In the 1980’s a phenomenon known as Reagan Democrats began. These Democrats bucked their party, helped Republican hero Ronald Reagan to the presidency in greater margins than could have ever been imagined, and helped start the American tradition of running up the score.
The Reagan Democrats didn’t just die off, they’re still out there. But today, they’re feeling the reverse of what they felt in the Reagan years. They didn’t leave the Republican party; the Republican party left them.
So how do we win them back? Reagan Democrats could be flipped again through “Kennedy Republicanism.” To be sure, Jack Kennedy had some dangerous domestic policy ideas. Much of Lyndon Johnson’s disastrous Great Society came from the Kennedy playbook. However, JFK had a way of doing things that the Republicans could learn a thing or two from.
Republicans are undoubtedly a party of patriots. Not to say that Democrats don’t love their country, but the GOP is full to the brim with bible thumping, gun toting, flag waving ‘Mericans. I’m one myself. But many citizens are currently experiencing a crisis of confidence. With China on the rise, our economy contracting, and our current military mire, more and more Americans are wondering if American Exceptionalism was nothing more than a myth. These voters won’t immediately respond to the assumption that America is the greatest country on earth, they must be convinced. Both Reagan and Kennedy helped revive a spirit of patriotism within the American polity and brought us back from a similar crisis of confidence. Reagan won the cold war. Kennedy sent us to the moon. In the face of bipartisan ridicule, both Reagan and Kennedy took decisive action to prove America’s exceptionalism.
Today we face a crisis no less striking than the space or arms races of the past. Again a free economy is competing with tyranny for international supremacy. China is poised to overtake America as the world’s largest economy as early as 2016 according to a recently released study by the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development. Today, just as they were in the Soviet Era, many American scholars are apologists for Communist thinking. The control that the Chinese government holds over their economy, the striking censorship and horrifying human rights abuses are overlooked. Even Vice President and 2016 presidential contender Joe Biden said that he “can’t second guess” China’s one-child policy.
Kennedy and Reagan didn’t treat communism with the acceptance and spirit of inevitability that their political culture embraced, and neither can today’s Republican Party. But you can’t just say it and assume that the public will fall in behind. Reminding the public that we are in an economic race for supremacy will not be easy, but it is a necessary step to evoking the patriotism and pride Americans once felt for this great country. Reviving our competitive drive and re energizing the American people are necessary tenants of Kennedy Republicanism. And in order to accomplish this, employing Kennedy and Reagan’s smooth style of persuasion is a must.
There’s no denying that there are pressing problems in America today, and passion is essential in the art of persuasion. However, novice and sometimes veteran politicians consistently confuse passion with noise. I’m reminded of Hamlet’s iconic speech each time I attend a Tea Party Rally. “It offends me to the soul to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to split the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but dumbshows and noise.”
I agree with virtually every point of the farthest of far right agendas, but a powdered wig and an “Impeach the Muslim” t-shirt are ineffective instruments of persuasion. The reasonable nature of most republicans, and probably most Tea Partiers, is drowned out by the exhibisionits looking to score some high fives.
In the conservative media there is little thought given to outsiders who are open to new ideas. Few attempts are made to logically, passionately, but judiciously explain the conservative ideas of the free market, free trade, personal liberty, and strong military to American centrists. In their speaking styles, both Reagan and Kennedy were experts in harnessing passion while keeping their cool. Listen to Kennedy explain his military and diplomatic priorities and imagine the same message at the hands of a Michael Savage or Mark Levin. “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, suffer any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” Measured, clear, calm, and serious. Kennedy was an expert at illustrating his points and his passion without obvious showmanship.
Although there is the obvious temptation to grab headlines and airtime with controversial, head-turning rhetoric, that is a formula for nothing more than fifteen minutes of fame. It also puts an unnecessary target on your back. There is nothing wrong and often something admirable about having a political price on your head. Winston Churchill said, “I hope you have enemies, it means you stood for something in your life.” While this is undoubtedly true, there is something more to be said for standing effectively. Running sword drawn into a well guarded encampment is the act of a fool, not a hero. One must only look at Anthony Weiner, first famous for his outbursts on the House Floor, later famous for his “social media presence, for an example “of how not to use political capital efficiently. A Kennedy Republican can attract Reagan Democrats with careful measured blows, where purpose and strategy precede political attacks.
A Kennedy Republican must also engage with pop culture.Jack Kennedy was friends with celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr. Ronald Reagan got his start in the world of Hollywood, and rarely attacked it.
The current tendency of Republicans to retreat and attack culture from afar is an ineffective way of attracting voters. In the past 2012 election, President Obama held fundraisers and campaign events with the likes of Jay-Z, Beyonce, and other A-listers. appeared on late night comedy shows, and generally became part of the celebrity culture. In 2008, the Republican party even attacked him for being the “biggest celebrity in the world.”
Meanwhile, the celebrity superpower of the Republican party was Clint Eastwood’s laughable appearance at the RNC. Despite this, many celebrities have conservative tendencies, and with a little political muscle could be persuaded into becoming active in the Republican party. Celebrities like Robert Downy Jr. and Britney Spears, among others, are known to have conservative leanings. With a little pressure these celebrities could be persuaded to embrace their conservative nature fully, helping eliminate the “cool gap” between the Republican and Democratic party.
Republicans can learn a lot from John F. Kennedy. From his suave, understated nature, to his unabashed and convincing patriotism, Kennedy personified electability. Kennedy also knew how to focus on the big picture. Instead of getting bogged down in the day to day politics of Washington, he focused on his duties as head of the armed forces and figurehead of the nation. If the Republican party can start choosing its battles, and keeping its cool in the Kennedy mold, brighter days are ahead.
