Today’s Democrat Party is unlike anything we’ve faced. It’s enormous. It’s incredibly diverse, holding its greatest strength in the fastest growing demographics. Funding? Limitless. Worst of all, thanks to public schools, entertainment, and the media, our society is bathed in Democrat ideology from womb to tomb. I’ll say it again: We’ve never faced anything like this—not in the 1960’s, or even the 1860’s.
Put simply, the Democrat Party has become a Collective. A machine. Like Star Trek’s Borg, today’s Democrat leaders control all who come in their path—and they do this through convincing the masses that other people deserve to be controlled.
In desperation, some on the Right push Conservative Collectives. For instance, Establishment types can favor a Top-Down Collective, where everyone gets in line behind traditional leaders. Some Grassroots types favor a Bottom-Up Collective, likewise stifling dissent through power of the crowd. But whether using boardroom power plays or RINO-hunts, both sides forget the big problem: As Individualists, we on the Right can’t be a Collective.
Collectives control people; we free them. Collectives thrive on conformity; we thrive on challenge. Thus, while control rallies the Left, it only splinters the Right. To defeat the Collective, we must unify as something empowering to individuals: We must be a family.
Unlike Collectives, families exist not to control the outside world, but to improve their own. No normal family seeks to “assimilate the Petersons next door,” because control is only used when necessary (like discipline), not as an end in itself. Families are about unleashing individuals, not controlling them—and unleashed people achieve far more than corralled ones. Hence, families are powerful.
“But wait!” you might say. “Families use control! Parents oppress! Kids subvert! Siblings divide!”
Exactly. Tell me, when family members use such control tactics, how does it go? Awful. Saying “I’ll make you do what I want!” only drives families apart, because families aren’t about control. Whether Top-Down or Bottom-Up, you can’t run a family like a Collective.
A Family Worthy of Commitment
For all those wanting to control fellow Conservatives, let me remind you of something: Not only do you guarantee failure, but you’re missing the beauty of this family! Do you realize how few Conservatives commit serious crimes? Poll any prison population sometime—almost no Conservatives. And who is America’s best armed group? The NRA. But who commits the fewest gun crimes? The NRA.
What about election fraud? How many Conservatives—Establishment, Libertarian or Tea Party—steal lawn signs? Virtually none. Vote multiple times? Nada. Recruit illegal votes? Zilch. How many Conservatives of any stripe target Liberty groups through the IRS? How many Conservatives—gay or straight—attack religious freedoms? How many use Public Schools to force their values, sex views, or politics on other people’s kids? In each case, virtually none.
While no Conservative is perfect, this family is amazing! Be they fans of Bobby Jindal or Rand Paul or Carly Fiorina or even my least favorite—Jeb Bush—these people are amazing! I am honored to be in this family. Amidst a liberal world that silences me, I’m honored to be heard—and challenged—in this safe haven called “The Right.”
Tough Times in the Family
I remember when John McCain won the 2008 nomination. Consumed with rage, I literally hurt myself kicking an exercise machine. The election was over. Finished. Due to my party’s decision, Barack Obama would not only be president, but would sweep Congress as well.
I was one angry family member.
So what did I do? Leave? Attack the moderates? Call for an overthrow?
No way. After all, had my candidate won the nomination, I would have called on everyone to unify behind him--so could I do any less? That’s what it means to be family—you don’t request what you won’t offer. Besides, if we won’t honor the family’s choice, we’ve no right to compete for it, right? Try saying this during your next disagreement: “Support me if I win, and I’ll support you…if I win.”
So I voted for McCain. His views appalled me, but did I hold my nose? Not at all. I supported him with pride, because for me, it was never about McCain. It was about my family—that remarkable group who took me in and heard my voice. Before choosing McCain, they chose me, and they gave me every chance to persuade them against McCain. I just fell short.
Today, despite our dedication to this family, I understand the distrust many feel:
And of course, everyone thinks everyone else hates the Constitution.
In our frustration, we often issue ultimatums, pressuring fellow Republicans with statements like, “If you don’t follow the Party line, we’ll cut off support,” or “If your guy gets the nomination, we’ll stay home on Election Day.” So it’s Top-Down or Bottom-Up, right? All control techniques.
Threatening the Family
But here’s some hard truth: No matter how good our intentions--I repeat, no matter how good our intentions—power moves, or vowing we won’t help defeat Democrats on Election Day, ARE THREATS—and not veiled ones. Claiming it’s because of “principle” is groundless, as the result (President Hillary) is the most unprincipled outcome imaginable. “Principle” can’t function apart from results, any more than “what I want” can function apart from “what I can afford.”
You can’t sustain a family with control—and only a family beats a Collective. So tell me, traditional GOP leaders, if you wall out Grassroots voices, how does that help the family going forward? Hello? Mississippi? Thad Cochran? Or Grassroots leaders, if you’ll only accept overthrowing the Establishment, then what about their supporters? Will you just tell them to get in line and open their wallets—the very stuff you despised when they did it?
When someone says, “I won’t donate big money unless it’s for Jeb Bush,” or “I’m only here to support Rand Paul—choose anyone else and I leave,” it’s like saying, “I hate this family, unless it serves my purposes.” One might as well say, “Mom and Dad, you’re morons. Now gimme the car keys!”
Lately, many on the Right campaign by threat. Some won’t vote if Cruz wins. Some won’t if it’s Paul. Or Bush. Or…pick a name. And as always, Top-Down power plays enter the process. We’re destroying the family, people.
Remember, whoever wins the GOP nomination—whether Rand or Marco or Ted or Scott or Carly or Ben or anyone else--that person’s supporters will call on all Republicans to “put aside petty differences and unite against Hillary Clinton.” I guarantee it.
This in mind, how can I warn the family, “If you choose someone I don’t like, I’ll overpower you with party control (Top-Down), or abandon you (Bottom-Up)”? How could I threaten the family whose support I seek? How could I treat them like a Collective, but demand they treat me like family?
Family Victory
For a moment, let’s take our eyes off the candidates, including our favorites. Just look at the family. Look closely, past the pettiness borne of today’s anguish. See how impressive they are—despite their faults. For a moment, stop equating them to Democrats, if only because the number of differences makes such equating ludicrous. Let’s step back, accepting reality.
And here it is: We cannot defeat the Collective with divided factions. We can’t afford to tell Libertarians “Just get in line behind us,” without giving them a seat at the table. We can’t afford to wall out the Grassroots with power plays. And we can’t treat the overthrowing of Establishment Republicans as some sort of Valhalla, since the family chose them, too.
Family first, folks. It must be family first—or we’re finished. Today’s Collective is too powerful.
Starting now, will you join me in re-creating the family we’ve destroyed? It’s simple. Next time you’re on Facebook, think, “If my candidate wins the nomination, I’ll want support from the family. So how can I offer the commitment I desire? How can I stop dividing, and start inspiring all parts of the family to a more united future? How can I stop waiting for others to take the first step?
When valued and unleashed, families are more powerful than Collectives. They’re more committed, their gifts are better used, and they’re much more inviting for new members. Best of all, while only the other side can be a Collective, only our side can be a true family.
That’s our edge. That’s our opportunity, if we so choose it. Question is, who will go first?
Put simply, the Democrat Party has become a Collective. A machine. Like Star Trek’s Borg, today’s Democrat leaders control all who come in their path—and they do this through convincing the masses that other people deserve to be controlled.
In desperation, some on the Right push Conservative Collectives. For instance, Establishment types can favor a Top-Down Collective, where everyone gets in line behind traditional leaders. Some Grassroots types favor a Bottom-Up Collective, likewise stifling dissent through power of the crowd. But whether using boardroom power plays or RINO-hunts, both sides forget the big problem: As Individualists, we on the Right can’t be a Collective.
Collectives control people; we free them. Collectives thrive on conformity; we thrive on challenge. Thus, while control rallies the Left, it only splinters the Right. To defeat the Collective, we must unify as something empowering to individuals: We must be a family.
Unlike Collectives, families exist not to control the outside world, but to improve their own. No normal family seeks to “assimilate the Petersons next door,” because control is only used when necessary (like discipline), not as an end in itself. Families are about unleashing individuals, not controlling them—and unleashed people achieve far more than corralled ones. Hence, families are powerful.
“But wait!” you might say. “Families use control! Parents oppress! Kids subvert! Siblings divide!”
Exactly. Tell me, when family members use such control tactics, how does it go? Awful. Saying “I’ll make you do what I want!” only drives families apart, because families aren’t about control. Whether Top-Down or Bottom-Up, you can’t run a family like a Collective.
A Family Worthy of Commitment
For all those wanting to control fellow Conservatives, let me remind you of something: Not only do you guarantee failure, but you’re missing the beauty of this family! Do you realize how few Conservatives commit serious crimes? Poll any prison population sometime—almost no Conservatives. And who is America’s best armed group? The NRA. But who commits the fewest gun crimes? The NRA.
What about election fraud? How many Conservatives—Establishment, Libertarian or Tea Party—steal lawn signs? Virtually none. Vote multiple times? Nada. Recruit illegal votes? Zilch. How many Conservatives of any stripe target Liberty groups through the IRS? How many Conservatives—gay or straight—attack religious freedoms? How many use Public Schools to force their values, sex views, or politics on other people’s kids? In each case, virtually none.
While no Conservative is perfect, this family is amazing! Be they fans of Bobby Jindal or Rand Paul or Carly Fiorina or even my least favorite—Jeb Bush—these people are amazing! I am honored to be in this family. Amidst a liberal world that silences me, I’m honored to be heard—and challenged—in this safe haven called “The Right.”
Tough Times in the Family
I remember when John McCain won the 2008 nomination. Consumed with rage, I literally hurt myself kicking an exercise machine. The election was over. Finished. Due to my party’s decision, Barack Obama would not only be president, but would sweep Congress as well.
I was one angry family member.
So what did I do? Leave? Attack the moderates? Call for an overthrow?
No way. After all, had my candidate won the nomination, I would have called on everyone to unify behind him--so could I do any less? That’s what it means to be family—you don’t request what you won’t offer. Besides, if we won’t honor the family’s choice, we’ve no right to compete for it, right? Try saying this during your next disagreement: “Support me if I win, and I’ll support you…if I win.”
So I voted for McCain. His views appalled me, but did I hold my nose? Not at all. I supported him with pride, because for me, it was never about McCain. It was about my family—that remarkable group who took me in and heard my voice. Before choosing McCain, they chose me, and they gave me every chance to persuade them against McCain. I just fell short.
Today, despite our dedication to this family, I understand the distrust many feel:
- Tea Partiers feel overrun by GOP powerbrokers.
- Traditional Republicans feel undermined by Grassroots activists.
- Libertarian-style Republicans feel ignored, believing the GOP won’t consider their views.
And of course, everyone thinks everyone else hates the Constitution.
In our frustration, we often issue ultimatums, pressuring fellow Republicans with statements like, “If you don’t follow the Party line, we’ll cut off support,” or “If your guy gets the nomination, we’ll stay home on Election Day.” So it’s Top-Down or Bottom-Up, right? All control techniques.
Threatening the Family
But here’s some hard truth: No matter how good our intentions--I repeat, no matter how good our intentions—power moves, or vowing we won’t help defeat Democrats on Election Day, ARE THREATS—and not veiled ones. Claiming it’s because of “principle” is groundless, as the result (President Hillary) is the most unprincipled outcome imaginable. “Principle” can’t function apart from results, any more than “what I want” can function apart from “what I can afford.”
You can’t sustain a family with control—and only a family beats a Collective. So tell me, traditional GOP leaders, if you wall out Grassroots voices, how does that help the family going forward? Hello? Mississippi? Thad Cochran? Or Grassroots leaders, if you’ll only accept overthrowing the Establishment, then what about their supporters? Will you just tell them to get in line and open their wallets—the very stuff you despised when they did it?
When someone says, “I won’t donate big money unless it’s for Jeb Bush,” or “I’m only here to support Rand Paul—choose anyone else and I leave,” it’s like saying, “I hate this family, unless it serves my purposes.” One might as well say, “Mom and Dad, you’re morons. Now gimme the car keys!”
Lately, many on the Right campaign by threat. Some won’t vote if Cruz wins. Some won’t if it’s Paul. Or Bush. Or…pick a name. And as always, Top-Down power plays enter the process. We’re destroying the family, people.
Remember, whoever wins the GOP nomination—whether Rand or Marco or Ted or Scott or Carly or Ben or anyone else--that person’s supporters will call on all Republicans to “put aside petty differences and unite against Hillary Clinton.” I guarantee it.
This in mind, how can I warn the family, “If you choose someone I don’t like, I’ll overpower you with party control (Top-Down), or abandon you (Bottom-Up)”? How could I threaten the family whose support I seek? How could I treat them like a Collective, but demand they treat me like family?
Family Victory
For a moment, let’s take our eyes off the candidates, including our favorites. Just look at the family. Look closely, past the pettiness borne of today’s anguish. See how impressive they are—despite their faults. For a moment, stop equating them to Democrats, if only because the number of differences makes such equating ludicrous. Let’s step back, accepting reality.
And here it is: We cannot defeat the Collective with divided factions. We can’t afford to tell Libertarians “Just get in line behind us,” without giving them a seat at the table. We can’t afford to wall out the Grassroots with power plays. And we can’t treat the overthrowing of Establishment Republicans as some sort of Valhalla, since the family chose them, too.
Family first, folks. It must be family first—or we’re finished. Today’s Collective is too powerful.
Starting now, will you join me in re-creating the family we’ve destroyed? It’s simple. Next time you’re on Facebook, think, “If my candidate wins the nomination, I’ll want support from the family. So how can I offer the commitment I desire? How can I stop dividing, and start inspiring all parts of the family to a more united future? How can I stop waiting for others to take the first step?
When valued and unleashed, families are more powerful than Collectives. They’re more committed, their gifts are better used, and they’re much more inviting for new members. Best of all, while only the other side can be a Collective, only our side can be a true family.
That’s our edge. That’s our opportunity, if we so choose it. Question is, who will go first?
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