The Opinion Index, 11-15-12 November 16, 2012

The issue of Republicans trying to broaden their base is one that has obviously been on my minds within the ranks of the GOP, specifically, how do we bring in more minorities into our camp?   Many people who just happen to be minorities no doubt share most of our values, but others, namely a large swath of blacks, seem not to.  Many in the black community have kept themselves on Uncle Sam’s Plantation, much to their own peril economically, socially and spiritually.  What must be done, according to Dennis Prager, is to bring more minorities towards our values, meaning that we must get the message to them, make it clear to them, and prove to them that our values are in their best interest, and indeed, in America’s best interest.

At the core of things is a particular challenge.  We as Republicans stand for hard work, self-reliance, free enterprise and individual initiative.  On paper, that seems like an easy sell.  But it becomes a much tougher sell when the other side says “don’t worry, we’ll take care of you,” without regard for who will pay for all the goodies.  This is part of the case that Mona Charen tries to make, along with the chilling reminder that the worse an economy gets, the more lots of people (single women, etc.) cling to government for security.  To overcome this huge obstacle to preserving individual liberty and prosperity, we need to have more brains (and common sense!) and imagination than the Democrats.

One important thing to keep in mind is that some Republicans happen to win in places where they are least expected to, such as the People’s Republic of Massachusetts.  How do they do it?  Jeff Jacoby points out that they won with focusing on grassroots, and champion liberty, limited government, and low taxes.  This, of course, flies in the face of conventional wisdom from campaign consultants, who think that GOP candidates must go wishy-washy and moderate positions.  The message is clear:  clarity, conviction, and the ability to put it in words people can understand wins, even in Massachusetts.

Meanwhile, lots of people within conservative ranks seem to be piling on Romney right now (hasn’t the poor guy taken enough grief?).  Did he make mistakes?  Of course he did.  Taking Rick Perry to task over his stance on the DREAM Act was a fatal blow towards his hopes for attracting Hispanic votes, for example.  But having said all that, it is more than worth pointing out what he did RIGHT.  Who better than Hugh Hewitt to offer a nice, easily digestible list of things Mitt did well which future candidates would be well-served to emulate, and others which have set the GOP up for long-term success?

Finally, one important thing to note is an alternative solution to solving the mess in Washington.  Instead of trying to change Washington — which we ought not to give up anytime soon — let us also devote just as much energy towards helping the Several States wrestle issues back into their sphere of control.  Justin Owen offers a very timely piece on how some states have already challenged the Federal government in key areas such as environmental protection, Medicaid reform, and education.  Let us never forget that we have something called the 10th Amendment.

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

This must be remembered above all else, especially now.