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Why Aren’t Republicans “Making Noise?”

Submitted by Aaron Marks on Thu, 03/19/2009 - 16:14

Kudos to people who are busy doing something. - Jon Henke

It has now been 135 days since Barack Obama was elected President of the United States. Since that time, the talk in the Republican Party has generally revolved around the notion of “catching up” — be it catching up in fundraising, in our use of technology, or as I’ve argued, the way that we take advantage of peer production. Earlier today, Gary Andres makes a very important argument that relates to the ongoing public debate over Obama’s agenda. Gary writes:

I call it “making noise,” so that those normally not paying much attention to politics sit up and listen. … Less politically engaged Americans tend to hear the “loudest voice in the cafeteria.” These efforts by liberal organizations and Democrats help project the White House agenda to this often hard to reach, but key constituency.

Gary is darn right about this, but it seems that no one is asking the question that naturally follows:

if the GOP is striving to "catch up," why do Republicans seem to be doing nothing to make their own noise? Our activists are at least as fired up as the left by the President’s outrageous $4 trillion budget and his other agendas. So then, why aren’t we engaging our activists to make even more noise than the left?

Although the grassroots tools being used by the left are sophisticated, they are certainly not unable to be replicated; in fact, my company offers a solution that includes an Action Center with many of the same tools — phone calls, contacting elected officials, contacting the media, and more. So today I make this proposition: in recognition that this is a battle that Republicans must win, Three Group will provide its Action Center to the RNC or another high-impact national organization that wants to defeat the President’s grotesque spending cost-free. We’d only ask for the organization to cover our expenses for hosting the server. We’re not making this offer this to promote our product; we’re offering this because we are worried about the future of our party and our country, because we've spent too much time losing and it is time that we finally start winning again.

Let’s take this opportunity to engage our activists, be the “loudest voice in the cafeteria,” and ultimately win these crucial legislative battles by winning over public opinion. We cannot afford to wait and hand another victory to the Democrats. If someone wants to help make this a reality, please contact me by visiting my personal website, AaronMarks.net.

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Comments

ideological rift

Submitted by cr on Fri, 03/20/2009 - 06:48.

No one is making noise because:

     1) few outside the choir want to hear the noise republicans are making. On the spending front, Republicans don't sound credible. Obama outragious? What about the last eight previous years? People are giving Obama a chance, and so they should. Reps bitched about Dems never giving Bush a chance . . . when after 9/11 (despite losing the popular election) they did.

     2) there's the ideological rift between the Rush Republicans and us "elitists". (Although, I'm liberarian.) It's hard to make noise to the people when you're shouting at each other.

You're a librarian?

Submitted by Mick Stockinger on Fri, 03/20/2009 - 11:08.

I think you should explain the nature of the rift.  What is the nature of your disagreement with Rush?

More personal than philosphical

Submitted by cr on Mon, 03/23/2009 - 08:00.

Well, there's not shortage of comments on Rush and the Party and the rift so I need not go into that. However, briefly, it's a matter of a lack of respect for him. I may disagree with a Buckley, a Kissenger, a G. Will, but I always respect them. I may agree occasionally with Rush, but I never respect him. He's an odious person who happens to be right sometime.

And as I often say, he just a guy. It's free world, he's just talking, noone's breaking the law. But it is sad that he is the most prominent voice of the right, right now.

Conflict of interest?

Submitted by lgm on Fri, 03/20/2009 - 08:46.

Many posts on this blog promote specific products of services.  Without disclaimers, it seems that the authors stand to gain economically from the strategies they are pushing here. 

Thisi blog should have a disclosure policy to prevent this, or at least to require full disclosure. 

Choirs Need Choristers

Submitted by Mick Stockinger on Fri, 03/20/2009 - 10:37.

Democrats are good a making noise--they have lots of friendly media outlets willing to extend a forum for noisemaking.  Nevertheless, this Politico article reflects on Obama's struggles to communicate his message effectively.  Obama is everywhere these days, teleprompted to within an inch of his life, and still--no joy.

Apparently its not noise that's wanted, but message discipline.

Obama’s message on the economy has been as volatile as the stock market itself. When he needed public support for his stimulus plan, he spoke in stark and gloomy terms.

“The picture is likely to get worse before it gets better,” he said in his weekly address on Jan. 31. “Americans know that our economic recovery will take years — not months.”

That was too dark, in the eyes of many Democrats and the markets.

So once the stimulus passed — and criticism of his bummer message mounted — he shifted to a more optimistic take on the economy, at one point encouraging people to consider hopping back into the market. That was seen as too bright.

This week has seen a mix of both sunshine and clouds, including Vice President Joe Biden’s warning that Obama inherited a worse economy than Franklin D. Roosevelt did, when the country was facing 25 percent employment and the economy stayed weak for a dozen years.

Is it a good time to invest, as Obama opined last month, or a good time to run for the hills? Billionaire investor Warren Buffett told CNBC the government needs to be clearer about whether people should be confident or fearful: “It’s the nature of the political process, somewhat, but we’ve had muddled messages.”

Which brings us to Republicans--I'm hearing as much if not more "noise" as I always have.  Talk Radio is ablaze, the blogs are churning, people are talking in the streets, but to get resonance, one must have sympathetic vibrations--in other words, everybody singing from the same song book.

We don't need more noise, we need more leadership, more ideological or at least message harmony.

Since we're not going to have a political leader emerge for at least a couple of years or more, its becomes exceptionally important for conservatives to talk to each other and come to a consensus.  I decided to participate on this site for that very reason--its democratic, well-trafficked and as good a place as any to have your say as well as consider the views of others.

Romney is looking better . . .

Submitted by cr on Fri, 03/20/2009 - 10:44.

I figure Romney dropped out of 08 to let McCain atone for the sins of the past. He said he wouldn't run on L King, but . . . you know how that goes. I just don't see anyone else at this point. I think after Obama Reps will let go of the mormon thing. And depending on the next year, he may wait until '16.

then was a good time to invest

Submitted by RisingTide on Fri, 03/20/2009 - 10:56.

now is a sucker's rally (so try and catch the falling knives!)

Now they want noise when before it was "Shut up!"

Submitted by Joe C. on Sat, 03/21/2009 - 07:04.

The Conservatives have been "making noise" for the last 5+ years, but no one would listen -- least of all the Republican Party. I find it ironic that while this site asks "Why Aren’t Republicans 'Making Noise?'” Several on this same site wish to squelch the "noisemakers" for being too loud. As the political and electoral strategy designed by Republican "moderates" plays out -- i.e. become Democrat and Media punching bag, spend money, lose elections -- people are already starting to listen (again) to the noisemakers that were consistently right all along, and prescient about an Obama Administration as incompetent ultraleftists (redundant, I know) and the Teleprompter-in-Chief as an unqualified empty suit.

Anyone else changing their minds about wanting Doh!-bama to fail? 'Cuz he's actually succeeding now. What is happening is going exactly as planned (and predicted); but y'all didn't want to believe it or didn't mind.