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Socons Stop Listening To The Media's Negativity
Monday, October 30, 2006
When should you stop listening to the media? Answer: when the media starts parroting the arguments of your opponents in an all-out effort to dissuade conservatives from lobbying their government or from showing up to vote on Election Day. Case in point. In the US, the drive-by media has been assailing social conservatives who traditionally vote Republican with arguments that Democrats generally use. Ever since the Mark Foley scandal broke, the national media has been pelting socons with messages of doom and gloom.
The basic thrust of their message is designed to dissuade socons from voting on Election Day because, "You're just going to lose anyway." Up here in Canada the situation is no different. At Tuesday's National Marriage Caucus event, the Canadian national media was all over us, peppering us with questions about the so-called hopelessness of our cause. The CBC reporters repeatedly badgered me with:
What both the US and Canadian examples demonstrate is how far off the beaten path the national media has ventured from their professional objective. Instead of reporting the facts and events, the media in both countries are in fact advancing the arguments of our political opponents. You'd think that the media would be ecstatic about the political fervour that's brewing in Ottawa-and in the US. You'd think they'd be ecstatic about the controversy and political tension-after all it gives them a reason to exist. It gives them something to write about. Instead the media spends an inordinate amount of time parroting the message of our opponents in an attempt to keep us home and disengaged-proving once again that in most cases the national media is in fact our opponent. So how are we to handle this kind of reporting? First, socons need to be clear-headed. We do not take our marching orders from the national media. There is nothing our opponents want more then for us to give up now, when there is still an opportunity. In the US they want socons to stay home and punish the Republicans so that Democrats will actually have a shot at winning the Congress and Senate. In Canada our opponents want us to say nothing, do nothing and pressure no one, so that Bill C-38 will remain the law of the land. The tactic is the same. Go negative and deflate socon resolve. Second, socons need to have greater confidence in the cause. Our opponents know that our side has far more potential. Real marriage is a win-win election issue and they know that. But too often we let the media determine our outlook and define our reality. And the media knows this too, which is why they are spending so much airtime, ink and paper propagandizing us with the "hopelessness of the situation" rhetoric. If they can convince us that the situation is hopeless and keep us at bay, then they will have accomplished their objective. Third, socons need to understand that politics is fluid. No one can divine the outcome of the Nov 6 US elections and neither can they determine the outcome of the free vote in the House of Commons. The situation is just too tenuous and it is constantly changing. In upstate New York, Republican Congressman, Tom Reynolds was all but written off a few weeks ago, because of his close association with Mark Foley. But since the October snowstorm that hit Buffalo last week, knocking out power to 1/2 million homes and businesses for an entire week, Jack Davis, the Democratic contender for Tom's seat, is suddenly persona non grata. Who could have predicted that a freak storm could possibly save a Republican? Here at home Harper's Conservatives have told us they are dedicated to the free vote sometime in December. In politics, that is a lifetime away. And anything is possible-especially if we stay engaged and stay the course. There are all kinds of legitimate reasons, and, as well as excuses, that MPs can use to avoid the House when they don't want to vote. With enough pressure on some particular MPs-namely in the Bloq-our opponents may not have the numbers when it counts. It is also possible that another delay will occur, pushing the vote off the Parliamentary schedule-possibly indefinitely (which means we can revisit it when there is a favorable majority government in place). And our responsible arguments may even still win over a few more MPs to the right side of this issue. And who knows-a freak storm may yet hit Ottawa and keep the opposition MPs away. Neither Liberals, nor Democrats, nor the national media control all the variables that could impact the upcoming election. Hubris does not win elections. But if we listen to our opponents-then we are sure to give in and give up. We would do well to learn from their own determination-because back in the early 70's, the homosexual lobby was told in the strictest possible terms that they would never achieve social acceptance-never-did they listen? Now that the tide has changed should we listen to them? Nothing is hopeless. When the media pelts us with negative messages, we know it's time to tune them out, turn them off and stay the course.
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