Convincing the Uninformed

 

 

In the land of the blind, even a one eyed man can be King...

I remember clearly when I was a young boy and found out there was no Santa Claus. It was my older sister who spilled the beans. It was one of the worst days of my young life. This man in the red suit, this man who I wrote countless letters to, this man who gave me something for nothing, was just a myth. The reality was all these presents I received were bought and paid for by my parents.

Every time we drive into Minneapolis, I feel as if I am on another planet. Everything is different from where we live. The thing which is the most different, is the politics. It is a dark, dark blue whereas the county I live in is solid red. It is not so much the fact these people monolithically vote time after time for Democrats, it is the fact that many don't know why.

Republicans tend to be much harder on their candidates. Some say much too hard. So hard it can work against us during general elections. Democrats on the other hand ,are peppered with "Yellow Dogs". "Yellow Dogs" are people who will vote for any Democrat, even if the candidate is a yellow dog.

To be fair, there are some who vote in Minneapolis who are informed. Misguided, but informed. However, there are legions who are not. Some refer to them as the "low information" crowd. Others, go one step further, and call them "no information" voters. And therein lies the challenge.

How do we crack this nut? How do we get through to voters who have been brainwashed? How do we convince voters there is another way which actually works better? Basically, how do we convince adults who vote there is no Santa Claus.

Just like when I was a lad and found out that Santa was really my Dad, I adapted. The giver of gifts remained the same, but my attitude needed to change. If I was good, did my chores, and stayed out of trouble, Christmas Eve would be a time of joy and presents. I was aware these presents did not come from the North Pole - they came from Dayton's, paid for by my Mom and Dad.

The same needs to be true for the uninformed voters in the cities. None of us get things for free. Everything has a price and a cost. Many "blue" voters keep voting for the same old policies which have kept them in poverty. The snake oil never gets old. People just keep taking it, listening to the empty promises given to them by the sales team.

One of the problems the Republicans have is most are very poor liars. They tend to tell people the truth. They come off as Mr. and Mrs. Rain Cloud. When they tell the believers there is no Santa Clause, they are rejected. But the story needs to be told. Exceptional cities, states and countries become such because they are reality based. Work ethic. Right-sized taxes and government. Civic involvement.

What am I saying? Stay the course. Understand what we are up against. The other side has liars and story tellers. People hunger for the truth. Share the truth, even if it is painful to some. Santa Claus may not exist, but the spirit of giving does. We need to give all people, the growth and opportunity they deserve. They won't get that from a make believe Santa Claus, they will only get it by joining us.