'Long Game' Takes Guts
But The Right Needs To Play It — Now
Posted: January 7, 2013
On this page Saturday, we pointed out the alarming trend of an ever-growing government and what that costs.
Americans have simply become addicted to government over the past half- century. So, what can be done to reverse the path we are on?
In the late 1970s, when Margaret Thatcher was ascending the rungs of political power, Great Britain seemed all but a lost cause, a socialist basket case. But the woman who famously said, “This lady’s not for turning” — i.e., surrendering nary an inch on principle — turned her moribund strike-ridden nation around.
Not only does the Thatcherite example demonstrate what one forceful, unyielding leader can do, it also shows that it can be done by, yes, a conservative. Right-thinking Americans, take heart: All you need is a champion of similar vintage.
Granted, until that person emerges — whether a “he” (Rubio, Walker, Jindal) or a “she” (Ayotte, Haley) — there’s much work to be done and obstacles to overcome.
Speaking of the latter, first and foremost is an intransigent president, someone who eschews the art of the deal in his hopes of getting it all, everything he wants en route to a self-prescribed “transformation” of America. Recognize that, conservatives, and then retrieve the brand of your chosen party. Credibility of that brand is lost when you abandon your principles.
The Republican Party once had three such articles of faith — fiscal restraint, a strong national defense, and clarity on taxation. These ties no longer seem to bind, but such bonds must be strengthened, and reaffirmed.
For starters, though, conservatives and Republicans must reconnect with the American populace by speaking clearly as well as fearlessly. They must make their case, and do so repeatedly, much as President Obama did this past election season. The field must not be ceded, or surrendered, without a fight. Never let a day pass without pleading your point, making your argument.
And, for the sake of the country, keep your message simple, beginning with this indisputable statement: America is confronted not by a revenue problem, but a spending problem. In other words, we cannot continue down our current fiscal path and expect to sustain ourselves, now or in the future.
Hammer this point home by spelling out the ramifications for individuals, how the lives of current and future Americans stand to be affected by slavish devotion to ruinous — and soul- and pocketbook-sapping — policies. For instance, emphasize ad nauseam what the nation is paying in interest charges on our national debt and what will transpire once interest rates begin to rise.
Finally, stress the importance of a muscular national defense — why a strong and confident America ultimately translates to a more peaceful world.
This is called “playing the long game” — and, frankly, it takes guts because it eschews the allure of short-term gain (which only amounts to repeatedly kicking problems down the road) in favor of righting the national ship for the long haul.
Granted, immediate gratification, however short-lived, may not be forthcoming, but saving a nation from its current profligate self will earn far-seeing conservators of freedom and, one hopes, prosperity, the everlasting thanks of posterity.
The time to start “playing the long game” is now — while there’s still a country left to save.
Americans have simply become addicted to government over the past half- century. So, what can be done to reverse the path we are on?
In the late 1970s, when Margaret Thatcher was ascending the rungs of political power, Great Britain seemed all but a lost cause, a socialist basket case. But the woman who famously said, “This lady’s not for turning” — i.e., surrendering nary an inch on principle — turned her moribund strike-ridden nation around.
Not only does the Thatcherite example demonstrate what one forceful, unyielding leader can do, it also shows that it can be done by, yes, a conservative. Right-thinking Americans, take heart: All you need is a champion of similar vintage.
Granted, until that person emerges — whether a “he” (Rubio, Walker, Jindal) or a “she” (Ayotte, Haley) — there’s much work to be done and obstacles to overcome.
Speaking of the latter, first and foremost is an intransigent president, someone who eschews the art of the deal in his hopes of getting it all, everything he wants en route to a self-prescribed “transformation” of America. Recognize that, conservatives, and then retrieve the brand of your chosen party. Credibility of that brand is lost when you abandon your principles.
The Republican Party once had three such articles of faith — fiscal restraint, a strong national defense, and clarity on taxation. These ties no longer seem to bind, but such bonds must be strengthened, and reaffirmed.
For starters, though, conservatives and Republicans must reconnect with the American populace by speaking clearly as well as fearlessly. They must make their case, and do so repeatedly, much as President Obama did this past election season. The field must not be ceded, or surrendered, without a fight. Never let a day pass without pleading your point, making your argument.
And, for the sake of the country, keep your message simple, beginning with this indisputable statement: America is confronted not by a revenue problem, but a spending problem. In other words, we cannot continue down our current fiscal path and expect to sustain ourselves, now or in the future.
Hammer this point home by spelling out the ramifications for individuals, how the lives of current and future Americans stand to be affected by slavish devotion to ruinous — and soul- and pocketbook-sapping — policies. For instance, emphasize ad nauseam what the nation is paying in interest charges on our national debt and what will transpire once interest rates begin to rise.
Finally, stress the importance of a muscular national defense — why a strong and confident America ultimately translates to a more peaceful world.
This is called “playing the long game” — and, frankly, it takes guts because it eschews the allure of short-term gain (which only amounts to repeatedly kicking problems down the road) in favor of righting the national ship for the long haul.
Granted, immediate gratification, however short-lived, may not be forthcoming, but saving a nation from its current profligate self will earn far-seeing conservators of freedom and, one hopes, prosperity, the everlasting thanks of posterity.
The time to start “playing the long game” is now — while there’s still a country left to save.