Why Conservatives can't win, but will anyway

The liberal machine will work hard toward creating a necessity for their existence. It is the conservative's goal to eliminate a reliance on government, even a conservative government. It is this uphill climb, one with no mountain peak in sight, that the conservative finds himself upon. It is why Franklin responded to the woman on the steps, who asked what sort of government they'd given us, "A republic, if you can keep it." There is nothing more tenuous than a government of powerful men and women willing to take a back seat to the will of the masses. It's contrary to human nature. The only way a republic can survive is if the will of millions of people stand firm against a central government that has, as its very core for existence, a desire to grow and gain control over those that give it life.

It is a fragile balance. We need a government, otherwise anarchy would result. And, as is the nature of men, the government will daily try to convince the masses that they need more of it. When, in fact, it is the government that cannot survive without us. The government, though, is comprised of very intelligent, very well-spoken men and women. Imagine the time and effort it takes to get elected. These are people who have lived every moment of their lives learning to be convincing and likable. So when they tell us we need them to be more powerful--for our own well-being of course--we tend to yield to their demands. We've done it for 200 years. The process of government growth accelerated quickly during the last century as the ability to reach larger number of people grew with technology.

I won't re-hash the old "boiling frog" analogy, though it may fit. I think a better picture is that of a man living in the jungle. He's unprotected and vulnerable to the wild creatures that surround him. One day he finds a lion cub and thinks, "Aha, I'll befriend this lion and he'll be my protector." Each day he feeds the cub and, indeed, it grows and fights off the other animals that try to attack his master. One day, however, the lion realizes he's much bigger and stronger than his master. He turns to him and says, "Now you will serve me."

We cannot eliminate our government, but we can restrict its growth, even reverse it (yes, I know, my lion analogy breaks down here...please feed your lion). The simplistic beauty of the Constitution is that it gives a permanent overriding power to the people, not the central government. It is only by our willingness that the government can grow out of control. Hard working men and women, who are most affected by their government, are least likely to step in and control the beast. They simply possess neither the time nor the energy to make a stand. And the larger the government grows, the more it taxes them, forcing them to work even harder and longer to simply provide for their families. In this continuous cycle of work-get taxed-work harder, the master quickly becomes the servant.

But, as we've seen over the last year, there comes a breaking point into what we are willing to accept. While the collective intelligence and shrewdness of several hundred politicians is, indeed, difficult to surmount, it pales in comparison to the will of hundreds of millions of "simple" men and women whose desire for liberty, though rarely stirred, will crush any hint of tyranny and drive it back to submission.

No, we cannot appeal to millions of people whenever we choose. We have no access to a constant parade of television crews and well-groomed news anchors. We have no single voice that will stand against an onslaught of half-truths and deception. What we do have is a will to be free. It hasn't changed in 200 years, though the faces may have. It's a will that has stopped one tyrant after another, those who would snatch our freedom from us to expand their own power and wealth. It is the most powerful force this world has ever conjured.

Many will say I'm being dramatic. This is just partisan politics. America is not going to go the way of a socialist regime. I ask you to step back and consider the big picture. Look at the slow, methodical intrusion of government into our lives over the last century. And always under programs with sweet sounding names--The New Deal, The Great Society--that promise more fairness and protection from uncertain economic forces. All of these programs have produced horrific debt and "unintended consequences." The government solution to the problems it has created is--you guessed it--more government programs. That's a hungry lion, brother, and we're fresh out of steak.

Americans of every race, gender, and religion have a much greater hunger. We hunger for freedom and the right to choose our own destiny. We often choose poorly and fail, but it's our choice, and unhampered freedom allows us to recover quickly from those poor choices. It is insulting for any politician to stand and claim to represent one ethnic or gender group. Last I checked, they're supposed to represent Americans. Any claim of representation to one group or another is, in itself, divisive and racist. We won't tolerate it any longer.

There's a big whip lashing out across this country. It's time to put the lion back in its cage.