J.T. Edwards
Latest posts by J.T. Edwards (see all)
- The Return of the Collaborative Conservatism - April 2, 2019
On November 6, 2018 the American voter issued an edict. Contrary to popular belief (despite what the mainstream media tells you), the American voter wanted a return to Collaborative Conservatism focused on economic empowerment, racial tolerance, and secure borders. As a result, the conservatism of the 2010s is giving way to the return of Collaborative Conservatism – which is a perfect blend of libertarian, social, and fiscal conservative principles.
Here in Texas, my state prides itself on being a bastion of conservatism. Once Ruby Red, a perfect storm of a liberal activist surge, an energized upstart, and a complacent/self-destructive conservative base exposed cracks in my state. Initial reactions in the aftermath were akin to the various stages of death: shock, denial, anger and acceptance. The acceptance phase has consisted of a lot of soul-searching to include: data mining, after action reviews, and speaking with the public to figure out what went wrong. So far, it is quite simple: We strayed from Collaborative Conservatism.
Collaborative Conservatism is the best of American values dedicated to principles of free markets, personal liberty (without infringement on others), and a secure nation. Such conservatism since the inception of our nation has withstood the test of time and, when not adhered to, places our nation in an awful place in terms of domestic relations, economic stature, and international standing. The American voter (regardless of who was/is president) saw this and made the adjustment at the voting booth during the 2018 midterm elections. This is lesson we must heed. The good news is that we are seeing signs of Collaborative Conservatism returning.
Across the country, super-majorities in various law making bodies have vanished (via 2018 midterms) replaced by compositions that require more collaborative efforts. The American voter is tired of the politics of “No!” Instead the American voter wants the politics of Collaborative Conservatism that provides economic empowerment (the means to earn more money), racial tolerance (multicultural, multiracial families are growing by the hour), and secure borders (providing for safety from illegal immigrants with bad intentions while reforming a system of immigration for those who want to positively contribute to the American success story).
From President Trump to our local leaders, the return to Collaborative Conservatism is slowly returning at the urging of the American voter. To keep that momentum going, we must embrace a very inclusive Collaborative Conservatism lest the scourge of socialism take hold and ruin the great nation that our Founding Fathers built. The acknowledging and embracing of Collaborative Conservatism will unite our nation and my state in the inner cities, the suburbs, the exurbs, and rural communities.
