With Democrats and their liberal/progressive/socialist ideological adherents installed in high political offices in Maine and the nation, conservative Republicans might be feeling a little low as we find ourselves in the opening days of a Biden administration that promises to change America as we’ve known it.
John Balentine, a former managing editor for the Lakes Region Weekly, lives in Windham.
Have no fear; all hope is not lost for those who love freedom more than security and hope to restore fiscal sanity, personal responsibility and self-reliance as foundational American principles.
Conservatives have plenty to be proud of and plenty to look forward to. Rather than whine and moan about Trump’s loss, Georgia’s failed run-offs and still-unresolved questions surrounding 2020’s election results, here’s a list of action items individual conservatives can take to keep conservatism’s eternal flame burning bright:
• Run for local or state office. They say all politics is local, so rather than complain about problems, be the solution. As a news reporter for 15 years I got to know many local politicians. They’re just normal people. You don’t have to be a great orator. You can be an ordinary, average guy or gal. Trump taught us that the electorate trusts and admires political outsiders. Take the plunge, and if enough conservatives gain office, they can turn the tide together.
• Donate to local conservative candidates. If you can’t run yourself, help other conservatives by donating time or money.
• Write letters to the editor and, if you enjoy social media platforms, engage on Twitter and Facebook.
• Speaking of the media, boycott anti-conservative outlets and support unbiased or pro-conservative ones. Don’t support newspapers or TV stations or online platforms and websites you deem blatantly anti-conservative. I won’t name names but there are plenty of choices of where to find the news, so choose wisely.
• Engage friends, relatives and co-workers (when appropriate, obviously) regarding conservative principles. Political discussions need not be divisive. Plus, these challenging discussions will help hone your own beliefs.
• Demand election security. Many wonder if mail-in votes manipulated 2020 election results. We’ll probably never get a solid answer on this, but all can agree that election security can be improved. Let’s get it done before another election occurs.
• Join your local Republican Party committee. A lone conservative is a lonely conservative. And don’t give in to the idea of breaking up the Grand Old Party, which will merely split the conservative vote and ensure Democrat victories in perpetuity.
• Bone up on your conservative studies from yesteryear’s sages and today’s pundits because well-equipped conservatives need a ready and rational defense for their beliefs. Read Milton Friedman, William F. Buckley and Ronald Reagan. Listen to Matt Gagnon on the WGAN Morning Show, followed by Hugh Hewitt, Rush Limbaugh, Howie Carr and Mark Levin. Watch Fox News, OAN and Newsmax.
• Act like a lobbyist by calling your senator and representative regarding pending legislation.
• Always be looking forward to the next election rather than fretting over the failures of the last. Democratic principles of appeasing geopolitical bullies, embracing the politics of victimhood and taxing and spending their way out of problems eventually fail and require Republicans to swoop in and rescue the damsel Lady Liberty in distress.
• Lastly, trust the American or Maine voter, who inevitably comes back to the common sense and winning sensibilities of the Republican Party. Well-meaning voters can be forgiven for mistakenly trusting the utopian visions put forth by Democrats, but as Winston Churchill is reputed to have said, “You can always count on Americans to do the right thing – after they’ve exhausted all other possibilities.”
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