March 16, 2009
It’s about communication, people.

Posted at 9:40 pm, in: Race

There was just too much to agree with in Shelby Steele’s column, today. (Thank you Little Miss Attila!) For whatever it’s worth, let me offer whatever insight I may think I have.

We—conservatives, libertarians, Republicans—have a communication issue. We don’t effectively communicate our positions on the issues, or more importantly, we don’t frame (and, by this, I don’t mean lie in order to dupe the public to receive more votes) it in a way that relates to their lives that allows them to understand how “Republican” principles are more in line with their views and self-interest than the Democrat’s policies.

Plain and simple, the Democrats are buying their votes, with policies that only harm the communities whose votes they are buying. Once again, we let the Democrats frame the issues to make it sound like our policies, or our objections to theirs, are selfish and designed to protect the rich. Unfortunately, too many of our spokespeople get caught up defending themselves against wild accusations rather than just exposing the truth about the harmful results of these sound-good Democrat policies.

Welfare has hurt the black and minority communities more than any other by creating incentives that have destroyed these communities. Opposition to school-choice disproportionately hurts the black and minority communities by dooming their children to a failed system and leaving them with no options to better their children’s lives. Illegal immigration also disproportionately hurts the black and minority communities because it places them out of jobs that are most likely to give them a stable economic footing, helping them to do better and, therefore, create a better tomorrow for their children.

So, why are we losing on all of these fronts? Because the policies sound good on the surface and the Republicans have continued to let themselves be put on the defensive, rather than taking the time to explain how these policies hurt minority communities rather than help them. Instead of explaining how school-choice helps them, they’re out proclaiming how they have black friends.

People have often been offended by what I write. I can’t apologize for that; this is just how I write. It’s who I am. But, I have yet to find a person of the opposing view who I can’t find a common ground without me compromising on any of my views. Unlike most people I know, I come into contact with a diverse (racially, politically, socio-economically) group of people. If you give me long enough, I can get anyone to agree with me on something, and I don’t do this using trickery. I’m not the salesman who could sell ice cubes to an Eskimo. I’m genuine and people who talk to me know that.

The truth is, true conservative (libertarian (?), classical liberal (?)) ideas work and people respond to them. Republicans (sorry for the broad generalization) don’t communicate this, and don’t take the message to the people. They allow themselves and their message to be manipulated by the press.

And, because I can’t let this go without making the point, it doesn’t help when people wearing the Republican label aren’t living up to what that label is supposed to mean. I have made this point before, about myself, I came over from being a liberal, yet I never bought the party tag. Why is that? Because, I can’t defend myself and my beliefs against the hypocrisy that most Republican politicians represent. Based on their votes, they don’t represent me. Don’t kowtow, articulate! If you love Reagan so much, take a lesson from him.