Lately, I have found myself wondering why Republican campaign consultants simply recite tired rhetoric and fail to address the questions raised and the feelings behind them. The consultants work for the candidates, who pay them, yet they seem unable or unwilling to address questions raised or answer in other than boilerplate and cliche.
One persistent question is about discontinuing social security. No one advocates simply discontinuing social security for those already on the plan, yet every deceptive Democratic operative will begin with; Republicans want to take you or your parent’s Social Security and medicare. Most savvy voters realize this would never come to fruition, yet they credit Democrats as fighters for Social Security. Republican consultants, who claim to understand family connections never adequately address this charge. Perhaps it is because there is no perfect answer. This is not an excuse! Even lifelong defenders of the current system, don’t see social security as “ the perfect solution “. If, however their only answer is to require reappropriation or review of the program, then they fail because this language promotes fear among those, who are past working age and use the program as all or a significant part of their golden year’s earnings.
Leadership requires these consultants to realize that fear motivates an electorate. Statements( even lies ) work because repetition of anything frequently enough especially from news sources without answer will result in a portion of the population believing even a groundless statement. Donald Trump was successful with his rhetoric because he spoke in generalizations and exuded confidence in his statements. It is also the reason, he was labeled a liar by the academic elites. Confident expressions omit the fringe, the non normal set of outcomes. Why? Seeking to cover all alternatives compels one to speak as Obama did in a word salad.
Word salad is speech, which invokes a seemingly endless chain of possibilities and attempts to address each possible outcome. The result; the reader becomes “issue exhausted” and tunes the speaker out. It is in part why it is easier to campaign than to rule. Legislation is laden with if this, then that statements. Legislation seeks a certain outcome and attempts to exhaust all contingencies in search of that outcome. Still, people are limited by their experiences and place in space. They are not perfect. The result is; there are always unintended consequences of any legislation. Most these unintended consequences work contrary to the desired outcome.
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Republican consultants must promote opportunity and information, not programming and regulation. Pursuasion is more powerful than forced compliance. While it is said a law without enforcement is just good advice. Republicans consultants should be champions of information and recommendation and persuasion, not regulation and legislation with forced compliance.
Ronald Reagan was right! There is a place in society for charity. Note, most religions emphasize charity. Why? Charity allows the altruistic, a method to assist others, while not imposing their will on the unwilling. It fills a perceived hole in capitalism. It permits a portion of economic product to be allocated based upon the individual’s need to accomplish an end or simply a feeling not hard economic data.
Charity is in this regard a real compromise between pure individualism and collectivism. It allows a person to act in their perception of “ the public good “, but only to the extent that other individuals are willing to voluntarily donate their earned resources. It is truly a compromise. Government is the imposition of will over other, whether it is the ill of the one or the many. With charity the collective outcome is accomplished by the willing without the negative, the exercise of the collective will on the unwilling.
Many would assert that Republican consultants should emphasize this as the option as opposed to legislation and regulation. It is the conservative yang, to “the government solves all”, ying! It is the answer to 20th century expansive government. A pity Democrats aren’t willing to trust their constituents to implement their “common good government solutions” without the force that is legislation! Democrats, however speak of the patriotism of tax payment, yet never propose voluntary tax giving to their favorite government program as a potential solution. No legislation is required. Donation legislation is in place. Republican consultants should emphasize this Democratic inconsistency and promote charity and volunteerism as a viable compromise!
