Friday, August 22, 2014

A CONSERVATIVE’S RESPONSE TO MINORITY “OUTREACH”

A CONSERVATIVE’S RESPONSE TO MINORITY “OUTREACH”

Recently, I was asked to be part of a Republican Party "Outreach Committee", described to me as "...the committee works to expand positive relations with a variety of communities - Women, Jewish,Latinos, etc." Now for full disclosure, I am Jewish. I understood that the individual extending the invitation to me was well-intentioned, and most likely wanted me to strategize on ways to increase minority participation in the Republican Party. I had to decline because the whole approach of the establishment Republican Party on this matter is based on the false premise that you gain votes by catering to interest groups. I am fundamentally opposed to viewing the country as multiple ethnic-gender-racial-age-sexual preference groups and then making very narrow promises tailored to the audience being addressed. I'm setting out my reply to the invitation here because I do believe we need to start thinking in more common, values oriented and conservative ways.

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I appreciate the invite but I have to decline. I'm not interested in "identity" politics. This is the trap that the GOP has fallen into where they engage in the same kind of balkanization of the body politic, and then go around trying to appease each as if they were a distinct voting block. Rather than pandering to differences in various groups, we should be promoting common American cultural and political values. I'm sick of the chattering class of political consultants and RINO's who think that the only way we'll get Hispanics to vote Republican is to pass "comprehensive" immigration reform. I'm tired of Republicans that are afraid to support traditional notions of marriage because they want to appease the LGBT community. I'm disgusted with a GOP that refuses to confront a lawless administration because they're afraid of being seen as racist. I refuse to support a party that has become indistinguishable from the Democrat party because they cater to the demands of the "takers" and that has abdicated its role as the champion of limited government and free markets. At this point in time, I believe the Washoe GOP has fallen ill with the same sickness that has taken over the RNC nationally. There are no more leaders in the GOP. They are a reactive bunch of cowards and hypocrites intent on hanging on to whatever power they can, making promises they don't believe in and can't keep just to get elected. I want to throw up every time I hear conservatives and the Tea Party maligned by the same people who say we shouldn't attack our fellow Republicans; who argue we shouldn't make endorsements before primaries, and then go out and declare their favorites in advance of the election; and who swear they'll fight to repeal or defund ObamaCare to their "last dying breath" and then turn around and try to "fix" it. No... I'm afraid I can't be part of a process that will destroy the Republican party.