Liberals and conservatives are united on one thing — they are unhappy.
They are depressed about the debt deal. They are angry with the politicians who compromised (or got rolled). And they are saddened by the general state of our nation.
But there’s an easy solution. For those who believe elections are a panacea, change is always just around the corner. All you have to do is elect new politicians, right? (“I can see November from my house!”)
While being involved in the democratic process is, of course, perfectly noble, here’s the rub: Electing new politicians won’t solve your long-term problems unless the public ultimately buys into your solutions. (And, by the way, winning one election doesn’t mean the public granted you a mandate.)
Margaret Thatcher was spot-on when she said: “First, you win the argument, then you win the vote.” Yet who since Reagan has effectively educated and persuaded the public of his ideas before trying to implement them?
We change politicians in order to change Washington — but nobody ever thinks about changing minds.
Liberal blogger Greg Sargent hinted at this when, lamenting how Tea Party-aligned freshmen outmaneuvered Democrats on the debt deal, he wrote, “… it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that the public is reflexively disposed to agree with the GOP’s economic worldview, and is all-too-willing to blame government for our economic doldrums.”
The point is that Democrats were essentially destined to lose the negotiations — not because they weren’t right or smart or tough enough (as many liberal activists would argue) — but because the public had largely made up its mind. This principle, of course, is philosophically neutral. Conservatives, likewise, often find themselves destined to lose battles before they begin.
Ultimately, when it comes to changing public policy, the public’s worldview is a dramatically underrated factor. Culture is more important than politics. Rather than complaining or simply hoping the next election will solve everything, political leaders and activists ought to spend a lot more time winning hearts and minds.