The much-respected Pew Research Center has conducted political satisfaction polls since 1987. Their margin of error is normally less than 3%. It’s like the old E.F. Hutton ad: "When Pew speaks, people listen."

    The latest Pew poll is very bad news for the Republican Party. The country in general, and independents in particular—and this is significant because independents swing elections—think that the GOP is wrong in its thinking and faulty in its leadership. For example, in 2002 the country was evenly divided politically: 43% voted or leaned Republican and 43% voted or leaned Democrat. Today that has changed to 35% Republican and 50% Democrat. In the 2004 elections, independents split their votes evenly between Bush and Kerry; in 2006, they voted Democrat by 57% to 39% Republican.

    What’s going on here? Why the shift in independents toward the Democrats?

    The answer is that it is not the facts which are at issue here but the public’s perception of the facts. The old saying, "perception is reality," absolutely applies in America today. Why is that, in some cases despite the facts (such as a robust and healthy economy due to President Bush’s tax cuts)? Four reasons:

2.     Absolute ruthlessness on the part of the Democrat leadership. Liberals have two rules: (a) Get into power, and (b) Stay there. In their minds, there are no boundaries which cannot be crossed in pursuit of these goals. Downright lies, slander, libel, innuendo, welfare cheating, vote fraud, treason against the Constitution, and jeopardizing America’s security are all readily employed by liberal leadership, both in and out of Congress, if they deem it useful toward the Almighty and Only Goal, power.
1.     Republicans (not RINO’s, or "Republican in Name Only) are motivated by bedrock principles, whereas Democrats have only one. For example, most Republicans believe in the God of the Bible while Democrats are either atheists or lie that they are religious in order to win votes. Most Republicans believe in secure borders and want a real fence on our southwest border; Democrats are aborting their own babies so they encourage open borders in the hopes of recruiting future Democrat voters. Most Republicans believe in personal charity, especially if it fosters growth (such as job training); Democrats profess to "love the poor" but have an abysmal personal record of charitable giving as their tax returns attest. Republicans respect some personal restraints in the name of dignity and propriety while Democrats continually manufacture false "crises" in order to keep the sheeple in a nervous state so they, the Dems, can appear to be wise and fatherly. Republicans believe (perhaps naively) in fair play; Democrats find sham reasons to smear opponents and destroy their careers. The sole principle in which Democrats believe, which is anathema to Republicans, is "Government solves all problems and therefore must be large, ever-growing, and in total control of taxation."
1.     Almost total bias by Hollywood and the mainstream media against conservatives. The MSM will give a liberal a pass every time. They lob softballs that liberal politicians knock out of the park, not questioning the validity of the answers, and they fail to ask any sort of penetrating question that might embarrass the Dem. If possible, they ignore positive news that might reflect favorably upon a conservative, especially President Bush (whom they hate viscerally and irrationally because of his conservative values, professed faith in the God of the Bible, and aversion to high taxes) and play up ad nauseum any "news" that puts a GOP leader in an unflattering position.
1.     Abysmal political incompetence by the GOP. Republican spokespersons, from President Bush on down, almost inevitably swoon in a dead faint when a liberal spews out venom that is either twisted or untruthful or both. They’re like little kids on the playground when the bully swaggers in, running to find a place to hide. Bush is only now beginning to use the bully pulpit when the game is in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and no one on base.

    As a result of this constant barrage of hatred against conservatives and traditional American values, the liberal base is encouraged and made even more maniacal. The conservative base is nervous and upset. The independent pool of voters is largely swayed, showing increasing distaste for anything Republican. What else would one expect? The sole source of truth, fact, rationality, and reasonableness is talk radio (with Fox News contributing somewhat). When the public is barraged day after day with bad news, sad news, and mad news, all of it pro-Democrat and anti-Republican, naturally poll numbers will begin to pile up in favor of liberals.

    If the GOP doesn’t do something about this dismal situation fast, Hillary will be President and both houses of Congress will be solidly liberal. Nothing could be more of a disaster for America. After eight years of Billary and the Dems, we will not recognize the America of today. It will be largely socialist, stripped of protection for anyone who disagrees with liberals, Muslims, and homosexuals, and among the highest taxed nations in the world. Little will distinguish us from the failing countries of Europe.

    So what’s to be done? How can this tide of sludge be reversed, cleaned up, and made favorable for conservatives (and therefore America)? Seven strategies:

2.     Stand for something! Quit trying to woo the middle by edging to the left. As Sean Hannity correctly points out, when voters have a choice between a Democrat and a pseudo-Democrat, why vote for the fake? Republicans, take heed: a majority of Americans still want conservative values to form our ethics and morality, shape our laws, and influence our conduct. For example, poll after poll (the ones which escape the media news strangulation machine, at any rate) demonstrate clearly that more and more Americans are wise to the medical facts about abortion and know it to be the murder of a human being. The Pew Poll quoted above shows that 76% of Americans favor ‘old-fashioned values about family and marriage’ (sic). When a Republican stands up and says, in effect, "I am not wishy-washy; I do not have a wet finger in the air to gage today’s voter sentiment; I stand firmly upon demonstrated faith in God and allegiance to the Constitution (the Founding Fathers document, not the liberal ‘dynamic and changing guideline’ variety) as the foundations of my political philosophy", half the voting public is going to rally toward that kind of honesty and integrity. After all, that’s what we want in our leaders. Democrats cannot offer even one presidential candidate who can claim core values that reflect our American traditions. Not one.
1.     Fight back, dammit! Quit trying to play the nice guy. When a Democrat tells a lie, call a press conference and lay out the facts. Then call the Dem to explain himself. If he or she responds by playing the typical liberal game of ignoring the facts, attempting to spin the facts, or attacking the fact-bringer, expose them for what they’re doing. Don’t let them continually frame the issues so that they automatically win. Anticipate the Democrat tactic of blowing up every unfavorable incident (e.g. Congressman Mark Foley’s misbehavior, legal wiretapping, and the quite-Constitutional firing of nine U.S. Attorneys) and prepare to do battle when they and their sleazy pals in the mainstream media try to make these molehills into mountains. Fight back! Stop this nonsense of ‘reaching out across the aisle’ when the consistently result is the loss of your hand at the wrist. Republican leadership, hear this: we conservative voters are sick, sick, sick of watching you roll over and play dead every time a Democrat tells a lie and attempts to stir up a dust cloud of discontent. Perhaps that’s a big part of the growing popularity of Fred Thompson. He is who he is, he stands for conservative American principles and values, and he smacks the Dems in the mouth (with consummate homespun humor) when they try to pull their shenanigans. We can see him using the bully pulpit to righteously lambaste the Ted Kennedys and Pat Leahys and Harry Reids and ‘Reverend’ Jacksons of the world, and we delight in the vision.
1.     Anticipate the liberal hot issues and develop counter-strategies of your own. The Pew Poll referenced above demonstrated that 73% of Americans agree with the sentiment that ‘the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.’ Moreover, it showed that 48% of Americans believe our nation is divided between ‘haves’ and ‘have nots.’ What utter nonsense! These figures are a dramatic representation of the chilling effect of the class warfare, political correctness, and welfare mentality that the liberals have been foisting upon this great nation ever since FDR. It amounts to a national mental illness. Hey, Republican leadership: tell the truth! Trumpet the truth, and take great pride in it. America is besieged by would-be immigrants from everywhere on the planet because this is the greatest nation in the world! Look around you: we’re richer, healthier, generally happier, and better off than anyone else. You don’t need to apologize for it! And you surely don’t need to accept the liberal bushwah that says it’s wrong. Our prosperity has been increasing for decades, and the stark difference between American economic success and liberal failure is becoming more pronounced every year. Why? Because it’s the capitalist economy, stupid! (to paraphrase a sick Clinton-era mantra). When the liberal bureaucracy manages to stay out of the way, Americans make tons of money and live high off the hog. In so doing, we create millions of jobs so others can start up the ladder and live well in the climb. We make profits, thank God! And we’re very, very generous. Our largesse enables us to feed starving millions of foreigners, rush volunteers and supplies to weather-damaged areas of the world, and fund international aid programs. Why is all that a crime, or something that should cause us to hang our heads? For Pete’s sake, Republican leadership, celebrate the opportunity in America, and don’t let the liberals frame it as "those nasty, rich, selfish, tax-dodging Republicans want you to starve to death!"
1.     Lead, don’t react. This should be easy. Democrats have no solutions; they only complain. The last time a Republican attempted to demonstrate real leadership was when Newt Gingrich lead the "Contract with America" in 1994. That was a stated set of principles and a concomitant program of initiatives to lead America to a solid, stable, prosperous future. Here’s a free tip for the Republican who really wants to win the Presidency: do what Newt did. Draw up a set of principles, match them with aggressive (Americans love a challenge), forward-thinking, high-potential programs, and tell the world you’re the man to make it happen.

 
    Build the fence.  Do I really need to belabor this one?  Of course we need secure borders!

1.     Get real with foreign policy. Iraq was a justifiable exercise. Saddam Hussein had created a highly unstable and dangerous situation in the heart of oil country. It reached a crisis point when he refused U.N. inspections, thus virtually guaranteeing that he had WMD’s and was willing to use them. The initial effort was commendable: "Shock and Awe" blew the raggedy pants off the insurgents and caused them to run screaming into the hills. But boy, did we piddle around from there! Again, it’s like the schoolyard bully: you don’t tap him with a feather, you pick up a baseball bat and hit him so hard that he loses teeth and remembers you for the rest of his life. So what’s the lesson for dealing with other tinpots, e.g. this insane character in Iran? Smack him in the mouth. Use tactical nukes in strategic places and blow away his capability to respond. When the world (which is almost 100% liberal anyway and thus opposed to U.S. success) screams in horror, tell them to shut up their faces. Remind them of two important facts: they’re not doing so hot themselves, and we don’t mess around with our enemies. That’s why America is the consistent winner and they’re scrambling for crumbs. (Note: our only competition in this regard is other capitalist economies, such as China and other Asian nations. Bless their hearts! Competition is the lifeblood of progress.)
1.     Get out of the U.N. Oh, where to start! Anyone with any common sense and basic reading skills knows that the United Nations has descended from noble ideals into a cesspool of corruption, anti-American venom, and veneration of socialist or totalitarian dictators. So pull the plug. Announce that in one year’s time, the United States of America will cease its membership in this useless collection of arrogant fools and will instead spearhead the formation of the Organization of Democratic States. In this new organization, member states will pledge to honor basic principles of democracy, monitor each other’s elections, and favor trade with one another. Give the U.N. the one year to vacate the New York facilities and go back to Swaziland or Disgustistan or wherever they originated.

    These are only seven means by which Republicans can recapture the American voter’s attention and bring them back to their senses. There are many more. Our conservative politicians should be making a list now. Isn’t that why we call you "leaders"?

Posted by Hale Meserow
August 28, 2007