If Republicans want to retake the White House in 2022 and take control of Congress, they would do well to learn the lessons of the 1947 holiday classic. Miracle on 34th Street.
In the film, Kris Kringle is hired to play Santa Claus for children coming into Macy’s, one of the largest stores in New York.
However, his methods are not orthodox.
“Ignoring toy department head Mr. Shellhammer’s instructions to recommend out-of-stock products to undecided customers, Kris directs one woman to another store to fulfill her son’s Christmas wish. Impressed by Kris’s honesty and helpfulness, she informs Shellhammer that she will now become a steadfast Macy’s customer.
In other words, instead of destroying the competition in his store, Kringle promoted a spirit of brotherly love and camaraderie, thereby winning more, not fewer, Macy’s customers.
The plot thickens when it is revealed that Kringle claims to be Santa Claus himself, which the film seems to confirm towards the end. However, this part is not the topic of this article.
Instead, I want to state the obvious: If Republicans keep tearing themselves apart over the next two years in the run-up to the primaries and general election, Democrats can win decisively. If Republicans manage to show a united front, Democrats could lose in a landslide.
Of course, many things can happen between now and 2024. But all things considered, what I have said here is as clear as the nose on my face. (For the record, this is very basic.)
Most of us know that Jesus said, “Every kingdom divided against itself shall fall, and no city or house divided against itself shall stand” (Matthew 12:25).
This is a universal truth, whether someone believes in Jesus or not. Internal division will always undermine, undercut and destroy.
Similarly, Paul wrote: “If you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.” (Galatians 5:15)
Shooting has consequences. Internal fighting is deadly.
Perhaps these two verses can be posted in every political office in the country. (Now that I think about it, wouldn’t it be great if we could learn to live by these principles in our local churches?)
I recently saw a comment about the midterm elections that stated that Democrats do better by voting for their own.
How expressed more fully (and more emphatically!) by John Zmirak in The Stream, the left “maintains internal coherence among many fragments of lunatics, haters and weirdos – while the right gnaws its limbs. . . .
“Law. . . behaves more like Stalin’s Red Army: “Every man for himself, tovarisch and the devil lead from behind!” While the left is not ashamed to defend real terrorists like Bill Ayers and Angela Davis, the right is too sensitive and cowardly to defend innocent heroes and scapegoats. (To be clear, Ayers and Davis are former terrorists.)
To return to the Kris Kringle example, I am not suggesting that Republican presidential candidates spend their time encouraging their voters to vote for their competitors.
So during a debate, when Candidate A is asked why we should vote for him (or her), I don’t expect him to say, “Actually, you should vote for Candidate B!”
However, this is a far cry from the violent attack ads that are so common and the demonization of opponents that is commonplace.
It is, of course, true that these attacks date back to our earliest political disputes, especially the battles between Jefferson and Adams.
How excellent on History.com: “The election of 1800 remains one of the nastiest in history. Jefferson’s supporters accused Adams of “a hideous hermaphroditic character, while the Adams camp called Jefferson a vile and wretched fellow.” Jefferson hired sleazy journalist James Callendar to smear Adams in the press, including a (false) story that he wanted to go to war with France. On the day of Jefferson’s inauguration, Adams left Washington by early stagecoach to join Abigail in Quincy and was not present at the ceremony. They haven’t exchanged a word for 12 years.”
It is also true that candidate George H. W. Bush characterized Ronald Reagan’s economic proposals as “voodoo economics” Shortly thereafter, Bush became Reagan’s vice president.
As for Jefferson and Adams, they eventually reconciled with the assist of Benjamin Rush, who was also a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and remained friends for the rest of their lives.
But why divide, attack and tear down only to try to reconcile and rebuild after the damage has been done (or worse, not even try to reconcile and rebuild)? Why not fight political battles, especially primary elections, as respected rivals rather than mortal enemies?
Over the last several decades, I have participated in high-level public debates in places ranging from synagogues to churches to universities, including Oxford, Ohio State, and Yale, to name a few.
And the topics I debate are often matters of life and death for me and my fellow debaters, issues that we believe in deeply, to the core of our being, issues that would make us throw ourselves on the mat.
However, you can engage in a lively, edged debate without belittling (or worse, demonizing) your opponent. You can point out the superiority of your position and expose the errors of your opponent’s position, without engaging in ad hominem attacks.
As for Republicans, they would do well to remember this during the primaries, determined to form a united front against what they see as a destructive, radical leftist agenda, focusing on issues rather than personalities.
Of course, it is very tempting to retaliate when you are attacked.
But it takes two people to fight, and if you’re determined to de-escalate the conflict, you’ll score political points in the process.
For Republicans, the main goal must be to combat what they see as a perilous political agenda. With this goal firmly in mind, they can then fight for the right to lead their party.
But let them not hurt, beat, discourage, or even bury their own people on the way to the finish line. Such a victory only guarantees defeat.
