The RNC Winter meetings have concluded and I was pleased to be able to attend on behalf of my fellow Iowans. I received the honor of being re-elected to the Resolutions Committee as a representative for the Midwestern Region.
The RNC Winter meetings resulted in the overwhelming re-election of Reince Priebus and Sharon Day as Chair and Co-Chair. Many tribute Reince with the astonishing financial comeback after taking the helm with a $26 million debt. Tony Parker was reelected as Treasurer and Demetra DeMonte was re-elected as Secretary.
There are a good number of freshman RNC members and from what I can see many of them offer a terrific worldview and an allegiance to the Constitution. Of course there are always those who seem ready to trade our values for a few more votes. If only we could help these folks understand failing to stand for something often leaves you with nothing. It is this wavering that weakens the confidence of the base and the ability to attract new members.
The challenge before our party now is that we don’t allow a post-election panic to move us to positions that are untenable. While Republicans might have suffered more losses than we expected, it was not our principles that fell short. Despite being outspent 8 to 1 marriage still outpolled Romney. If anything, this should confirm our commitment to our values and finding leaders who will speak of them without apology. Our party platform is a great product and we simply need to find those who can aptly transport that product to the people. Thankfully our message isn’t outdated, the mode of delivery just needs updated.
Truth is timeless, but if today’s youth have never been taught to recognize truth, they won’t see it’s value. Our battle is not just political and it won’t be corrected in an election. The Left’s mantra is firmly embedded in the media, unions, entertainment industry and educational institutions. Americans need to recognize that slogans spoken during a campaign cycle simply cannot compete with rhetoric and indoctrination of our youth in every avenue of culture. Our liberties suffer greater damage through the universities than the battle field. This is bigger than saving the Republican Party, this is about saving the Republic. People, not voters, need to engage and recapture these institutions.
RNC members were promised repeatedly the message would not change and values would remain. Still, there is concern that others may try to do just that. If so, it will be at the peril of the party. If we give on core values that our base was built upon, we may experience temporary growth but it will soon crumble because the foundations will soon crack.
Several sessions focused on engaging minorities, youth, and women. When we draw upon our differences we’ll likely cause division. We’ve seen the damage done by the current Administration. Again, we might look to the wisdom of our past to see how to proceed. Our Founders likely dealt with deeper cultural divides and language barriers than we know today, yet they overcame them with truth and the precepts of liberty. This isn’t about diversity, it’s about finding unity by learning to share a vision – a truth that transcends any barrier because it speaks to the heart. No matter the ethnic or economic background, moms and dads just want the opportunity to raise families as they please with the hope of a brighter future. We need leaders who care and can articulate a path to such success. The media is buzzing about the busy changes to take place and asking is the Republican party capable? Yes, but fortunately we don’t need to revamp as they suggest, we simply need to return to the foundational truths that made this country strong. Standing on the Constitution and finding new innovative ways of celebrating the liberties encased in it.