Which Way To Go? Republicans Ponder Fork in Road

Guest Blogger Bio: “Markus Shepherd” is the nom de guerre for a man who has worked in marketing and advertising for nearly twenty-five years and is used to being the only Christian (or conservative, or Republican) in a sea of liberal hedonists. You can email him at markusshepherd@me.com.

Whining City Upon a Hill

On a mountain in Galilee, Jesus’ disciples and many others listened closely as He said, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” Ronald Reagan, quoting pilgrim John Winthrop, applied that statement to the United States when he referred to it as a “shining city upon a hill.” It was Reagan’s dream that our nation would be a “God-blessed” beacon of freedom for people around the world.

Our pilgrim founders, fueled by their love of God and passion for liberty, worked to develop the new world for their progeny. Nearly four-hundred years have passed and the Puritan work ethic has less appeal than it used to. The old way is too hard; today there is a plaintive cry for change. Liberals, including believers like Tony Campolo’s “red-letter Christians,” are filled with expectation as they have pinned their hopes on a man who promised “change.” Barack Obama, the “transformational figure,” built his campaign around the idea of change. “Change” is his tagline but more than that, it is his brand.

“Brand” is a term that marketers use to describe what people think about a product or company. It is a marketer’s job to shape perceptions so people will think positively about what is being presented. When Coca-Cola says that they’re the “real thing,” the goal is for potential customers to think that Coke is real and the rest are imitators.

The Obama brand is politically brilliant because “change” means everything and nothing, and it set up his competition as defenders of the status quo. Obama’s voters believe in his brand. Many have placed their hopes on Obama simply because they think he will change what is difficult in their lives. It doesn’t matter what he actually says, does, or plans. Consider Peggy Joseph, who told NBC News that after she votes for Obama then he will take care of her. She’ll no longer have to “pay for gas” or her mortgage. Obama said no such thing, but she believes the brand. These are the changes she wants and she believes that this change will take her burdens away.

The next challenge for the Republican Party is to remake its brand. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is leading the leeward charge to the left. If he has his way, the GOP will become girly-men in an attempt to avoid a fight with the media and the opposition party. This is a brilliant idea—let’s give the voters a real choice, Marxists or socialists!

Coke doesn’t compete against Diet Coke, which is just another aspect of the same brand. Coke competes against Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, 7-Up and Barq’s Root Beer. The “real thing” sets Coke apart. This is called a “differentiation” strategy. It works for Coke and it will work for the GOP too. Being different isn’t just helpful, it is a must if the GOP is to survive.

Daring to act and think differently is not without risk. The Democrat Party has professed an intention to silence its opposition. The Obama administration may try to take advantage of good will afforded to a new president and make the biggest leap right away. If so, it’ll start with Rush Limbaugh and then spread to other areas, especially if the first attempt is successful. The Washington Times, Fox News, Drudge Report and conservative websites like TheChristianWorldview.com are the obvious targets. Right-leaning churches and schools will also be in their sights.

We’re left with only four choices:

1. Cower under political pressure and act like the Democrat Party. We can count on a short-lived media love affair, but in the end they still won’t respect a Republican.
2. Moderate, hoping the opposition will leave us alone. When we’re still attacked for not being Democrats, we can cry and whine until they find someone else to ridicule.
3. Start a new conservative party, work many years to get enough respect that we’ll actually appeal to voters, all the while suffering under liberal political dominance.
4. Reassert the GOP’s conservative brand and prepare for a bare-knuckle brawl. This option is the only one that will maintain our integrity and earn votes.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Jason Lewis, “Minnesota’s Mr. Right,” for a magazine. I asked him what people can do to have an impact after the election. “As Jefferson warned, ‘eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,’” said Lewis. “There is no endgame to citizenship; rather it is a lifelong process that responsible generations carry from one to the other.” Lewis is right; there is no end to the fight for liberty. There’s also no end to the fight for morality, integrity, and faith.

Will we stand and fight or stay silent as we’re put out of business as democrats plan to do to talk radio and the coal industry? Others may bend or break under pressure, but with prayer support and elbow grease, a conservative Republican Party can again polish up our “shining city upon a hill.”

May the GOP never bow to political pressure or whine.