The GOP needs a better tune

In Homer’s The Odyssey, the Sirens were sea creatures that lured passing sailors to their death by enticing them with beautiful music. Every attempt to resist failed until the Argonauts brought along Orpheus the musician who played music even more beautiful than the Siren songs.

The sailors did not escape by fighting and ‘defeating’ the sirens. It was only by experiencing beauty that surpassed the Sirens’ allure that the sailors could overcome. In other words, the solution came from looking inward to produce something greater, not by exploiting the weakness of their opponents. The Argonauts simply beat the Sirens at their own game.

While I don’t view democrats as sea monsters, I do believe Homer’s legend offers wisdom for engaging our political opponents.

The story reminds us that ‘battling’ against liberal ideas by trying to discredit them will inevitably fall flat with persuadable audiences. It’s not enough to be against something; this approach is confined to short-term successes. We have to be for something too, which is a more compelling long-term proposition to listening ears.

Consider the republican response to Obamacare
Since 2010, Republicans ran almost every election cycle with “repeal and replace” at the center. We consumed all the oxygen in political campaigns with hyperbole about democrats using heath care to turn America into a socialist country. Yet, when Republicans won the majority in both Congress and the White House, we were exposed for not having a better idea. All republicans did was use our newfound power to de-fund the insurance mandate, which directly impacts only a fragment of the population but is an important mechanism to control how costs are distributed among all insured Americans. So now Republicans not only jointly own Obamacare with democrats but a broken Obamacare at that.

The fear tactic employed against Obamacare was admittedly effective in getting republicans elected to Congress, but it didn’t last long. Now, democrats once again control Congress and the White House, proving that short-lived victories won on the basis of criticisms and outrage won’t bring lasting progress.

Better ideas
The only way to progress our long-term standing in the marketplace of ideas is to have better ideas than our friends across the aisle. Curating our own party platforms will generate far more credibility in the public square than recycling the same tired talking points that criticize democrats.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a need for policing political ideas and behavior, but – at the grassroots level – it should exist largely within the bounds of our own parties. This is because we’re much more apt to accept criticisms and accountability if it comes from our own ranks. In fact, this sort of intramural ‘check and balance’ is a key way to incentivize the sharpening of old ideas and the creation of new ones.

Moreover, when accountability like this occurs at the grassroots level, it puts the onus of delivering cross-party criticism on elected officials, relieving voters of the task. Indeed, politicians are best positioned to publicly make the case against competing political platforms while simultaneously advocating for their own.

Good ideas are lost without good communication
In The Abolition of Man, C.S. Lewis wrote, “…we continue to clamor for those very qualities we are rendering impossible…We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst.”

Too often, the honorable policies we advocate for are dismissed outright due to the dishonorable manner in which we present them. No idea, no matter how good, can be heard if it’s laced with condescension, sarcasm, anger or fear in how we arrive at our positions or how we argue against theirs.

Democrats don’t suddenly change their minds when we call them stupid, evil or unpatriotic. These tactics may indulge our emotions, but they will never resonate with non-Republicans or expand the party’s voting base. The Republican Party has a lot of housekeeping to do in this regard.

Consider the republican message on Immigration
Republicans and democrats aren’t actually so different when it comes to immigration. Both parties generally agree America is a nation of immigrants who enrich our economy and culture. However, the two parties insist on emphasizing different aspects of immigration policy. Republicans emphasize law and order while democrats emphasize access and care. What gets left out is that these aspects are not mutually exclusive components of a balanced comprehensive immigration policy. In fact, both are needed, but the republican tone and focus often leave onlookers thinking the GOP believes immigrants are less deserving and even dangerous. The misunderstanding could be sorted out by leaders who are willing to articulate the message with greater fidelity to the party’s full traditional platform.

We promote our ideas best when we authentically acknowledge the pros of counter arguments and the cons of our own. When presented this way, listeners will recognize the intellectual honesty in us and move towards more productive debate.

Conclusion
It’s in the GOP’s long-term interest to right its own political ship by refining ideas until they sound like music to the ears of voters. But this requires careful curation of our ideas and the messaging around them. And it doesn’t mean whitewashing tough realities. To the contrary, it means extreme honesty that results from introspection and accountability. Let’s stop trying to discredit democrats and, instead, work hard to establish the credibility of our own ideas.