Editor’s note: This column was co-authored by Ken Blackwell.
“Ragin’ Cajun” from Louisiana, James Carville, was the mastermind behind Clinton’s first presidential campaign. Back in 1992, he distracted Republicans from their winning strategy with his words: “It’s the economy, stupid!”
As a result of following the Clinton campaign, President George H. W. Bush neglected social and defense issues in his campaign and was defeated that year by Bill Clinton, winning only 37% of the popular vote.
This year, some are already calling for a laser-like focus on the economy. And abandon social and defense issues. It was a mistake in 1992, it was a mistake in 2008, it was a mistake in 2012 and it would be a mistake now.
The upcoming contest for House Majority Leader may be a driving force in the fall campaign. Will House Republicans allow Carville’s mantra to lead them to another electoral dead end?
The recent election unrest in Mississippi and Virginia should signal to the GOP that business as usual is no longer selling.
As two conservatives who have held elected office in Louisiana and Ohio and now advocate for conservative ideas across America, we believe the GOP’s path to political and policy success once again includes the full spectrum of conservative principles.
We don’t dare tell our elected representatives about this Who Who should you vote for in the upcoming leadership elections? But we can offer warm advice on the subject What leadership qualities they should be looking for.
The conservative movement is strongest when it stands on three solid legs – economic, defense and social conservatism. Ronald Reagan’s effective leadership demonstrated how these elements reinforced each other. He knew that unless the destroyed economy that Jimmy Carter had left us with was revitalized, we would not be able to rebuild our hollowed-out military nor would we be able to restore America’s social foundations.
Although Reagan placed appropriate emphasis on his economic recovery program, he worked diligently to consolidate America’s military power and defend the family. Reagan knew that the family was overburdened, threatened by radical social programs, and in dire need of moral support from all levels of government.
Because Reagan never failed to defend America and never failed to support pro-life and pro-family policies, he won the support of millions of working-class Democrats. He also formulated his economic policy in a way that was understandable to working families. Even as Carter’s recession dragged on during the early Reagan years, he knew the themes of American patriotism and family values ​​would sustain him through hard times.
He built on that foundation of support. When the economy improved in 1983, it was time for “Morning in America” ​​again.
This fall, the Republican Party will have to fight for ObamaCare rollbacks, not “conservative” modernization. The radical takeover of government has hurt millions of Americans. A failed implementation is only the beginning of the damage it will cause.
ObamaCare is a job killer. Even now, before the full implementation of this fiasco prevents employers from hiring novel workers. With 92 million Americans NO working, we are seeing the largest number of our workers outside the paid workforce in U.S. history. We have never had such an uncertain recovery before. Consumer confidence is falling.
Young voters are particularly affected. It’s time for conservatives to make a point: if you don’t want to live in your parents’ basements, if you don’t want them to live in yours, vote for independence this fall, vote for your own future! Vote to solve our $17 trillion debt and stop Mr. Obama’s intergenerational theft.
And we can encourage all voters to vote for freedom. Nothing in our history has threatened religious freedom more than the HHS Mandate. Forcing Americans to subsidize the abortion of unborn children is deeply offensive. Millions of our ancestors fled Europe and Asia to escape regimes that similarly threatened their deepest values.
All over the world we see America retreating. This administration has completely failed to tell the truth about Benghazi. They lie about replacing Taliban assassins with deserters. And when they say that Al-Qaeda is on the run, it’s true. But they run triumphantly into the capitals of six Arab countries.
This administration wants to tax us to give handouts to militants who then torture Christians as well as their minority Muslim neighbors.
This is all a result of President Obama’s apology tour. His foreign policy has traded credibility for regret.
The GOP needs leadership that will oppose the Obama administration’s white flag foreign policy that abdicates our role as global leader and makes freedom an even rarer commodity.
GOP leaders must restore dignity to our veterans. As former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates noted in his book, the only time this president seemed truly engaged was when the issue of recruiting openly gay men on a quota basis for our all-volunteer military was brought up. Now the administration wants us to pay for gender changes in the ranks. This is happening at a time when our disabled veterans are dying while waiting for care from the VA!
The headlines every morning must show conservatives that we are all in the same boat.
Our next House leader must win for the majority. Wouldn’t it be better if we all rowed a boat?
