[Publisher’s Note: We are pleased to present this guest column from FR friend Scott Hounsell… Flash]
Division, Unity and the Party Platform
By Scott Hounsell
Divide and Conquer: It’s a military strategy that has been implemented in warfare for the last three thousand years. Often times a smaller or less effective military force invades a larger nation not with a frontal attack, but rather with a slow and insidious bleed that separates the invaded country into easily conquerable parts. The Babylonians, Assyrians, Romans and European countries all used this tactic in their attacks on neighboring nations as they expanded their empires.
Nations that could foresee this attack against their sovereignty, often banded together to face the threat as a united force. It would be laughable to have any nation regardless of internal differences, with foreknowledge of this advancing army, do anything other than defend against the incoming onslaught.
Unfortunately, Republicans time and time again choose to fight internally rather than gear up against the enemy. This last weekend was another example of this division. Sunday, at the California Republican Party Convention in Los Angeles, two groups met to decide if our current tactics are being effective in our battles against the Democrats. One group, backed by big money and a few big names, attempted to defang our approach by suggesting that planks on social issues be removed from the Party Platform in an effort to win future battles against the enemy. The only problem with this is that the platform, as it currently stands, is not the reason for the loss in previous elections. Of those candidates in recent memory that have lost bids for statewide offices, how many of them stood strong on the party platform?
Republicans’ efforts to want to appeal to those outside our party often discourage those inside our party. The platform has never been a problem. Certainly candidates are free to support which stances that they choose, but in statewide races, they are nominated to support our viewpoints and standards that we set forth in our platform every four years. As the “base” we need to demand from our nominees that they stick to the platform. Forget Tax pledges; those pledges would not be necessary if Republicans would commit to representing the platform.
Need we forget that Democrats do not have a majority in our State? They currently have a plurality. Sure, Democrats have 45% of the current voter registration, but that leaves another 55% of that registration for other parties. Granted, that 55% includes Republicans, Libertarians, American Independents, Declined to State, as well as others. Those that have left the Republican Party over the past couple of decades (I believe in due part to the infighting) do not defect to the Democrat party, rather they head to third parties. Ron Paul Libertarians do not show up to the Democrat convention to vote for their man in the straw poll. Members of the Tea Party are not trying to revolutionize the Democrat party. We appeal to a broader base of people than we even wish to admit. Sure we might have to cool the rhetoric on social issues in certain districts, but does that mean that the statewide party needs to change its mission? Republicans’ failure to win elections has nothing to do with the platform. It has to do with the fact that we are so concerned with appearing as a racist, sexist, homophobes, that we end up becoming double speaking, pandering, whores. We look to say whatever we need to appear “moderate” but in turn, end up selling the base for thirty pieces of silver. Democrats live and die by their platform, however we on the other hand marginalize our standards and legitimize Democrats’ complaints about our viewpoints. We lose, not because we are Republican. We lose because we try to appear that we aren’t.
Imagine if you will, having Democrats simply accept Republican viewpoints of their platform in an effort to appeal to Moderates. Republicans would have sweeping winds across the state. Unfortunately, Democrats fight back against any attacks standing firmly on their party’s beliefs. That in turn helps to, fire up a base, mobilize volunteers, and grow and army of faithful supporters that is willing to do anything and everything to see their candidate elected. Can you remember the last person the Republican party viewed in such a way? Sure we are willing to walk into a voting booth and pull the trigger for our favorite candidate. Does that mean we were out working for them on the weekends? Did we dawn our cars with bumper stickers, plant lawn signs in our yards, and wear campaign t-shirts (other than to do the gardening in). Did we talk to all our friends about our candidate and work through social media channels to increase awareness? No? And why did we not do those things? Instead of using our time, effort and courage on defeating Democrats, we spend that limited capital on self-defeating purposes. The infighting has cost precious financial resources, endless hours of work, and has discouraged less active voters from joining our ranks.
I offer a different suggestion. Let us fortify the castle. Let us put aside our petty insignificant quarrels in the interest of preparing for greater battles. If we choose courage first, and compromise second, I believe we will become a stronger party for it. Our platform is not to blame. It is our failure to stand by that platform that is. I can understand the desire to see Republicans elected and the desire to modify our strategy to accomplish that. We do not however, need to start removing age-old policies to effectuate change. Ronald Reagan once said that, “Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today’s world do not have. “ We are free men and women and we must believe that our approach to our great State and our great Nation is the ONLY way to continue into the 21st Century. Divided we lose. Divided we fail. Together, we can do this. Together, we can win.
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Scott Hounsell hails from the San Fernando Valley.