The conservative message is under attack by the White House and conservatives are making tough choices. According to the NationalJournal.com, Republicans like Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman (pictured above) are reexamining their view on hot-button issues, and the change may be attributed to lessons learned from the 2012 presidential election.
What is happening in Colorado, under Coffman’s direction, may be a flash in the pan. Conversely, Coffman's views may be a truly progressive step that starts a national debate.
On the national stage, President Obama does not like to have his policies examined. According to the Washington Post, the president has threatened to use, or has used, executive orders on very serious issues like immigration, climate change, and even the Second Amendment (see National Archives for all of Obama’s executive orders).
The president often cites Congress’ “failure to act” as the reason, justification or an excuse for his questionable use of executive orders. What Obama sees as a “failure to act,” is seen by many Americans as a “failure of Congress to come to a consensus” and an essential part of government.
The media message has been perverted and that is illustrated by the Candy Crowley’s interference in the last presidential debate. Journalists who step off-message or dare to question the White House are ostracized and personally discredited. When the press is under attack, a press that is typically in the back-pocket of Obama, then the citizenry has reason to worry.
Countless presidents have been the victim of famed Watergate reporter Bob Woodward and his pen. As reported by FoxNews.com, Woodward has never been threatened by a sitting administration until he questioned Obama’s narrative on the sequester.
In today’s political environment, conservatives are well advised to focus on the values that make conservatism great. New and innovative opinions like those coming from the Coffman camp should be embraced because 2012 was a clear clash of messages. For those who missed it, the other side won. The time to stop them is 2014.
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