The next big division in America may be over how to deal with political Moderates. It’s become a big problem. But what caused it? Because we let the Moderate problem got out of hand, we have no one to blame but ourselves. We haven’t reigned them in properly. And using the same methods that gave them power won’t reverse anything.
On the one hand, we have the third-party voters. “I don’t like either guy, so I’m going third party! It’s about principal,” they say. Okay, but which principals? Make sure that you elect a candidate who is either 100% perfect or 100% wrong—that principal? If so, okay. But good philosophies need to work. All the ideals in the world are useless if the candidate can’t get elected. What’s the difference between a perfectly unelectable candidate and a liar who breaks his campaign promises? I’d say, the difference is typically about 45% in the polls—except Ross Perrot narrowed that gap in 1992, helping elect Clinton.
So, that’s the third-party. We also have those wimpy-optics-scardey-calculating-establishment types. They already have a strong presence and they don’t want to loose it. These are the actual candidates, incumbents, consultants, and pundits. Their question is always along the lines of: How much hogwash will both Independents and extremists swallow? If you give these guys any common-sense advice, they’ll talk about “reality” and how “you gotta’ choose your battles”—in other words, compromise. They measure everything by polling data, appearances, shallow impressions.. because of fear. They’re like a marketing firm that perfumes the pig because R&D won’t budge. If you say, “People liked Reagan because he was real,” they look at you like you’re crazy. They think it was Reagan’s acting ability that got him elected twice—because their own lives are a rehearsed performance.
The media all but chooses Republican candidates. Why would we ever listen to Liberal columnists tell us which Republican candidate is most likely to win? Don’t yah think their interests are a bit conflicted?
What about marketing substance rather than style? And can we please stop attacking each other like chickens in election primaries? How about re-infiltrating the commandeered formerly-good Republican party? Have you thought about running for office? Maybe you’re who we need.
But when a Libertarian says it’s better to elect a Liberal than the other guy, I wonder if they’re in cahoots—after all, Libertarians most likely to say all candidates are the same. What a brilliant strategy: Get Conservatives to vote Right in such a way that the Left gains power.. brilliant.
So, if you want perfection, vote for Jesus.. and I don’t mean Huckabee. Electability is as important as policy.. a virtue loosing candidates lack.
Leaders must be cutting edge, like trailblazers and actors who don’t need a script. They make entrenched fogies uncomfortable because they actually get stuff done. And, unlike the Establishment theorists say, they are very electable.
This election, my motto is: Don’t throw rocks tanks, reject Moderateism, and don’t follow the pied piper media—Left OR Right.