Presidents Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump are some of the most beloved figures in the Republican Party. Interestingly, both were initially Democrats. Could it be that the future saviors of the Republican Party also come from the Democratic Party?
Conservatives v Liberals
Psychological research shows that people of different political persuasions also differ in personality traits. Conservatives tend to be conscientious, ordered, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, averse to change. By contrast, liberals are often open-minded and actively seek change and variation. These differences could explain why the Republican Party throughout its history has proven ineffective. For decades, conservatives have passively accepted any narrative change by the left.
For instance, in the latter half of the 20th century, leftists changed the term liberal to include ever more progressive talking points. In response to this, conservative radio pundit Rush Limbaugh turned liberal into a slur on the right. But why did he not try to conserve the original sense of liberalism? Why did he blindly accept the progressive hijacking of the term?
Perhaps the answer is that this is one of the weaknesses of conservatives: They are blind to language manipulation. They passively react and respond.
Reagan and Trump
Both Reagan and Trump had the skill of taking command of the narrative. When ABC News reporter Sam Donaldson asked Reagan if any of the blame for the recession belonged to the president, he responded, “yes, because for many years I was a Democrat.”
Similarly, Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly told Trump that he had called women fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals, to which he replied, “only Rosie O’Donnell.”
If Reagan and Trump had been conservatives, they would probably have apologized and made excuses. With a liberal background, they instead looked for creative solutions and fought hard. Could this be why they were so successful as politicians?
The Walkaway Movement
Despite the weakness, passivity, cowardice, and ineffectiveness of many conservatives, the right has attracted many powerful voices formerly on the left. People like Andrew Klavan, Dave Rubin, and Evan Sayet are notable media personalities that provide a thorough opposition to the left.
Dr. Jordan Peterson was a socialist in his youth and scores high on the openness trait, often associated with a liberal persuasion. Still, Peterson has revived interest in Christianity and conservative principles through his lectures.
[youtube-subscribe align=”left”] The Walkaway Movement has done more than most conservatives to convince people to leave the Democratic Party. Many of the people who walked away and voted for Trump self-identify as liberal.
One of them is Dr. Karlyn Borysenko. She is a former Democrat who has brought grit and the will to fight to the Republican Party. Her focus is to combat critical race theory, and her effort is currently instrumental in passing a bill in New Hampshire to prevent the racist ideology of the left from being taught in government institutions.
Republicans hold the majority in the state legislature, so if the bill fails to pass, it will only be due to the scourge of conservative cowardice.
A New Reagan?
Currently, no new Reagan has emerged as a candidate to continue the fighter attitude of Trump. However, if history is a guide, we should expect such a person to come from the left.
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Read more from Caroline Adana.
