not the economy that is at fault here. They are just over extended, and that is their own doing.

I could go on and on. My point is; their problem goes even deeper than message, it is how they view our great country.

  1. They see it as wrong in its core values.
  2. They view us Red State/County folks as needing re-education. We are too intolerant, and closed minded. (Sounds kind of Socialist to me.)
  3. They hold elite education above our basic American can do spirit.
  4. For a Party that claims to be for the little guy, they seem to be filled with elite leaders dictating to a shrinking mass of the poor.

Until the Democrat Party alters the way they view America they are doomed to a minority status. They first must develop core beliefs they can defend at face value and not repackage to appeal. This process will necessarily be a long and difficult one. The fringe ultra-left must be crushed as only their own moderates can do from within. Until this civil war is fought the ultra-left will dominate their thinking and leader selection process.

The moderate Democrat is much like the Republican silent majority. They are the tolerant and accommodating ones and are constantly forced to give way to the militant left. They must rise up on their own to wrest control from the far left or the Democrat party risks a growing migration to the Independent and moderate Republican ranks.

The Democrats blame the Republicans for foisting wedge issues upon the electorate. I say, the wedge is within your own party. No core belief can possibly bridge the chasm separating your far left and moderates.

As one separates constituencies in order to appeal to their individual wants and needs these groups are eventually brought into conflict over fundamental core belief differences. A large number of individual groups catered to will be no match for a large group supported in their shared core beliefs. We do not wish to be catered to, we wish to be defended and left to pursue our hopes and dreams unmolested.

The Democrat Party must rebuild their party from the foundation of newly clarified beliefs, fill their structure with like minded leaders that share these beliefs and communicate them clearly with conviction. This will attract followers that share their values and beliefs and will defend them with vigor in the forum of ideas. When your followers are committed to your core beliefs they will turn out to vote for your candidates and convince others to do so as well.

As the process of rebuilding progresses the more intolerant among you will disperse as they have little conviction to stick out the long haul. Some among these will oppose you. Do not fear this opposition, as it will build needed strength within your committed followers.

The bottom line is this. If the Democrat Party takes the time and care to rebuild from the core, they will return to the fray as a vigorous competitor in the arena of ideas and America will be better for it.

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