The United States is facing a state of decline and chaos, with disappointing election results and ongoing turmoil in various aspects of society. To reverse this trend, conservatives must make fundamental changes to their political and philanthropic strategies, rather than relying on marginal changes.
The current situation is concerning, with high inflation, rampant crime, military preparedness and education compromised by “wokeness,” social experimentation in schools without parental knowledge, a collapsed southern border, coordinated censorship of certain viewpoints, and the weaponization of the Department of Justice and the FBI.
Despite this backdrop, Republicans were unable to win a majority in the Senate and only a slim majority in the House in the last midterms. This should serve as a wake-up call to conservative donors that a change in strategy is necessary. Fortunately, a growing number of conservative donors are beginning to ask the right questions, such as “Where did Republicans fall short in the midterms?” and “Are there more effective strategies than those we now use?”
Democrats had four distinct advantages in the last midterms, including the effectiveness of their absentee-ballot, ballot-harvesting, and early-voting programs, their tone-deaf messages about Roe v. Wade, young voters continuing to vote overwhelmingly Democratic, and suburban women not voting Republican in the same numbers as they did in 2016. Democrats gained these advantages through 24-month integrated strategies between elections, while conservatives pursued disparate, often ineffective, tactics and backloaded their spending to the 90-day run-up to elections. Conservatives must compete more effectively on election mechanics going forward.
Democrats also work continuously on the “long game” by developing narratives that shape election outcomes and transform America’s culture, thanks to their control of the levers of power in education, the media, and entertainment. Conservatives must compete more effectively in the long game and push back against the liberal ecosystem, which has been funded by George Soros and others over the past 20 years.
Conservatives must also compete more effectively for the hearts and minds of swing voters, who decide elections. Reaching and persuading swing voters requires different messengers, messages, and message amplification from those conservatives currently employ. The most effective messengers are often the parents and children who have lost out in school lotteries due to Democratic policies limiting the number of charter schools.
To reach the “magic middle,” conservatives must amplify their message in places where swing voters live, rather than relying on conservative talk radio or television. The conservative ecosystem was developed for this purpose.
There is much work to be done to preserve our freedoms and ensure prosperity for future generations. Conservatives owe this to their children and grandchildren.
