Back to the Future: The Long Cons

Originally Posted on:  April 23, 2006

If you’re anything like me, about this time of year, your e-mail and letter boxes start getting filled with urgent letters asking you to save the country. Of course, we did that in 2000, 2002, and 2004 already, so what’s one more time?

In all seriousness every election in America is built up as a political Armageddon, as if the future of the country hinges on the results. Can we cut the hyperbole? America has survived such disasters as Jimmy Carter. It can be said that overall we may have ended up better off with Carter winning in ‘76. Had Gerald Ford succeeded in beating Carter, the GOP would never have gained control of the Senate and Reagan would never have brought a Revolution to Washington. Political control will ebb and flow. Its part of the game. In football, a team doesn’t panic because another gets control of the ball, as long as they’ve got a solid gameplan.

We need a long-term strategy for political victory that goes beyond short term frustrations to reach towards long-term Conservative goals. The way I see it Long Term Conservative (LongCon) strategy is going to require the following:

First, Conservative control of the GOP must be fought for. A top priority is taking control of county and state Republican organizations from the precinct level up. If you can’t control the GOP in your city, there’s no way you’re going to make a dent nationally.

There also needs to be people who are willing to take some for the team. This means being willing to lose some elections, particularly in the primaries. Getting your clock cleaned in a primary or general election is no fun, but is sometimes helpful.

Lets say you challenge your Congressman in the primary and you lose. During the course of the primary you manage to provide an opportunity for volunteers to get experience working on campaigns and you also get to educate voters on Conservative values and make the case for freedom. You may lose the primary, but in the process set the stage for future Conservative victory. Without Conservatives who were willing to fight a losing battle, there would have been no 1994 Republican Revolution.

At all levels, defeating the teacher’s unions must be job one. Through Charter Schools, School Choice, and the Homeschooling movement, we must wrest control over the education of America’s children from leftist ideologues.

Long Cons must also be builders. Conservatives must develop alternatives to the liberal entertainment media that affirm traditional values while producing a quality product, in addition to continuing to improve the Conservative news media.

It is important as well that all Conservatives have their financial houses in order and give generously of their resources towards organizations that will make our country better. We must support organizations that strengthen families such as Family Life and Focus on the Family, support the efforts of local Rescue Missions to provide a hand-up to people in poverty, and stand behind churches that stand behind the Bible. Strong families, strong churches, and strong communities are the greatest enemy of the American left.

Its going to take a lot of work, money, and commitment for Conservative victory to be achieved. Its not a matter of years, but decades. Yet those who have vision, who are willing to endure the mocking of friends and the hatred of enemies have the opportunity to change the course of our nation’s history.