The difference between R's & D's

Perhaps one of the most astute observations of who Republicans are and who Democrats are is found in Steve Deace’s “What happens to Democrats if Obama loses?” which is at http://townhall.com/columnists/stevedeace/2012/06/02/what_happens_to_democrats_if_obama_loses  In a nutshell, R’s often have weak local parties because R’s have rich lives that are beyond politics.  Thus they only join political frays when politics really grabs their attention.  Otherwise the local party organization is a few stalwarts. When R’s get involved they are issue oriented conservatives because some issue is what scares them into politics.  Meanwhile the establishment R’s tend to be more moderate having to win elections through partisan times and apathetic times.  D’s are opposite.  They have strong local party organizations which see government as a benevolent giver of all things good, hence the need to get a place at the trough means you join.  But, other than their faith in good government, they are somewhat issueless.  Rank and file D’s tend to be somewhat conservative in lifestyle, joiners not thinkers, and so they tend to have group politics—I’m D because I’m black, or Hispanic, or Native American, etc.  Each group has a tribal turf issue or two, but little else.  That’s why they revert to racism or bigotry as an Meanwhile the D establishment consists of true believer-activists who are much more to the left of the rank-and-file. And so, while R’s have tension between moderate establishment folks and conservative locals, the D’s have tension between moderate locals and establishment liberals.  And whichever party loses the next election is going to have a donnybrook over philosophy.  Deace thinks it will be the D’s.

Being fresh to politics these last two years, I found the truth he expounds to be eye-opening because you never hear it in the media.  Only talk radio touches this theme.  I guess I would add this observation.  I think R leadership is so moderate because they have found by trial and error that you can win a lot of crossover Dems by being moderate instead of doctrinaire conservatives. That drives us conservatives nuts, but we need to figure out how to continue to win elections when the liberals don’t scare the populance like they did in 2010 and are doing today.  Else we will once again see the Reagan Revolution lapse in a few years.

Likewise it should be noted that both D and R leaderships are more liberal than their base.  Now if you go more liberal from a staunch conservative base, you encounter lots of moderates, but if you go left of a moderately liberal base, you are indeed out in left field without support.  That’s why we haven’t had a Republican get creamed in a landslide since Goldwater, and why the best D win since LBJ was 53-47% by Obama in 2008.  And that is why I believe, absent a Romney meltdown, Obama is due for a long vacation in Kenya come 2013.  As Deace points out, all heck is going to break loose in D-ville when they lose. 

But how do we keep the R-leadership focused on conservatism and the enthusiasm for conservatism going?  I believe it will happen when local Republican units take it upon themselves to re-learn what it is to be American and ask that of our leaders. In other words, we need to keep the tea party spirit alive.  If the R’s had a consistent base doing the things they are doing this year to Lugar, Bennett and Hatch and in the Nebraska senate race, the leadership would sit bolt upright and pay attention.  But absent a strong local organization like D’s have in unions, blacks, Hispanics, gays, college faculty, etc. who do they use for consistent support? 

I suggest seniors.  Look around at any tea party meeting and you won’t see many heads of hair that are anything but gray (If you see hair at all on some).  If email has taught me anything, it is that a lot of people forward stuff, often patriotic, spiritual or conservative.  A friend who is a true blue liberal tells me he is frustrated by these messages which he disagrees with but receives by the bundles.  Poor guy can’t seem to get Bush-hate mail.  Seniors can educate what it means to be truly American with conservative values.  They have the stature to educate about lifestyle choices and heritage.  They have the patience.  They can write and it DSNT LOK LIK THIS.  They have the time to attend local political events like school board meetings and keep in touch with their state legislator. I see seniors as sort of rock solid personalities in the community and family who could persuade and educate. 

There’s a big silver lining here. Dems claim minorities but we can steal their hearts.  Immigrants often turn conservative once they encounter America.  Obama, who wrote of his hatred of USA in his books, is a Rare Dog indeed.  Hispanics are already proven to be turning conservative. Where immigrants came from, often riot and revolt is about the only way to get changes.  But in a nation run by good laws, responsive but limited government, free markets, and people who have faith, they are rapidly discovering you don’t have to be a member of La Raza or a communist union. But, you object, how can some senior who is white become part of persuasion of blacks?  Ha! Watch who your grandson or –daughter marries.  In 1950 10% of Asians and 1% of blacks married outside of race.  Today it is over 50% and 15%.  We are becoming a country of mixed families.

With an army of seniors armed with truth, we will start to convert people.  It will be slow but it’s based on common sense and people’s real world experiences.  There’s a reason why the rank-and-files of each party are more conservative than the leadership!