What needs to be done?
A change of leadership is obviously the first and most important step, since the current political structure is antithetical to a multi-party system. That means McConnell and McCarthy and the rest of the hierarchy must be replaced with MAGA or MAGA-curious people, whose first action has to be the complete overhaul of the national political apparatus. The Republican National Committee has accepted the status quo for too long, and allowed the Democrat party machine to continue its traditional activities of voter manipulation, vote stealing, and most of all control of the states’ voting apparatus.
[“MAGA” has moved beyond Donald Trump; it describes an American-centric political outlook that is hostile to the forces that have conspired to destroy our country. Those forces include the globalists, whose efforts are focused on the destruction of our economy, and the cultural marxists, whose efforts include the degradation of traditional society, gender roles, the nuclear family, etc.]
The second step requires that at least for the next few election cycles the Republican message must be coherent and unified. No longer can the national party accept the chaos of “mavericks” in the destructive mold of John McCain. As soon as Murkowski, Romney, Burr, Cassidy, Collins, Sasse, Toomey, Cheney, Amash, Kinzinger, and the rest demonstrated their disloyalty to the base and to the candidate they elected, they should have been immediately tossed off of every committee, all party money withdrawn, all party support ended. But because of the organic fear of any loss of personal influence, wealth or power on the part of the corporatist Republican party, they are coddled and humored and even revered. That has to end, otherwise all is lost.
The Republican message needs to be clear, concise, easily distilled into soundbites, and most of all, it must be a reflection of the current mood of the country. But that message will fail if it is merely a litany of what is wrong. It has to be an optimistic path forward that clearly differentiates The Republican PartyTM from those across the aisle. The ersatz collegiality of the Senate, the concept of reaching across the aisle — the entire failed philosophy of accommodating those with radically different political, social, and cultural views — must be forcefully rejected as a betrayal of the core tenets of the Republican Party.
All of this is obvious and straightforward, and based on the failed strategies of the last 20 years. The real question is: “Where do we start?”
I think the leftist hold on the battleground state of Pennsylvania (and to a lesser extent Michigan) is too strong, and that means that the Republican candidate in 2024 must make up more than 20 electoral votes, or he will lose. Virginia, Wisconsin, and Nevada total 29, so those are the logical places to start at the grassroots level. But that presupposes many things, not least of which is the refocusing of the Republican Party apparatus onto winning, rather than maintaining their sinecures and social positions within the vast political state.
Youngkin in Virginia showed how to tap the anger and resentment of the silent majority in his state, but he followed up with concrete changes, which is vital. DeSantis is consolidating the Republican hold on Florida by being more nimble than the hostile media and being politically astute, with the added benefit of a friendly legislature. Both convey powerful and positive messages, and that is one of the keys to an engaged electorate.
That’s how to win, and it is possible in spite of a rabid opposition. Just look at Iowa, which kicked the Democrat party to the curb in a largely unnoticed landslide just a week ago. But that sort of success requires organization that is so far lacking in the upper echelons of the Republican party, thus the absolute requirement for a comprehensive overhaul.
Is the Republican and conservative movement in disarray? Yes. Are there encouraging signs? Yes, in particular at the local level. Is it enough?
We will find out in 2024.
