The article misses the point.
Arguments about specific policy do not make great political parties, or political movements. The article concentrates its initial paragraphs on abortion and gay rights, which does nothing but allow people to express their settled opinions. It’s a no-win situation.
The Republicans are dying because they have no vision of a better life for Americans. They have no philosophy which guides them - something that Reagan developed over many years of reading and listening and lecturing to small audiences. Even Sarah Palin - someone I know, and someone I respect - doesn’t have that kind of philosophical underpining that is needed to propel a great movement.
The William Buckleys of the world could look to Hume and Burke and Hayek and others for their ideals, and then take those ideals to uplift others.
Sadly, the left still has their philosophical ideals - from the writings of Marx, Hegel, the Frankfurt School, Gramscii, Lenin, Mao, Franz Falon - and that animates them in a manner which overwhelms conservatives.
We need to talk about our values and ideals and philosophy. We need to have someone explain the virtues of liberty and individual freedom and inalienable rights. We are in a war of ideas, and we aren’t talking about ideas - we’re arguing policy.
And therefore we lose.
No argument from me there. Thank you for your insight.
We are in a war of ideas, and we aren’t talking about ideas - we’re arguing policy.
And therefore we lose.
Good summary of the problem.
I think it was GHW Bush who first admitted to having problems with "the vision thing". Apparently, he was not the only one, nor the last one.
So then, what values do you want to have advocated and how would those manifest themselves in the form of public policy?