Here’s the headline:
The GOP’s ongoing lack of interest in reform
Nice try but…wrong again, WaPo.
I won’t bother showing you any of the content of the article here for two reasons: 1) It’s more of the same and 2) I’m doing what we need to be doing more of-rejecting the premise and not giving it any credence whatsoever by specifically responding to the inanity that follows it.
Largely because we have allowed them to, the professional Left (Democrat politicians and the MSM) have gotten away with defining virtually all the terms of ideological battles (see: “choice” instead of “abortion”) in the last several decades. Once we let them do so on any topic, we’re put in a position of playing defense in a rigged game or arguing in circles because there is no linear logic involved in the false premise.
As a result of the current debate over what to do about illegal immigration, “reform” has become the watchword that they’re running with. Unfortunately, they are being abetted by a few GOP legislators.
The story goes like this: the GOP lost two presidential elections in a row (OMG-something that NEVER happens!) so it needs to fundamentally overhaul itself. And it better get on board right this minute with various and sundry reforms that cater to different parts of the electorate that they didn’t win in 2012 or it will forever disappear.
You know, the same story we heard after the 2008 election before we steamrolled the 2010 election.
The “reforms” as defined by the professional Left all involve moving to the ever-leftward shifting center the progressives so desperately want to create in America. In short: if you’re not ready to go almost full commie, you’re “anti-reform”.
They view any disagreements on our side as deep divisions that are going to rip the party asunder, despite the overwhelming evidence that this is just kind of how we do things. Their confusion is easy to understand, as the Left is a hive mind that doesn’t allow for dissent or deviation from the established opinion, even by someone revered on their side.
On the subject of immigration, the conservative Republicans are the only ones who want real reform. What the Democrats and moderate GOP types are after is a codifying of the inevitable direction this problem has been allowed to drift towards for decades absent any coherent policy or the will to enforce what policy there is. Given the status quo and they way it’s treated by so many law makers, there may be no more radical reform idea in this debate than overwhelmingly securing the borders before addressing the rest of the mess.
In fact, put real conservatives in power for a while and you will see a veritable Reformapalooza, especially those of you working for the EPA, IRS or Dept. of Education.
We are, of course, absolutely horrible as a movement when it comes to making our point. We think that because we have history, economics and common sense on our side people are going to immediately be drawn to us. We forget the power of effective marketing in the modern age, often treating it as “pandering”. What we ignore at our peril is that awful ideas can be sold to the American public through effective marketing. That’s why people do things like vote twice for Barack Obama and drink Miller Lite.
Opportunity is awesome. Liberty is awesome. Freedom from government is awesome. Lower tax bills are awesome. Education choice is awesome.
So let’s stop arguing on their terms. Reject all the premises. Stop screaming “But AMNESTYYYYYY!” long enough to say, “This is why it sucks and here is how we’ll make it better”. Laugh in their faces when the people who want to dictate what you eat, what you say and whether you’re allowed to defend yourselves say they are on the side of “choice”.
And, for God’s sake, stop worrying about shifting demographics. Demographics in a country like this shift all the time. People don’t change, however. The awesomeness mentioned two paragraphs ago is appealing across cultures and generations.
Let’s just get better at making that clear.
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