By MacKenzie Dreeszen
Central Iowa Conservative Activist
Our country is called the United States of America for a reason. After all, who would voluntarily name their country The Divided States of America? However, I feel as though our nation is becoming more and more fragmented. Not necessarily the states against each other, but American people against other American people who do not share their views. Under President Obama, we have become class versus class, gender against gender, races pitted against each other, and a widening abyss between young and old.
Unlike our President, Republicans instead have focused on uniting all people. We believe that all Americans should have equal opportunities, and we show this in our practices of getting government out of the way so that everyone has the freedom to seek their own fortune and happiness, whatever their definition may be. While we have a rich array of viewpoints within the Republican party, at the end of the day, we are still a united front. In spite of our variety, we stand together, which is the beauty of our party. Unfortunately, we still have some work to do in communicating this message to voters. We fall prey to the Liberal language of division, and it holds us back from reaching our full potential.
A term that the Left loves to use all day long is “The Middle Class.” A survey found that if you ask people which party they associate with “The Middle Class,” about 60% will tell you that they think of the Democrats. However, if you ask people which party is better for the “Hard-Working Tax Payer, the same percentage will tell you that the Republicans come to mind. It is inaccurately assumed that the Democrats are the Party of the Poor, and the Republicans are the Party of the Rich. So when the Democrats say, “We are going to help the poor and the middle class,” people interpret their message as, “Screw the rich!” However, when Republicans say that they want to improve life for the middle class, since people associate us with the wealthy already, many people summarize that if we are the party of the rich and the middle class and that we want to “Screw the poor!”
While this conclusion is incorrect, this is what many individuals will assume, even if they are wrong. Therefore, we have to stop using the buzz words of the Liberals. Historically, we are the party of equality for all, and we need to convey that message by changing our dialogue so that we are speaking our own language. School choice can be framed as “Equality in education.” Eliminating subsidies can be phrased as “Equality in the marketplace.” Reducing the number of cumbersome regulations is “Equality in the economy.” The list goes on, but I truly believe that we can, and will win, when we start emphasizing that we are the real party of equality. By spreading our message of equality, we will promote unity not just in our party, but in our country as a whole.
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MacKenzie Dreeszen is a graduate of Cornell College and a resident of West Des Moines. She does fundraising for the Republican Party of Polk County.
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