Declare we Care: Deconstructing the Left's Fundamental Attraction

We Conservatives fail to capture the hearts and minds of too many voters because we do not declare ourselves to be caring. And why shouldn't we declare we care? We are caring. And, we are Conservatives because we are caring.

We have no time to spare. We must succeed in attracting the hearts and minds of all Americans who agree with our message but remain unresponsive to our marketing. We now face an electorate bolstered by 3.5 million new Democrat voters--newly legalized residents - each possessing a valid driver's license and Social Security number. "Caring" sells. Conservatives can declare they are caring--and prove it. Our most cherished principles - inalienable rights, Constitutionalism, belief in a Creator, reason, historical perspective, make it clear we Conservatives are committed to helping our fellow man and helping society, above all else. Yet, we do not declare ourselves to be caring. And Conservatives possess something far more valuable than merely rights to a declaration of caring. Unlike the Liberal, the Conservative can prove he or she is caring. It is especially easy to do: The Conservative works for the implementation of ideas and solutions tested and winnowed over the last 5,000 years. The Conservative's ideas are based in logic and evidence, and they are proven to work whenever they are tried. And the Conservative's ideas, akin to Adam Smith's Invisible Hand, help more people, more of the time, and more than anything else--ever. How sad it is we Conservatives do not present our intentions at the very outset: "We truly care, deeply care, about 'the least of these,' about every single person in our society, about how to benefit every single person in our society."

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In failing to declare ourselves caring we cede to the Liberal a profound rhetorical advantage. The Liberal does not hesitate to declare himself caring, to proclaim each of his 'solutions' to be founded upon caring, and to accept no blame when his 'solutions' cause profound misery--because he is nonetheless caring and well-intentioned. Again and again the Left presumes upon caring, drawing sustenance from the desire of almost everyone to "be a good person," to help one's fellow man. This presumption of "caring" is the Fundamental Attraction of Liberalism. Because of this the average person is understandably drawn to Liberalism--and why shouldn't they be? Liberalism flies the only banner declaring it is caring, declaring its good intentions. On this battlefield we conservatives are misled by the presumption our fellows should be drawn to our banner because we are right. Unfortunately, in a flawed universe, words speak louder than actions. Being "right" can be threatening. Being "caring" is universally appealing. So why not declare ourselves and our philosophy to be founded upon caring? Is doing so unseemly? Pandering? Immodest? Who cares? It is true--our philosophy is based upon our fundamental care for our fellow man. For some reason, however, we Conservatives never attack with our caring. We attack with words, arguments, reason. None of these can be articulated within a five second sound bite. None can be deployed effectively within the constraints of a "discussion" on This Week, or Meet the Press. And, even when we are fortunate enough to inhabit a forum in which we can discredit whatever Liberal tripe has been disgorged, time almost never permits us to establish the crucial linkage to our fundamental principles. Declaring we are caring promises to break through these limitations, to defeat the sound bite. Declaring we are caring directly and indirectly rebuts the presumption we do not. It seizes for us the higher ground and slaps Liberal theology in the face. And it is true. Declaring we are caring is far more likely to win the hearts of our fellows than proving we are right. And, in winning their hearts, our explanations will eventually win their minds. All we need do is declare we care. And we will win.