Posted on 12/31/2012 9:39:07 AM PST by Kaslin
As a conservative columnist and author of "The Optimism Advantage," I've been asked to speak on "Keeping Conservative Hope Alive" in light of President Obama's election victory. In the New Year, here are seven ways conservatives can earn renewed optimism for 2014 and beyond:
1. Conservatives reject victim thinking and dependency-inducing entitlements. We aren't victims, and we're not entitled to election victories. Life is difficult, and no political victory will be easy with America's changing values and demographics. True optimism comes from a track record of overcoming obstacles--Obama's election just added another obstacle! Get over it. We lost the election; let's get busy changing the mid-term results one state, one election at a time.
2. After the 2008 election, the president's team never left the swing states. Progressives organized and prepared for the ground game challenge they knew would come. They presold to the "jury of voters" a negative image of Romney--he's rich, out of touch, and succeeded at the expense of middle class Americans. But President Obama's "glow" will dim the coverage for potential 2016 Democratic challengers. Conservatives can use the next four years in critical swing states to promote our cadre of strong, young candidates like Marco Rubio, Paul Ryan and Bobby Jindal. That starts now!
3. The mainline media will never provide balanced coverage, and the majority of Americans don't watch Fox News or listen to talk radio. It's up to YOU to risk selling the conservative principles you value. Winning arguments is overrated; you can win arguments and lose votes. Influence comes from sharing authentic testimonies of why you vote conservative. My Amazon eBook, You're a Republican! The Political Conversation Your Mother Told You Never to Have, provides a model for such a conversation. Don't wait for the perfect time, start seizing opportunities to take a confident, conservative stand. Give them distance with dignity to consider your views by respecting their right to disagree.
4. Sound principles must be taught early. Parents and grandparents are up against Hollywood, liberal school systems, and peer pressure working overtime to capture the hearts and minds of our children. Do your job! Set limits, discipline, and live out and explain your conservative values. Teach personal responsibility and pride in achievement, care enough to give back to your community, and nurture your faith. My book, "Favorite Family Lectures: The Secrets of Life Every Teen Wants to Know," helps start conversations about the values that matter most. Whatever resource you use, take the responsibility for educating your own children.
5. Don't pay the way to go to colleges and universities committed to turning your teenagers into raging liberal activists. At eighteen, they can go wherever they want, but you control what you will help fund. Good parents are respected, not always liked. State your limits. Use www.yaf.org to find schools worthy of support. To exercise their freedom to go elsewhere, let them have the freedom to pay the bill. Stop paying for progressive indoctrination.
6. Instead of reinforcing the "mean-spirited" Republican image with attack ads, put the primary focus on what we're for! Ronald Reagan shared his secret: "I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears. To your confidence, rather than your doubts." Instead of altering our values to reach America's changing demographics, feature a "Catch America Working" campaign honoring minority citizens who've succeeded because of the conservative principles they value and live. You don't need a lottery win or a government handout; here's how you earn your own American Dream!
7. True American confidence and strength doesn't comes from Washington but from what we do locally to make a difference for ourselves, our communities, and those in need. Get involved locally--your city, your local charities and your faith community. Nothing invigorates personal confidence and satisfaction more than giving back and serving real people. Government can attack your freedoms and take your money, but don't let them take your soul. Shine by serving.
We may be facing a challenging political and economic reality, but as conservative Americans, we believe that an America committed to personal responsibility and opportunity, free-enterprise competition, and limited government can remain the best hope for the world. For future generations now being saddled with limited freedoms, high taxes and growing debt, we can and must turn the tide, but we will have to earn that optimistic future together.
Looking at nearly half the states in GOP hands and seeing their growing defiance makes me optimistic.
Conservatism has no reason for optimism as long as the GOP Establishment exists.
The GOP Establishment has foisted upon us candidates “who can win the moderates” and has sandbagged genuine conservatives such as Sarah, Sharon Angle, Christine O’Donnell, and Todd Akin.
The GOP Establishment is perfectly content with President Obama in the White House and Democrats running Washington, D.C. as long as they can keep their lobbyist, pundit, and political jobs. The GOP Establishment would rather have President Obama in the White House than have true conservatives in positions of power.
It is time to SMASH the GOP and send it to the ash heap.
It is time for the grass roots to rise up and form a Genuine, Bible-believing, and honest conservative movement.
After the 2008 election, the president's team never left the swing states... The mainline media will never provide balanced coverage... Sound principles must be taught early... Don't pay the way to go to colleges and universities committed to turning your teenagers into raging liberal activists...
Two kinds of people believe that they can “rise up” and destroy the GOP establishment in one fell swoop. Fools who feel more than think or trolls who promote it for their own obvious reasons.
The fact is that tea party minded conservatives are gaining ground all across the nation and all you’ve got to do is look to see it.
I voted in those. The only ones I skip are those which say “vote for not more than” the number of people running. In my youth I used to write in on those. :’)
Any such optimism reflects a faith in the American people that cannot be rationally justified.
Nice to be so optimistic.
However, with half of Americans so dumbed-down, and the media and entertainment industry and our own gov doubling down to further dumb-down the already dumbed-down and create ever more dumbed-down Americans, we are quickly becoming the minority. Our messages are falling on deaf ears, our efforts are brutally thwarted by their dirty tricks of voter fraud, lies, spins, brain-washing.....As long as the propaganda machine is there manipulating people and lying about us, we don’t have a level playing field and we LOSE every time!
It will take a couple generations of re-educating our young people.
It will take both bottom-up and top down approach to restore our Republic -
while we as parents or educators, are re-educating our young people, we need strong conservative leaders creating the environment for re-educating young people in conservative principles to ensure a stream of strong conservative leaders for the future.
To have strong conservative leaders we need to deal with voter fraud NOW, or no magical, messianic candidate will be able to get the message across to turn out enough voters to overcome their voter fraud!
We are still importing future democrats every year. And Republicans want to reward Hispanic block voting with legalizing criminal invaders. (illegal aliens is now considered racist, so I use a more accurate alternative)
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