Hawkeye Review

The "Original Architect" Part 4

  

             

Here's a new paradigm for Iowa -

People are the party!

Servant leadership and listening to voters is the one-two punch that will foster dramatic growth and bring us to our "breakthrough" catalyst that produces a ground swell of the grass roots!

We're going to tie this all together today.  We've outlined the brilliance of Abraham Lincoln and his reputation for consummate management of his campaigns at the local level. We've talked about the importance of  practicing fundamentals, keeping it simple and putting emphasis at the precinct level to rebuild our party.

Has it occurred to you how various campaigns and organizations have tried to "OWN" the electorate before elections?  On a scale of 1 to 10, just well have we collaborated with each other?  Not well!

Central Committees with local candidates - Candidates for governor with legislative candidates - State Party officials with local grass roots volunteers - Caucus or Presidential field staff with anyone?

Get the point? - Politics in Iowa has taken on a "King of the Hill" mentality and it seems like someone's always getting knocked off their perch...all at the expense of the Republican Party! This ownership mentality has done much to poison our local grass roots volunteers because of one destructive behavior: "Do what we tell you - only what we tell you - don't help anyone else!" 

We don't "own" anyone. Republican activists will certainly mobilize around an exciting candidate, especially for the top of the ticket races, but we've basically divided ourselves into like minded groups and the astonishing result....we've become our own enemy!

Primaries and Caucus related events are key pieces of evidence to support this claim.

I don't want to diverge from my key point today, however I will post an essay about the party in-fighting here in Iowa sometime in the near future. Back to my point, "ownership."

Keeping the grass roots strong and vibrant will require servant leadership that "TRUSTS" the voters.

That's the power of the precinct, the voter owns the process and because of this, they stay engaged over the long term, not just the "brief campaign cycles" where they get "worked and disposed of" like a used tissue! 

Examine personal, interpersonal dynamics. How beloved and trusted is an effective precinct captain with his neighbors compared to "the campaign kid" dispatched from the local "HQ" to collaborate with voters?  Let me assure you there's no comparison. So why do we continue to use a non functioning model ad nausea, cycle after cycle? That's the classic definition of insanity, "doing the same thing over and over again and...expecting a different result!"

"If we build it - they will come."

The Original Architect - Part 3

Welcome back...In parts 1 & 2 of this series, I've established my theory that the most durable and effective way to return conservatives to power is to apply the basic fundamentals of precinct development and management here in Iowa's 1781 precincts. (Those who Emailed to thank me for being wrong, need to research Washington County Iowa, where the Supervisors reduced precincts prior to the last caucus)

Additionally, I lamented that the 1-2-3 punch of direct mail, TV and Robo calls is an enormous waste of money and message. Iowan's have been conditioned to "ignore" this noise, we can increase our results multi-fold with a fraction of the investment!

Talk all you want about Twitter and technologies, but I stand firm on my argument that technology won't win elections, relationships will! 

Using new technologies to create relationships and enhance the conservative grass roots is our future.

What's different in precincts today?  This is an important distinction for you to know. At the founding of our country, neighbors were the firemen, police force and doctor. We were an agrarian society. When the King's soldiers attempted to put down the "Revolution," neighbors became "Patriots" and defended family and country at the risk and reality of their own death. When a family patriarch died defending his "Parrish," the remaining community would gather in unity to support the widow, bring in the crop and sustain the honor of the family. 

I challenge you to find a stronger political bond than the earliest "precincts" that glued our 13 colonies into the United States of America?

The Original Architect: Part 2

Yesterday, I concluded Part 1 of "The Original Architect" with the term: Occum's Razor. 

Ockham's Razor dates back to the fourteenth century and a man named William of Ockham. "Pluralitas non est ponenda sine neccesitate'', which translates as ``entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily''.  Let's translate this even more...

"The simplest solution to a complex problem is probably correct."

For all you chemistry geeks who were thrilled with my "atomic metaphors" yesterday, I hate to disappoint you, but we're taking a hard right turn into sports metaphors today...

You could spend the next month searching the Internet for answers to the conservative "conundrum" that many say exists. Sure, the pundits and pros alike all seem to have their own prescription to remedy our demise from power, but this is certain; no one strategy has been universally accepted as the path back to the political "promised land!"

Now we can apply Occum's razor: The simplest solution is usually correct...(Heard of the KISS principle?)

This isn't glamorous, it's not new and improved, and if we're really careful, you won't hear Billy Mays as spokes dude for any candidates in our lifetime!

This is where FUNDAMENTALS come into play and enter stage left, a powerful sports metaphor...

The Original "Architect"

This man...

was clearly head and shoulders above most men. His wit and attention to detail is what legends are made of.  He possessed an incredible ability to cram and retain volumes of information, details, metrics, and all things critical to winning elections! This was a self-taught man who read voraciously since youth and learned extensively with what many considered to be a photographic memory.  He was long credited for understanding large blocks of voter information and demographics down to the very block within a precinct. When others would have to defer to reference materials, this man would simply reach into his mind and produce accurate and substantial detail about the voters and the upcoming election.

He is clearly credited with the formation of election management at the precinct level and politicians would seek him out from far and wide for his specific counsel and intellect.  He was indeed an "architect!"

Karl Rove of course?   Actually no - join me below the fold and I'll explain...

The Presidents we Honor...words of wisdom

 

  "We began a contest for liberty ill provided with the means for the war, relying on our patriotism to supply the deficiency. We expected to encounter many wants and distressed… we must bear the present evils and fortitude…" -- George Washington in 1781

 

"If by the mere force of number a majority should deprive a minority of any clearly written constitutional right, it might, in a moral point of view, justify revolution."   Abraham Lincoln

The 12 Days of Lincoln Day 5 - Keep Searching Until You Find Your "Grant"

For the first time since I've started this site, I reveal myself to be a Cedar Rapids flood victim...

I made the strategic decision and moved my business to downtown Cedar Rapids last May 3rd. (100 yards from the banks of the Cedar River) I congratulated myself and by all appearances; this was a brilliant move and my growing business was well positioned to thrive. Long story short, it was a total loss.

Friday, June 13th changed the lives of countless Iowans, including your Editor/Publisher.

Having set the table with your ability to appreciate "my perspective" on this; I must confess how offended I was last Monday to watch the ceremonial "pomposity" of our Governor signing the flood relief bill, exactly 236 days, or 8 1/2 months since that fateful June day. On September 17th, Governor Culver stood in our flood ravaged community and "pledged speed and simplicity" in his proposed $40 million dollar flood relief package.  So you'll forgive me won't you for taking great offense to their boastful, proud accomplishments and legislative achievement? 

Governor, you were afforded the chance to lead and you failed us.

Even then, I thought the "Iowa way" is not to be overly partisan and critical.  Give the process and the Governor one more chance.  Well that lasted exactly one day. Governor Culver was speaking to a group of students at which time he proclaimed the Iowa Power Fund Project his number one priority...

Really Governor?  Would you care to make a retraction; on behalf of the thousands of Iowans who have no place to call "home" and live day to day with no certainty of a chance to rebuild their lives?

Today, I begin the search for a new general:  We will learn together with Abraham Lincoln...

The 12 Days of Lincoln - Day Four - Humor is indeed a great tonic...

It took me 15 minutes to convince my middle school son that Lincoln did actually smile and despite the limited photographic record, he was revered for his canny ability to bring tears to the cheeks of even the most somber members of his audience.

In the midst of crisis and despair, Lincoln was known for drawing a gathering to yarn out a few tall tales and the occasional "off color" joke.  Since it's almost Friday, let's pull up a stool and listen in...

Lincoln enjoyed regaling the era of the revolutionary war and one of his favorite tales was about one of our founding fathers,  Ethan Allen, an American Revolutionary War hero, who went to England after the war was over and stayed at an Englishman's house. This Englishman was for sure a loyalist to the Crown and constantly lamented his distaste for the United States, having just won the war.

Now back in that era, Military Generals were regarding as "celebrities" and it was quite common for an Englishman to have several pictures of these historic figures hanging in their estates. General Washington happened to be one of them.

The Englishman decided the best way to insult his visiting dignitary from America was to remove the painting of then President Washington from his wall and move it outside, hanging it in his outhouse!

Eventually, Ethan Allen had to answer nature's call, and the Englishman was expecting to enjoy Ethan Allen's certain protests. However, Allen simply returned to the house and said nothing.

Curious, the Englishman asked, "Did you find the outhouse okay?"

Ethan Allen, "Yes I did."

Englishman, "Well, did you notice the picture?"

Ethan Allen, "Yes Sir, I did!"

Surprised, the Englishman asks; "That's a picture of George Washington, right?"

Ethan Allen, "Indeed it is."

A very perplexed Englishman, "Well, did you think that an outhouse was an appropriate place to hang a picture of the "father of your country?"

Ethan Allen replies: "Friend, I thought it was MOST appropriate."

Englishman, "Sir, you certainly jest...and why?"

Ethan Allen: "Why I compliment your practicality Sir, everyone knows that there is nothing to make an Englishman sh*t faster than the sight of General Washington!"

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When I have occasion to speak and present in public, there's no doubt that the Lincoln and Reagan jokes are always a crowd pleaser.  Stay tuned and we'll share a few more as we lead up to the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birthday!

The 12 Days of Lincoln: Day 3 - "The Bloodiest Day in American History"

                                         

President Lincoln made a promise to God.

On September 17, 1862 the battle of Antietam was waged and for the first time in the Civil War, the North achieved victory.  It was the bloodiest day in the history of our country...with nearly 23,000 casualties in a matter of hours. You could add up the casualties from D-Day times four or in modern context, nearly 8 times the number of Americans lost on 9/11.

This promise was honored just days later on September 22, when Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.  He prayed that if God would grant him a victory; he would free the slaves.

As I ponder the various groups and coalitions here in Iowa and our nation, it reminds me of the rhetorical squabbling that occurred between the states prior to the onset of our nation's civil war.  With a new chair at the RNC and RPI, I sincerely hope we can overcome our individual selfishness and unite on the legislative battlefield.  Tough words - A spoonful of foul-tasting medicine for sure.

Today is the time for conservative unity! Not in a year, or next election or our next caucus. This battle was not for us to neatly schedule to our daily planners. It won't be convenient!

We have to stop rationalizing failure, find commonality and unite to stand up for conservative principles of reducing government in our daily lives and demand fiscal restraint; regardless of the economy!

Even bolder yet, I propose to you that without our immediate unification, we are about to subject our children and grandchildren to a new-modern era of slavery...financial slavery!

The borrower is slave to the lender...When you are in debt to another, you enter into a slave/master relationship with your creditor. (Proverbs 22:7)

For all those who attempt to diminish President Lincoln, you forget how history can sometimes blur the gravity of the times, the possible outcomes had Lincoln failed are rarely discussed. This nation as we know it might look radically and tragically different had we lost on that fateful September day in 1862.

I have an exercise I ask you to complete: On a piece of paper, write down the names of two people for whom you hold a grave difference.  Maybe you would call one or both an "enemy."

1) A Democrat - Yes our president is fine, your answer, not mine.   2) A Conservative. If you're an Iowan, I don't have enough bandwidth to give you the long list of public rivalries but I'll trust you can find at least one name that evokes powerful emotions.

 Carry this paper in your pocket and...

Pray for them today...

That's it - You know the drill...I won't lecture.  Amen.

Tomorrow, I'll profile one of Lincoln's most public adversaries.  From Lincoln we can learn.  We have new, capable leaders emerging in our movement and party...but for today, my money's on Lincoln!

We need to understand the difference a single day can make in the conservative community. In this single example, I offer you 23,000 reasons to consider your own sacrifice to these dramatic times...and to make a difference, not an excuse!

The Second Day of Lincoln - "Supporting a Lost Cause"

 

On March 4, 1861 Abraham Lincoln places his very large hand across a very small bible while Chief Justice Roger Taney commences to administer the oath of office. 

"I, Abraham Lincoln do solemnly swear, that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Abraham Lincoln swore (pledged) to preserve a "nation divided" in the very words he recited to become our 16th President. Jefferson Davis had taken his own oath as President of the Confederate States only days before Lincoln. Everyone believed at the time that reuniting our fractured nation was a lost cause. All but Abraham Lincoln.

We need to reunite our fractured party and I say this with truthful honesty and solemn intent...

Here in Iowa, as is unfortunately replicated in many other states,the conservative movement has disintegrated into many self proclaimed, self identified groups that fail to communicate, cooperate and most importantly, collaborate!

Conservatives need to learn from Lincoln's inaugural speech delivered that day. Certainly these words were not enshrined to granite as they were from his second inaugural address, delivered in 1865, but contained in the final passage of this first speech are the very words that conservatives must embrace if we are to successfully govern again...

“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.”

To support our lost cause...we must model the very leadership imprint left by Lincoln. It was his vision to fight for this lost cause and to unify this great country to the ultimate cause of freedom, which is always larger than our own self interests. He saw our dedication to this even before we did!

147 years later, a hand of a different color is placed on that same Holy book to swear in our 44th President of the United States.

How poignant and appropriate that the Lincoln monument should watch over the expanse of Washington D.C. on January 20th as millions gathered to witness the peaceful transfer of power and a long awaited, symbolic healing for our nation.

Building a monument is much like building the conservative movement...it will take time. The first stone was laid at this monument on Lincoln's birthday, February 12, 1914 yet it wasn't until 1922 that the finished monument was dedicated by Former President Taft along with Robert Todd Lincoln, the only surviving child of Abraham and Mary.

Are you willing to die for a lost cause?  If you are, and I suspect we all would do so for a certain reason be it family, faith or freedom...but if the answers' yes, then consider what you've done lately to SACRIFICE for the conservative cause?

As mentioned at the end of yesterdays post, "Lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for!"  It might sound like another quote from Lincoln, but you'll have to fast forward several decades to find this phrase immortalized by Frank Capra in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." 

                  

The political genius of Abraham Lincoln was his ability to transform his fiercest of enemies into powerful allies...and close friends!

We'd all be better individuals were we to learn from this trait and open our hearts....we're going to visit this issue tomorrow and take a "run through the conservative minefield!"

The First Day of Lincoln - The wisdom of "Perspective"

Abraham Lincoln was told in no uncertain terms just how bleak things were...indeed the tall and gangly flat boatman turned circuit lawyer from the dusty roads of Illinois knew he should lose this "case." It appeared to be a lost cause, there was no plausible way to prevail under such overwhelming circumstances.  Even by his own admission, it appeared that all was lost. His closest advisers counseled him to accept defeat in spite of the fact he was representing a righteous cause. After all, with such compelling opposition, there would be no loss of his personal honor or reputation. Lincoln listened carefully, scribbled a few notes and thanked his friends for their wise counsel. Lincoln then embarked on a short, lazy stroll to gather his thoughts as he prepared for the most challenging closing argument of his career...

If you were thinking the introduction chronicled the early days of the Lincoln Presidency, you would be almost right. Actually, this refers to a court case during Lincoln's days as a lawyer of increasing reputation for his eloquence and personal wit. Yet with this case, the opposing attorney had thoroughly convinced the jury and it appeared there would be a certain ruling in his favor.

In fact, the entire county was captivated, waiting to hear how Lincoln would attempt to close this untenable argument and at the least, preserve his gaining reputation. 

With a spellbound audience, hanging on his every word, Lincoln begins with the admission that indeed; “The prosecution has the facts of the case 100 % correct... but they have come to the wrong conclusion.”

Abraham Lincoln, known as the master story teller and possessor of incredible wit, spins out a short but terribly effective story that is recalled to this very day in courtrooms around the world...

A farmer was out tending to his crop when when he spied his young son rushing up to him from a distance, all excitable and out of breath. "Son what's wrong" said the father? The boy, barely able to speak sputters, "Pa, Pa, I was in the barn and I seen the hired man and Sis up in the hayloft! Pa, he was unzipping his pants and Sis was a lifting up her skirt!". The father attempts to settle his son but he exclaims, "Pa...they're fixin to pee on your new hay!"

“Son,” the farmer replied, “You have the facts 100 % correct, but you’ve come to the wrong conclusion.”

Judge, jury and observer alike can't help themselves, they all burst into laughter and a short while later, the jury returns to deliver a winning verdict for Abraham Lincoln.

** Editors Note: This reminds me of the ever memorable moment during the Reagan-Mondale debate with Reagan referring to his unwillingness to exploit his opponents "youth and inexperience!"  Watch Walter Mondale's face...seeing is believing and I'm sure the opposing attorney felt the same way!

If you're a conservative who was told that our cause is no longer relevant and our party is no longer viable...Take heart of this powerful lesson from our greatest President.

Yes, we may be exiled from power right now with red states turning purple and blue, and there appears to be a certain demise of the conservative movement... if you believe what you're told. The lesson that conservatives can glean from this story is that we can't allow ourselves to come to the wrong conclusion.  The main stream media "MSM" may have all the facts right, but it's time for us to show that "they too have come to the wrong conclusion!"

This is the time for conservative voices to unify and in chorus; strengthen our call for limited government and DEMAND FISCAL RESTRAINT!

Our government has never produced anything of value to the economy so why is there a bloated stimulus bill which plows more than a TRILLION dollars of the taxpayers blood, sweat and tears into a "black hole" that will only come back and ask for more of the same!?

There's a saying that "lost causes are the only causes worth fighting for." We'll cover that in more detail tomorrow.