Embracing the “Extreme”

Republicans have a golden opportunity to turn the political table on Democrats who have labeled them as “extreme,” after Rep. Paul Ryan submitted his budget. The term extreme has always been a successful political weapon used by Democrats to attack Republicans on everything from social issues to taxes and conservative economic policies.

But the timing has never been more perfect for Republicans to take a page out of the Democrat playbook and co-opt the term extreme and use it to their benefit going into the 2012 elections. By comparing President Obama’s recent budget and status quo economic plans to deal with America’s impending debt crisis, to someone using a scalpel to try and cut down an oak tree, the Republicans finally have a chance to define the term extreme in a positive context. By reminding the American people that extreme circumstances often call for extreme measures, Republicans can embrace the positive aspects of extreme; especially when President Obama’s hand-picked Debt Commission also called for extreme measures as part of the solution to save an American economy about to go over a cliff. But for the co-opt strategy to work, the Republicans must ground their message in the historical context of our great nation; when courageous leaders, faced with extreme circumstances, embraced extreme measures as a solution, and where several times those extreme measures actually saved our republic. Declaring our independence from England tops the list of extreme measures for a very young America. Knowing full well it would lead to all-out war and cost many lives, brave American leaders embraced the extreme, did what needed to be done, and eventually built the most free and powerful nation on earth. President Lincoln, faced with extreme circumstances, also embraced the extreme, by taking up arms against fellow Americans for the cause of liberty and freedom. Engaging in a civil war to preserve the union at a cost of 620,000 American lives gave a whole new meaning to embracing the extreme. In that trying and dark time in America’s history, a courageous President Lincoln knew that embracing the extreme far outweighed the cost of doing nothing. With America facing the extreme circumstance of an impending economic disaster, will Republican leaders continue to cower in fear and weakness in the face of Democrat political demagoguery, or will they muster the courage to embrace the extreme and do what ever it takes to save our beloved country?

Neil Braithwaite——Bio and Archives

Neil Braithwaite writes political commentary and satire.