What We Can Learn from Democrats

If the Democrat Party decided to get rid of a government agency popular with conservatives, the agency would be gone within five years. While the hypothesis may seem a little odd when thinking of the party of Big Government, how the Democrat Party operates - a party with many disparate factions and opposing viewpoints- is both instructive and yet mysterious to Republicans, particularly conservatives.

Over the past few decades, if the Democrat leadership decided that they wanted to raise taxes by five percentage points, they would propose a ten-point tax increase, weather the storm of being called extremists, anti-growth, or whatever else is thrown at them, and eventually “compromise” with their five percentage point increase. Republicans then would beat their collective chests to the party faithful that they, the strong, principled Grand Old Party, held the liberals to a five point increase when they wanted ten.

Conservatives, and all of the Republican Party, could find Democrat methods instructive, especially when keeping in mind that the Democrat Party has to keep that collection of special interest groups, including groups who frequently have conflicting interests, in line.

For the sake of the health of our Republic, there are three agencies that need to be disbanded immediately. True, for the sake of our long-term economic survival, there are numerous departments and agencies which need to be cast aside, but three cause more destruction to liberty and economic health than the others:  the Environmental Protection Agency, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (more commonly known as the “ATF”).

The EPA is a job-killing machine, while the IRS and ATF are two rogue agencies:  the ATF destroys liberty and the IRS has perfected killing both job growth and liberty.

During the 2012 campaign, various candidates promised to axe entire departments. Yeah. If only the Republican Party had the appetite for that. The same candidates did not have the nerve to pressure networks to keep from having “moderators” with histories of Democrat loyalty or just plain serial dishonesty. The candidate afraid to take on the national press will not be able to simultaneously take on the Washington Establishment, the bloated but powerful federal bureaucracy, and the national press all at the same time. Notice how little talk has taken place of cutting anything since the Republicans took their Congressional majorities.

Where should conservatives start? Is it more important to axe the EPA first? The IRS? The ATF? The answer is, all of the above. At once. A war against modern liberalism on three fronts.

The Democrat Party does not simply think big; they think longer term than Republicans. One reason is that there are so many “all, now, or I will never vote for you again” Republicans. Rare it is to find a one-issue Democrat voter. There are some, of course; but not many.

The “my way or the highway” Republican voters have the mentality that half a pie is not good enough. Meanwhile, Democrat voters, as encouraged by their Party’s leadership, understand that if the other side gives half the pie, take it. Suddenly the task at hand is only half as large.

As an example of how we should progress, after demanding that the three agencies named above meet their end, action and resolve must follow (apologies for the obvious here, but this does involve Republican Establishment leadership; toughness does not seem to be in their collective wheelhouse). Once the floodgates of special interest groups, fake advocacy groups, and the national press wind themselves up into full-throated screams of delirium, Republicans have to 1) avoid turning on each other; and 2) turn up the heat with their resolve.

At some point, when negotiating with the frantic liberals- the networks doing “horror stories” of how the US would turn into the Wild West without the ATF, with the threat of bodies stacked up in the streets- conservative Republicans would have to stand their ground.

At the same time, the conservative faithful have to be prepared for, and accept, tactical retreat- not the full retreat that we have seen so often from Republican leadership over the past couple of years, but a tactical, intelligent retreat. Accept a large cut in ATF responsibilities and budget. Accept half a pie. Just be prepared to take the rest of the pie later.

Modern liberalism has nearly destroyed our nation through incrementalism. Morally and financially, that incrementalism has grown from acceptance of unconstitutional departments and programs to a public demand for such departments and programs. The acceptance of immorality has inched forward until today the intellectually bankrupt can no longer defend any degree of morality or expose immorality.

Conservative voters have to ensure that the rest of our voting bloc understands that it is not always possible to gain complete and total victory in one battle. We have to be prepared to aim high, stand up to the Chicken Little criticism, and take smaller, tactical victories.

All of the above is predicated on electing the right people, who have the resolve to rescue America from the anti-constitutionalists. That said, conservative voters also have to be patient and accept the partial victories.

Many will believe that all of the above is pie in the sky, ridiculous to believe that it could all become reality. The fact is, this is how the Democrats operate. It is not only possible, it happens daily.

Right now, the Republican Party has a crisis of leadership. Soon, we will have a Republican in the White House and majorities in both Houses of Congress. We can be rid of rogue, anti-constitutional, and anti-liberty agencies such as the EPA, IRS, and ATF, if we are willing to take the long view. The alternative for America is not an appealing one.