Republicans Take Heed

One week ago this evening, Scott Brown won a stunning victory in the Massachusetts Senate race, clinching the seat formerly held by the Liberal Lion himself, Ted Kennedy. A Republican win in this race has enormous implications on a national level (see my first post, 'Two Predictions for the New Year'), and Republicans should take heed of Brown's campaign.

Scott Brown ran as an unabashed conservative, espousing his beliefs at every opportunity as he campaigned across the state in his pickup truck (for which he was lampooned by President Obama, Sen. John F(bomb) Kerry, and his opponent, A.G. Martha Coakley). His core set of issues were true conservative ones that included smaller government, lower taxes, expansion of the private health insurance market, and a strong military. His most ingenious campaign message, however, was in the form of the commercial spot below, wherein he evokes the spirit of JFK:



For liberals and independents alike, watching this video and hearing JFK's conservative stance on tax policy must have been paradoxical. It clearly shows how vastly the Democrat party of today has changed since that time. It's worth noting, however, that in a different time another future president had his own day of reckoning with the Democrat party. Ronald Reagan described his party affiliation thusly, "I didn't leave the Democrat party - the party left me."

Tapping into this disillusionment was Scott Brown. Just like Reagan, he expounded upon conservative principles, and explained to audiences what it means to be a conservative. And the people of Massachusetts responded. Republicans must take this lesson to heart.

Now is the time to run conservative candidates against Democrats, RINOs, and spineless moderates. In the Massachusetts election, conservatism won, just as it did in 1980, 1984, and 1994, and just as it will wherever it's espoused.

Now is the time to take the Democrats to task for their liberal and progressive ideas that run counter to the ideals of America's founding.

Now is the time for conservatives to teach Americans the axiom of Reagan's farewell address:

"And I hope we have once again reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts." [Jan.11, 1989]

And the electorate has witnessed this truth firsthand with the current cast of characters in Washington, DC. As the president and congressional Democrats continue to govern against the will of the people, shoving liberty-robbing policy down our collective throats, Americans become increasingly galvanized to take appropriate action this November.

Hey, if it can happen in Massachusetts, it can happen anywhere!