The Only Way to Go?

"I will vote," says the man at the church potluck, "and I'll vote the Republican line. It's the only way to go." I am watching a feature story on supposed voter apathy among the Republican Party's core voters. As the reporter finds, the malaise might not be enough to keep them away from the polls. As disappointed as they are with the performance of their leaders, many longtime Republican voters will show up on November 7, hold their nose, and vote the bums back in. If this is true, the expected Democratic sweep may never materialize.

Over the past three decades, the Republican Party has planned and executed a magnificent marketing strategy. They have managed to convince a large segment of the population that they are the only genuine option. They are patriots who love America; those who disagree with their actions or policies are traitors to their country. They speak with the voice of God in defining family, morality, values, and faith; all others are heretical. They want to protect us from evil people; their opponents and critics want us to die.

Much like a successful corporation--think Coca-Cola or Nike--they have secured brand loyalty that is completely independent from the actual quality of the product produced. The man at the potluck will vote their way not because they produce ethical, efficient government, but rather because he trusts the brand. It is the only way to go.

The party regularly tests this notion by flatly betraying conservative ideals. They give us fiscally irresponsible budgets, setting records for spending and deficits. They lead us into reckless foreign entanglements. They strip away our constitutional liberties and our system of checks and balances. Faced with a choice between voting “conservative,” and voting Republican, the voters—time and time again—choose party over principle.

With no need to worry that voters will hold them accountable, officials in our national government have virtually no incentive to govern well, or to lead responsibly. I hope that the man in the story will realize that anyone who fights for what he or she thinks is best for the country is a patriot. I pray he realizes that all of us have values, and want what is best for our families. And deep down, he has to know already that all of our leaders, regardless of party or political philosophy, want to protect us.

I hope he carries these thoughts with him into the privacy of the voting booth. I hope we all do.