Republican Messaging Problem - one proposed solution - Granite Grok

Republican Messaging Problem – one proposed solution

Steve has a thoughtful post on Republican messaging – it’s a problem. And his post caught me square between the eyes as it is one heckova problem because he’s right: the GOP is losing. It’s that old age issue: what do you say to counter “FREE”?

First and as a long term “thing”, get Conservatives back into the education system – level the field.  The Left has had control of it (teaching, philosophies, metrics, curriculum) for far too long.  They’re almost to the tipping point of changing the culture going forward as they have our children more hours than parents. The kids, therefore, are listening to what is being taught in the school more and harder than their Parents (with the educrats knowing they can play off the eternal emnity that is the “kids not listening / agreeing or fighting with parents”. Putting rigor back in civics, teaching history as it occurred and not this “America was built on the sin of slavery so always be guilty, actually go back to 50s/60s edu-basics that create a real foundation of a knowledgebase (e.g., toss Common Core and all the other EduFads into the trash can), and perhaps in the upper grades of K-12, start to teach them how to THINK critically (instead of what to think). Stop the emoting and touchy feely stuff and turn schools back into schools and not emotional hospitals where every offense must be excused or solved.

Second and as an immediate “thing”, talk about what Steve hints at: To answer Steve’s question, however, let me offer just ONE solution: FREEDOM. Not just saying the word – that word has become overused in and of itself. I get the feeling it gets just a passing notion in schools nowadays. The phrase “Land of the Free” has become trite and shopworn. Think about that, deeply. Talk about it with other Liberty minded folks.

Choice is the quantification of Freedom

The strength of it is in contrast it with what the Left is doing. I often use that phrase here and use it when I speak. Like the phrase that drove the Democrats nuts this fall “Taxation is Theft”. Short, easy to understand, easy to get a conversation going. Mine? Needs a bit of work as “quantification” just doesn’t roll off the tongue easily enough and some people just look at me; their eyes tell me “huh?”.

Who makes your choices?

Better, snappier, no dictionary needed. The knee jerk reaction is “well, I do”. Which then needs the explanation of “what about Government?” which then leads to “What part of your life has NO government involvement?”.  All of them are nice but are discussion points – not “messaging” in the way I think Steve means. So make it a binary decision:

  • Should Government be making all the choices for you – or should YOU?
  • Who should make your choices: you or Government?
  • Shouldn’t YOU have the freedom of choice to make your own decisions and not Government? (did you see what I did there??).

Establish FREEDOM as the base level.  Use CHOICE as the lever. Use YOU as the focus for actionable transactions.

Make it PERSONAL. Point out that Government TAKES Choice away (especially when it offers its own choices (re: mandatory Obamacare)- you’ve already lost the freedom to choose for yourself).

The Left is great about “giving” free stuff and making Others the enemy in order to do make it happen. Like Steve’s maid analogy, “free” doesn’t mean it will work like Obamacare, while forcing most into healthcare straight jackets of what’s allowed and what isn’t. But you are given no choice at all – you WILL do as you are told.

Then tell them “this isn’t how it was supposed to be; YOU should make your own choice. But the Democrats won’t let you anymore. What is the next kind of choice they are about to take away?”.

Choice – the quantification of Freedom. I posit that if Republicans can position themselves, at least in part, as the Party of Choice, it will go better with them.

After all, which is better: you making all your own choices or Government making them for you? After all:

The Bigger the Government, the smaller the citizen

Hey!  That’s not a bad base to work from either!

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