2016 was a great year for the Republican party. Donald Trump won the presidency, they control the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House, most governor’s offices, and most state legislatures. They have truly won the battle, but have they won the war?
Properly Provisioning the Troops Results in Military Victory
In 1846, the United States and Mexico found themselves in a bitter battle over the boundary between these two countries. General Scott was sent to Mexico to lead the American Army. General Winfield Scott eventually led his army all the way to Mexico City.
General Scott received a lot of recognition for was his ability to ensure that the Army always had the supplies it needed to prosecute the war. Scott always anticipated the Army’s needs months in advance and had the supplies at hand when they were needed. It was through his superior handling of logistics that the United States was able to negotiate the borders that were most advantageous for us.
Now, juxtapose General Scott’s experience in Mexico with Rommel’s experience in North Africa. Rommel was a brilliant military leader who understood the importance of being on the offensive. However, because Hitler saw North Africa as a secondary front and focused most of his attention on the Russian Front, Rommel did not receive the supplies that he requested in a timely fashion.
While Germany was not properly provisioning the German troops, Great Britain and the United States ensured that they had properly provisioned their Armies in North Africa. It was this superior provisioning that eventually gave the Allies the victory.
Major Battles that Republicans have Won
Think back over the years to some of the Republican party’s successes. Ronald Reagan used his superior communication skills to ignite the hearts and spark the Reagan revolution. Newt Gingrich used the unifying message of Contract with America to rebrand the Republican party. In 2010, Republican rallied around the nation’s hatred of [un]Affordable Health Care Act (Obama Care) to capture Congress and many state legislatures around the country. In 2016, Trump used Twitter to circumvent the mainstream media to speak directly to the blue-collar workers.
Status of the War for the Hearts and Minds of Americans
In the United States, the Republican Party is at a major disadvantage to the Democratic Party. Our ideas of limited government and personal responsibility are not the messages held by the mainstream media. For the mainstream media, massive regulation is the answer to almost every problem faced in American today. If there is a problem, they turn to government to solve the problem.
Furthermore, our ideas are not the ideas held by most teachers and professors. The Republican party is constantly having to play missionary and convert individuals to the principles of economic freedom. Republican success is dependent upon conversions.
If the Republican party wants to remain relevant in the future, they need to make some major changes. They cannot continue to win elections if they are constantly having to convert young socialists using methods of communications controlled by the liberal mainstream media.
The War with the Mainstream Media
Throughout the first 150+ years of our nation’s history, everyone understood that media was partisan. As such, each side spent significant money making sure that their message was heard by the masses. County political parties would actually control the newspapers in their communities and hire editors who they knew would publish the news from their partisan perspective.
The problem is that many Republicans believe the lie that media is supposed to be non-patrician. Media is never non-partisan. It has never been and never will be. Media can be objective, but the editor and the reporter’s political philosophies will always be reflected in the stories selected and how they are covered.
To solve this problem, Republican business owners need to use their vast wealth to purchase media outlets. Thus they can select editors who will ensure that the Republican message is promulgated year-round. Not just during the last two months leading up to an election.
The War in Education
While the battle for the hearts and souls of American youth is not as simple as the solution for promulgating partisan media, there is a solution. It is called personal responsibility. You may not be able to afford a multi-million dollar media empire. Nonetheless, you still can make a difference in the life of your child and your children’s classmates.
As a parent (or a grandparent for that matter), do not rely upon public education to train up your children in the way they are to go. Instead, you need to take an active part in your children’s education. Spend time with your children to understand what they are being taught. Make sure that you take the time to educate your children in the principles of limited government.
As a parent, you also need to be involved in the school board. Make sure the board knows that you do not appreciate that your child is being taught the failed principles of socialism. Many decisions are out of the hands of the local school board, and are made by the state curriculum committee. These decisions will affect your children, so you need to make sure that those who are fighting for your principles are funded just like the socialists are funding those who are trying to cram their failed policies on your children.
Winning the War
It is great to win a battle and have complete control over the government of the United States. Changes need to be made or else the nation will continue to slide away from its foundation of Limited Government. Stop spending all of the campaign dollars in the last two months of an election in order to sway the 5% who are not smart enough to know what they believe is best for this country. Efforts need to be made years in advance to educate Americans on our wonderful history of being a self-governing people.
Until significant efforts are made to ensure that the next generation is educated in the principles of self-government, Republicans will continue to be grateful when they win a battle, but will constantly be terrified that they are about to lose the war. It is time for the Republican Party to start reallocating its resources if it wants to be relevant for the rest of this century.
We had better…..or all will be taken or lost. Every patriot should work to guarantee that liberty and freedom survive.