Logic dictates that winning elections is key to gaining political advantage.
The challenge to Republicans has always been that, though they had the high ground in the arena of ideas, such advantage is lost on voters most reliant on government aid, and most susceptible to ‘fear of loss’ manipulation.
So, when a state population balance shifts to that demographic, the political advantage is gained by those most adept at playing on the needs of the entitlement-dependent…unethical, but highly effective.
Democrats are masters at manipulating the emotions necessary to get votes. And (for the most part) they have the mainstream media as a willing ally in that strategy.
That’s their strength. Their weakness is that everything they promise is based on deception, and, often, lies. Republicans need to be better at exposing the lie, in terms those who have been lied to will understand.
A perfect example of Democrat strategy is Obamacare: ‘if you like your plan you can keep it’, ‘bends the cost curve down’, ‘saves you thousands per year’, ‘not a tax’…
…all lies. The challenge then becomes articulating effectively to shift support.
When a politician promises to ‘help’ voters by taxing business, they fail to mention that business must pass on that cost by raising prices, in order to stay profitable.
And the politician never hesitates to blame the business when prices are raised.
It’s a win-win for Democrats…they get more tax dollars to hand out to cronies, and pit the business community against the voter by claiming ‘greed’ causes price hikes.
People don’t like being lied to, used, manipulated, or deceived. What Republicans need to do is effectively explain that it’s bad Democrat policy that causes higher prices, and not the ‘greedy profit motive’…expose the deceptions, and deceivers.
Put it in terms anyone would understand…
If you owned a business where taxes went up, would you choose to run it at a loss and pay higher taxes, or pass the costs of business on by raising your prices?
Ask minimum wage supporters: would you pay double for a cheeseburger or soft drink, so a burger-flipper can get paid more money?
Most importantly, the GOP should remember they don’t have to win everyone over… just enough of the opposition to make a difference in the elections.