As keynote speaker at the Republican Convention, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie drove home one essential theme: in politics as in life, the right thing to do is often not the easy thing to do.
Conservatives often talk of equality, not of outcome but of opportunity. They have also been positioned by the left, often effectively, as callous and unconcerned about the plight of the needy.
Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan now have an unconventional opportunity to address this perceived contradiction and demonstrate how serious they are about big solutions to big problems by taking the fight for economic freedom and opportunity to the political belly of the beast: the inner city. To minority audiences.
Disaster, you say. They’ll get a cold reception. And this will only highlight Republican weaknesses. After all, one recent poll had the president leading among African-Americans 94%-0%, not to mention a 2-1 deficit among Hispanics. They need to spend all their time in swing states with their base and undecided voting blocs.
I beg to differ. With a few carefully crafted appearances, Mitt Romney can demonstrate that he is engaged, that in keeping with the Paul Ryan selection, he is a bold leader at a time requiring boldness, that he will fight for every vote, including those he is almost certain not to receive, how serious he is about a rising tide lifting all boats, reduce the potency of the plutocrat label and demonstrate some empathy, if not understanding, for the plight of those who need economic opportunity more than anyone.
I’m not here for your votes, though I’d like them. I’m here to tell you that our message of economic freedom is inclusive, that I want you inside the tent, that opportunity is a superior path to dependency for everyone, that I will fight to assure your hard work will be rewarded as it is in every other sector of society. There is nothing to compare with the sense of accomplishment and well-being derived from hard work that promises true rewards. And I believe this message is even more important for you than it is for middle class America.
Think about it. Many of us complain about the bad cards we are sometimes dealt, but we have had access to extraordinary economic freedom, to the point where many of us have taken it for granted – until now, when it is being threatened as never before by an ever-expanding central government.
But economic freedom – the ability to strike out on your own and retain the fruits of your labors – matters most to those who need it most, those we pray can shake off the shackles of poverty and dependency. Those to whom the message should be: we support economic freedom not just because it builds our economy, but because it builds lives centered around the universal yearning of the soul for self-worth, independence and happiness.
Optics are important, and this counterintuitive strategy would resonate beyond just the inner city, to the vast non-ideological center of an electorate which is sick and tired of the bitter partisan atmosphere pervasive in politics these days.
By selecting Paul Ryan as his running mate, Mitt Romney made an irreversible decision to “go bold.” This campaign is now, by definition, all about large problems, large ideas and large solutions.
Likewise, by showcasing their up and coming generation of young, serious and demographically diverse leaders like Ryan, Christie, Scott Walker, Nikki Haley, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio at their convention, the Republican party is attempting to reposition itself in the eyes of the voters as the party of big, bold ideas.
And what could be a bigger and bolder, even audacious idea than taking their cause directly to the minority supporters of the nation’s first minority president?
