Recently conservatives have been making major strides in the battle for the hearts and minds of voters. Liberalism in its various manifestations — Democrats, global warmists, organized labor, for example — are hemorrhaging support and influence. Conservatives are on the ascendency.
Liberals and Democrats are dispirited and in disarray. They are rapidly losing support and their reactions are making matters even worse for them. By analyzing why this is happening, conservatives can keep them stumbling backwards and be even more effective in the future. The political battle will go on long after the November elections. Why have conservatives been successful, and what can we do to build and continue to gain support?
One of the keys is to remember that in any battle strategy, “intelligence” is crucial. Knowledge of the enemy, his strengths and weaknesses, is often the deciding factor in who prevails. Football teams, for example, expend great effort “scouting” their future opponents. The “game plan” is largely based on what’s in the scouting report.
What, for example, are liberals telling us about themselves? Why, for instance, do they accuse tea partiers and conservatives in general of being racists? Partly it’s because that’s all they’ve got. They are frustrated and out of ammunition. It is a clear indicator of their weakness and lack of sound ideas.
Liberals are telling us what they fear. Let’s give it to them. Let their squirming and discomfort be our guide. When they squeal like stuck pigs, stick them again. It’s not just effective, it’s fun!
For example, one of Rush Limbaugh’s most effective and influential innovations is his use of audio clips and reading quotations of liberals. This is not something that had not been done before, but he definitely has taken the practice to new levels. Rush turns the words of his political opponents against them and demonstrates the absurdity and inconsistency of what they say and believe. He listens carefully to what they say, takes it seriously, logically dissects it, and then shows just how nonsensical it is. This is not what liberals want to happen. They would prefer that no one actually think about the things they say and do.
Rush is a teacher and most of his classroom materials are provided free of charge by his opponents. This is, no doubt, one of the things about Rush that drives them crazy and makes him an object of their hatred. Also driving them crazy is one of Rush’s favorite riffs, “Having more fun than a human being should be allowed to have.”
When Democrats and their enablers say something, our challenge is to step back and decipher what they say. What’s even more important than their intended message is the “meta-message.” The website Enclyo defines meta-message as “A message about a message…Meta-messages are higher level messages about: 1. The type of message being sent. 2. The state/status of the messenger. 3. The state/status of the receiver. 4. The context in which the message is being sent.” We can use an awareness of their meta-messages — that their reactions are signs of weakness, for example — to our advantage.
The U.S. is without doubt a center-right country. Part of the proof of this is that even Democrat candidates try to sound like conservatives when they are in tough election fights. Here in California Jerry Brown’s campaign commercials make it sound like he has joined the tea party. Across the country Democrat candidates are distancing themselves from the liberal policies of the Obama administration. Liberals cannot be open about what their beliefs and policy objectives actually are.
Liberals have to hide the fact that they’re liberals. Why can’t they admit and be open about who they are and what their real objectives are? One reason is their realization that voters are not nearly as socialistic as they are.
Conservatives do not have to hide the fact that they’re conservative. Conservatives are proud to be conservative and need to realize that they are playing in a friendly environment. They have the home-field advantage and do not need to act like underdogs. Too many conservatives seem to have self-esteem issues. Conservatives have ideas that people are buying, liberals don’t.
Liberals have also shown that they can’t stand clarity. They don’t really want to communicate, they want to obfuscate. The latest and somewhat comical example is Obama’s science czar, John Holdren, claiming that the term “global warming” is a “dangerous misnomer.” He wants to replace it with “global climate disruption.” If we can’t figure out ways to exploit that kind of nonsense, we need to be trying harder.
Liberalism is essentially the “muddled-talk express.” Political correctness is about as helpful to communication as a mouthful of marbles. We need to answer their wussy double-talk with clear, muscular words that actually mean something. (The Urban Dictionary defines “wuss” as “characterized by being, feeble, cowardly, and generally no fun.”)
You may have noticed lately that liberal commentators can’t resist offering advice to Republicans. Such advice is not offered in good faith. They are not concerned about the well-being of the Republican Party. Whenever liberals give advice and sympathy, do the opposite. They do not wish us well.
Democrats are scared out of their wits that the Republican Party might stand for something. Democrats love liberal Republicans. They can be even more useful to them than liberal Democrats.
The above are only representative of the universe of opportunities available to conservatives. A political-philosophical war is underway and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Conservatism can win the war, but we will need to employ every advantage we possibly can. And the more fun we have in the process the more likely we are to keep up the intensity. Liberals certainly don’t seem to be having much fun lately.
◼ How to Defeat Liberals September 24, 2010
Ron Ross Ph.D. is a former economics professor and author of The Unbeatable Market. Ron resides in Arcata, California and is a founder of Premier Financial Group, a wealth management firm located in Eureka, California. He is a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma and can be reached at rossecon@gmail.com.