Just a passing thought @roamer_1 Conservatives have a perception problem -- that their attitude sucks. They've long come across as judgmental know-it-alls without the willingness to mingle with the great unwashed, never mind engage with them in a conversation (circa WFB, Jr.). It's why 95% of conservative political candidates are repellant to so many American voters. Unfair? Maybe. But conservatives need a "come to Jesus" conversation about this --- and how to fix it.
For instance, I asked a serious question, in a collegial way, and you respond by painting me as someone who has not paid attention to your wisdom and point me to reading material. While I might take your advice and do a little research, few other voters will --- and this is the fundamental reason why you lose elections before the campaign begins. You can dismiss this if you choose; but I wouldn't recommend it if you're serious about building a conservative groundswell.
I asked the question because while there's been much "debate" on fiscal conservative policy, there's been talk of little else falling under the umbrella of "conservative principles". There's been now and again reference to "Judeo-Christianity", but without an explanation of where it fits in conservative politics. For example, can secular voters mingle with principled conservatives? Is Judeo-Christianity a litmus test? Remember, folks tend to shy away from an obvious and blatant comingling of God and political representatives. That "separations thing" --- so often misunderstood --- has, none-the-less, really taken hold.
You should be prepared to describe what the country will look like and act like under conservative leadership. Where is the conservative focus --- the church? the boardroom? the war room? the kitchen table? the bedroom?
Reagan summed up his vision for America with: "Make America Great Again"; so does Trump. President Trump further refines his worldview to two words: "America First".
What's the tagline for the principled conservative vision of 21st Century America, Roamer? You need one because the country wants to know the America you're proposing --- and in politics there is no time for seminars and homework assignments.
I am sincerely interested in your response.
Thanks.
@Right_in_Virginia Excellent post!
I can only add an emotional aspect to what you wrote.
In MY NSHO,the biggest hurdle conservatism has to leap over is the general,and CORRECT,assumption that we are too dogmatic in our approach to everything,and tend to take a "one size fits all" approach to anything and everything anyone wants to mention.
It's awful hard to fight that image and attract new and younger voters to our cause because of it. For example,welfare is a kneejerk word to the left,the right,and anything political in between the two. Maybe even in other solar systems.
The radical left seems to want the whole damn world on welfare,and the radical right seems to take the "let the bastards starve to death in the streets if they are not willing to work for their living!" approach.
I think both sides are wrong. I am against the whole concept of "welfare as a way of life" for both economic as well as "spritiual" reasons,and I do NOT mean "spiritual" in the religious sense. I mean "spiritual" in the sense that young people who grow up in welfare families and think of it as a normal way of life that is acceptable never develop the opportunity to develop their personal spirit by celebrating their successes. They HAVE no successes. The government is literally stealing their spirits and making them slaves to the government.
I see welfare as a mixed blessing. It is a burden on both the taxpayers AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE WHO SPEND THEIR ENTIRE LIVES living on it. They will never know the joy of the self-satisfaction they would get as a result of their personal efforts and hard work. What they WILL "know" is that if Uncle Sugar stops the checks,they are going to starve to death while homeless and wandering the streets.
The most damage is done to the children who grow up thinking that is a normal life and they are "getting over" by not having to work. That is cheating them out of one of life's greatest joys.
On the other hand,people like my father were at the other extreme. He had a 2rd grade education from having to quit school when he was 8 and go to work in a local shipyard to help his mother feed him and his 7 brothers and sisters after his father died. There was no such thing as AFDC,Food Stamps,or anything else back then.
When I was a similar age,there was a recession in Am.
He was as serious as a heart attack about this,too. This is a man I watched get on his knees in the bathtub one Sunday morning and pull 4 of his own teeth with no pain pills,using channel lock pliers. He did this because he didn't want to miss work on Monday to go to the dentist,and they were hurting him so much he couldn't even sleep.
My mother managed to talk him down,and as it happened,he did find another job a week or so later. It didn't pay as much as he was used to getting,but it paid enough to keep us from starving and becoming homeless.
There MUST be a balance between these two extremes,but nobody on either side seems to want to compromise even the tiniest bit. If you are a conservative and say "Welfare and food stamps are good things.",your best friends want to tar and feather you.
On the other hand,if you are a leftie and say something like "We MUST teach our children that living off of welfare and other government benefits is NOT a positive thing. It may well be a NECESSARY thing for a period of time,but people need to get off of government aid and become self-sufficient as soon as possible. It would be a positive thing for them as it would raise their self-esteem and make them proud of themselves."
Any leftie that says that out loud is liable to get beaten to death.
We all spend too much time talking AROUND each other instead of talking TO each other. We all,and I am probably guiltier than most on this one,get caught up in the emotion and "rightness of our cause",and dig in and just do not want to hear anything contrary to our own positions.
This has to change.
BTW,I still want to hang all the evil bastards trying to destroy the American Way of Life. Just wanted to make that clear.
