Filmer, a commenter on
this post, writes:
Part of the reason it is a PR minefield is because we allow it
to be. We play by their PC rules. How does that change until
someone takes the first step to buck those rigged rules?
The "Magic Negro" guy was Saltsman, not Dawson.
I've heard this argument before Filmer -- lots of our commenters
say it. The basic point that we should be arguing "X"
conservative principle, but we're too afraid to because it's not
politically correct and the liberal establishment prohibits
us. If only we could get a little braver, we could make
these arguments, and do so in a way that will resonate with most
Americans.
This is absurd. Does the person on welfare suddenly realize how
terrible welfare is when you explain to him that the Constitution
didn't explicitly allow Congress to do this? Did black people
suddenly repudiate Martin Luther King, Jr. when others criticized
him for being a socialist?
Media, whether liberal or not, has become a world of identity
politics and a need for bullet points. When conservatives respond
to this by puffing on pipes and adjusting suspenders and bowties,
they send the message that they are unwilling to modernize. You
don't get people on your side by being a fuddy-duddy, and you
don't bludgeon the other side by becoming a caricature of
yourself. Of course principle should lead the way, but what
battles should you fight? Picking your battles is a necessity in
war -- should everything be a Pickett's charge?
UPDATE: Actually, come to think of it, it's sort of like that old
definition of insanity. When the battlefield changes, tactics
need to change too. And sometimes, leadership needs changing too.
