Tom Stilson's Actions Aren't Growing the Republican Party

I don't want to spend much more time on Tom Stilson. Frankly, he isn't worth the pixels it takes to form the little 'r' on my computer. The 25 year old Congressional candidate who still lives at home with his mom and dad definitely isn't a little 'r' republican.

None the less, some things are just too good to pass up. The Christian County Republican Central Committee members are forwarding the following e-mail with an article written by Stilson expressing his ideas for growing the GOP.

Stilson: Post-Election Reflection- The Solutions Start with Us

tomstilson November 14, 2012

Like many other Americans last Tuesday, I was disheartened by the results of the election. Yet, there is no reason for us to be surprised. We can only expect more in the future if we continue to propagate the mutual complaint society and the “excuse” game.

We can blame the “Mainstream Media”, unions, Obama, MSNBC, or planet Niburu and unicorns but it fails to address our own problems within the Conservative movement and Republican party. As a man greater than I once said, “Know thyself.” Our party and Conservatism in general is stuck searching for a Ronald Reagan, a Calvin Coolidge- some shining star we can turn to who will save our nation. Folks, there is a terrible truth we must face. Reagan, Washington, Coolidge, Jefferson did not change this country single-handedly. Millions had to believe in their vision for it to be successful.

The saving grace for this nation lies not in a single individual. We can no longer expect someone else to fight for us or for some Christ-like figure to rescue us from our own demise. Rather, it’s time we accepted our circumstances and began fighting the battles on our terms. As a young conservative, I find few in my generation who truly understand what it means to be a conservative and why they should be concerned about their future and the future of this country. Like a seasoned prosecutor, we have to make our case to the jury of the American people. In the last two presidential elections, we have presented lukewarm moderates as our answer and, unsurprisingly, the American people have largely failed to connect with them and rejected them for a man with soaring rhetoric but little substance.

If our nation buys into this rhetoric, how is it the Republican party and Conservatives as a whole have not communicated on the same level? Do we not love the ability to think freely? To have creative and constructive American ingenuity? Can we not communicate the beauty and success of Capitalism; the tremendous possibilities that lie ahead if we unleash the American Spirit, as opposed to crushing it under paperwork, regulation, and rules? We can win Americans to our side, but it won’t come through scaring them into our ideology.

My college baseball coach at Stanford used to jokingly say, “Fear is the best motivator.” True, but only in a totalitarian society. In a free society; incentives, the prospect of success, happiness, and achievement of one’s dreams are the driving force of motivation. If we take one thing from the election, it is the American people want the prospect of success and achievement in their future. We’ve had enough gloom and doom. If God should grace me so, I have many decades more to live, a career to be had, and a family to start. I see what this nation can be and the opportunities before our great country. My only fear is that we will never know these things because our movement failed to due what it should have done all along- stand by its principles and articulate a vision and plan for what America will be, not what it is. 

Oh my! Where to begin? So Tom Stilson wants to grow the Republican party, and yet his own personal actions, along with members of his family, are chasing away voters Republicans need to win elections.

Stilson looks to the young voter as being instrumental in building the party as he explains the need to teach conservationism to the youth. Wasn't it the Stilson family who insulted a large voting block of young Constitutional conservative voters?

Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul had one of the most successful grassroots youth movements I have seen of a Republican presidential candidate. It has been said this movement of liberty minded conservatives may be the future of the Republican party, and with Rand Paul taking over the reigns the movement isn't going away.

I am reminded of that article written by Stilson's mother that insulted the Ron Paul movement--labeling these liberty minded voters as Paulbot maniacs. Many of these same voters tried to get involved in local politics in hopes of pushing the Constitution and liberty to the core of Republican politics by filing for committee seats in Stilson's home county of Christian. The very same Republican committee members backing Stilson ran an ad against these candidates claiming they were trying to hijack the Republican party labeling them as radical libertarians.

They seem to have forgotten Ronald Reagan said "libertarianism is the heart of conservatism".

But the ultimate hypocrisy of Stilson's call to grow the Republican party came after Stilson finished dead last in the Republican primary. Stilson had been collecting data about voters in Christian County who had begun a grassroots movement to elect one of Stilson's Congressional opponents in the primary. These voters did nothing more than participate in the political process by donating their time and resources to help spread the message of Stilson's Republican opponent. Stilson stalked many of these average citizens who were just participating in the electoral process even going as far as getting in the face of one of the supporters who had painted the side of his semi-trailer with Stilson's opponent's name, which Stilson went into a four letter word tirade demanding the trailer be removed from corner they were parking it on in Ozark.

I know of at least six of these people who received Federal Election Commission investigation letters from Washington after Stilson put together the data and pictures on these people and sent complaints to this bureaucratic machine--probably costing taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars. Of course Stilson's actions aren't actions of a person (I refuse to use the word "man" here since Stilson decided to run for Congress before moving out of his parents basement after graduating from college) who is serious about growing the Republican party. To punish people because they backed another Republican candidate isn't the image I am sure the Republican party needs as it suffers more defeats seen on election night this year. It sure doesn't sit well with voters who observed this knowing that Stilson is deeply connected to the powers that be in the local Republican party.

The GOP needs grassroots efforts like the one seen in his opponent's campaign, and Stilson's attempt to slap their wrists with FEC fines only hurts the GOP in the long run as these volunteers are left with a bad taste in their mouth after participating in the process and as the establishment promotes this sore loser within their ranks. The likelihood of these voters getting involved for other Republicans diminish thanks to Stilson's complaints.

Frankly Tom, many of us aren't blaming the mainstream media for the GOP's losses in 2012. We are blaming your buddies in the Republican establishment who alienated long-time Republican voters with their poorly ran caucuses, which often seem were never meant to be run fairly, and their rule changes at the National Convention (see Rule 16). You Tom Stilson, don't seem to get it either.

If the survival of the Republican party is dependent on a grass roots movement that promotes conservatism, then perhaps the Republican establishment needs to be the first to blame with it comes to the big losses suffered on election night. After all, it was the Republican establishment that insulted a large block of conservative voters while propping up the liberal Mitt Romney, a man who pushed gun control, abortion, and of course inspired Obamacare. Of course, the Republican establishment soon begged these conservative voters to vote for the liberal Romney as they realized Romney's campaign was dying. Mr. Stilson, these are the very same voters your family and friends insulted.

Of course this establishment also includes your buddies, Tom Stilson, on the county level who labeled liberty loving conservatives, who wanted nothing more than to participate in the process and be heard, as a bunch of radicals ready to hijack a party that has already been hijacked by the progressives who thought Romney was a good idea. Insulting passionate voters who love liberty isn't the best way to grow the party either, Tom Stilson.

Finally, Tom Stilson, you should blame yourself. After all it was you that took the impressive grassroots movement that supported your opponent and filed FEC complaints against them. This doesn't seem to be a solid formula for growing the party either Tom.

Perhaps you should look deep inside yourself Tom Stilson and see that your own actions not only hurt the party but wreak havoc on the very values you claim you wish to save. As a conservative Tom, your own actions are the reason people are sick of politics and don't wish to participate. When they get to that point, Tom Stilson, it's hard to win them back.