imagine that you’re a member of Congress
you’ve worked very hard you’ve knocked
on thousands of doors sweating and
shivering depending on the season you’ve
made hundreds maybe thousands of phone
calls to people you don’t even know
asking for their support begging for
their money and now you got one of these
it’s hanging on a door in Washington DC
it says you’re a member of Congress that
you represent the people of your state
now imagine you’re a conservative member
of Congress for some of you here in
Boston Massachusetts that’s going to
take a powerful imagination all right
but imagine with me that you’re a
conservative member of Congress you grew
up on Milton Friedman you loved his free
markets free enterprise and free trade
you’ve watched Ronald Reagan’s farewell
address over and over and you cry every
time he gets to the part about the
shining city on the hill and how if the
city had to have walls the walls had
doors doors to let in though his burning
to breathe free you get goosebumps when
you think of him telling mr. Gorbachev
to tear down his wall your conservative
member of Congress and you agree with
President John F Kennedy that America is
an exceptional place for inspiration you
go to youtube and you watch his speech
at Rice University September of 1962 the
moonshot speech and you’re amazed that
he admits in that speech a speech of 17
minutes of pure American exceptionalism
that some of the materials needed for
the spacecraft hadn’t been invented yet
no matter we’re going to the moon before
the decade is out you agree with him
that the vows of this nation can be
fulfilled only if we in this nation are
first and therefore we intend to be
first
you’ve taken as your own the effect that
he’s so embodied that when leaders are
optimistic they’re saying they believe
in the people they represent you’re a
conservative member of Congress and you
believe in the precautionary principle
you believe in data-driven analysis you
know that climate change is real and
human-caused and you see in climate
change a sly eye silent and slow-moving
Sputnik moment one that calls for the
greatness of your nation as much as the
original Sputnik moment you’re a
conservative member of Congress you
high-five the memory of Jack Kent and
believe with him that the test of
conservatism is that it works for
everyone regardless of skin color you’re
appalled by the alt-right you want them
to have nothing to do with your brand
your party your legacy you utterly
reject them you
you’re a Conservative member of Congress
you rise with compassion to protect the
lives of the unborn but otherwise you
think the bedroom of consenting adults
is a rather strange place for the
government to be you are a Conservative
member of Congress with John Adams you
fear the mob because you know as he knew
that a mob is not able to protect
Liberty not even its own and you’re
amazed at the wisdom that he and other
framers had in establishing a slow
deliberative governing process an
inherently gut a conservative governing
process that would serve a country that
would grow far greater than they could
ever imagine you are conservative member
of Congress you fear the fire of
populist nationalism because you know
that those who play with fire can’t
control it you see their pitchforks and
torches and you know they’re not good
building tools that pitchforks and
torches can tear down and burn up but
they can’t build up they can’t build up
the institutions and the communities so
necessary to a stable and prosperous
country you’re a conservative member of
Congress and you fear the next County
Party convention you so wish for your
party to be the grand opportunity party
not the grumpy old party you know that
they want to hear from you
some old saw about how a secret Muslim
non American socialist took over in the
White House and destroyed the country
and you know that none of that’s true
you know that they want to hear you say
that you’re okay with insults okay with
lock her up chance and okay with policy
pronouncements with all the sincerity
and thoughtfulness that 140 characters
get muster you are a conservative member
of Congress you realize that many in
your party look to some good old days
that you know never existed they hold on
for example to the fossils that fueled
the last century of growth but you know
that better cleaner more abundant fuels
await us and you know that that
abundance can lead the world to more
energy more mobility and more freedom
you’re a conservative member of Congress
you realize that many in your party pine
for the 50s and the 60s because those
were after all the good old days but you
know that the Cuyahoga River was on fire
back then you know that in Pittsburgh
streetlights came on at noon because of
this foot in the air the schools were
segregated neighborhoods redlined that
communism threatened freedom and if you
got cancer you weren’t likely to fight
for long you’re a conservative member of
Congress and you want to sound like JFK
at Rice where JFK said it’s
understandable by what some would have a
stay where we are a little bit longer to
wait and to rest but everything within
you says with him this city of Houston
this state of Texas this country of the
United States was not built by those who
waited and rested and wished to look
behind them you are ready to lead you
are ready to prove
the power of free enterprise to solve
challenges like climate change you are
ready to lead so I’ve got a suggestion
for you then lead now step out step up
you know we ask America’s best to die on
littoral Hills in places like Iraq and
Afghanistan is it too much to ask you to
die a figurative death on a political
hill in Washington DC you know at the
end of your time in Washington they
going to take this plaque off the door
they’re going to hand it to you if
you’re gonna go home with it can you
imagine the emptiness of knowing that
you stood for nothing that you risk
nothing that all you did was follow
fearful people to where they were
already going rather than trying to lead
them to a better place
if you’re not willing to lose your seat
in Congress there’s really very little
reason to be there
so here’s the thing it’s not too late
there’s still time to lead speak out
speak up
call lunacy what it is lunacy tell the
American people that we still have
moonshots in us tell the folks at the
county party convention you bet free
enterprise can solve climate change
tell them that Milton Friedman would say
to tax pollution rather than profits
tell them that it’s okay no it’s a good
thing that progressives would agree
tell them the very good news that we can
bring America together to solve these
challenges and to lead the world tell
them that free enterprise can do these
things tell them that America must stop
the dividing and must start the uniting
tell them play your part before it’s too
late
you
you’ve worked very hard you’ve knocked
on thousands of doors sweating and
shivering depending on the season you’ve
made hundreds maybe thousands of phone
calls to people you don’t even know
asking for their support begging for
their money and now you got one of these
it’s hanging on a door in Washington DC
it says you’re a member of Congress that
you represent the people of your state
now imagine you’re a conservative member
of Congress for some of you here in
Boston Massachusetts that’s going to
take a powerful imagination all right
but imagine with me that you’re a
conservative member of Congress you grew
up on Milton Friedman you loved his free
markets free enterprise and free trade
you’ve watched Ronald Reagan’s farewell
address over and over and you cry every
time he gets to the part about the
shining city on the hill and how if the
city had to have walls the walls had
doors doors to let in though his burning
to breathe free you get goosebumps when
you think of him telling mr. Gorbachev
to tear down his wall your conservative
member of Congress and you agree with
President John F Kennedy that America is
an exceptional place for inspiration you
go to youtube and you watch his speech
at Rice University September of 1962 the
moonshot speech and you’re amazed that
he admits in that speech a speech of 17
minutes of pure American exceptionalism
that some of the materials needed for
the spacecraft hadn’t been invented yet
no matter we’re going to the moon before
the decade is out you agree with him
that the vows of this nation can be
fulfilled only if we in this nation are
first and therefore we intend to be
first
you’ve taken as your own the effect that
he’s so embodied that when leaders are
optimistic they’re saying they believe
in the people they represent you’re a
conservative member of Congress and you
believe in the precautionary principle
you believe in data-driven analysis you
know that climate change is real and
human-caused and you see in climate
change a sly eye silent and slow-moving
Sputnik moment one that calls for the
greatness of your nation as much as the
original Sputnik moment you’re a
conservative member of Congress you
high-five the memory of Jack Kent and
believe with him that the test of
conservatism is that it works for
everyone regardless of skin color you’re
appalled by the alt-right you want them
to have nothing to do with your brand
your party your legacy you utterly
reject them you
you’re a Conservative member of Congress
you rise with compassion to protect the
lives of the unborn but otherwise you
think the bedroom of consenting adults
is a rather strange place for the
government to be you are a Conservative
member of Congress with John Adams you
fear the mob because you know as he knew
that a mob is not able to protect
Liberty not even its own and you’re
amazed at the wisdom that he and other
framers had in establishing a slow
deliberative governing process an
inherently gut a conservative governing
process that would serve a country that
would grow far greater than they could
ever imagine you are conservative member
of Congress you fear the fire of
populist nationalism because you know
that those who play with fire can’t
control it you see their pitchforks and
torches and you know they’re not good
building tools that pitchforks and
torches can tear down and burn up but
they can’t build up they can’t build up
the institutions and the communities so
necessary to a stable and prosperous
country you’re a conservative member of
Congress and you fear the next County
Party convention you so wish for your
party to be the grand opportunity party
not the grumpy old party you know that
they want to hear from you
some old saw about how a secret Muslim
non American socialist took over in the
White House and destroyed the country
and you know that none of that’s true
you know that they want to hear you say
that you’re okay with insults okay with
lock her up chance and okay with policy
pronouncements with all the sincerity
and thoughtfulness that 140 characters
get muster you are a conservative member
of Congress you realize that many in
your party look to some good old days
that you know never existed they hold on
for example to the fossils that fueled
the last century of growth but you know
that better cleaner more abundant fuels
await us and you know that that
abundance can lead the world to more
energy more mobility and more freedom
you’re a conservative member of Congress
you realize that many in your party pine
for the 50s and the 60s because those
were after all the good old days but you
know that the Cuyahoga River was on fire
back then you know that in Pittsburgh
streetlights came on at noon because of
this foot in the air the schools were
segregated neighborhoods redlined that
communism threatened freedom and if you
got cancer you weren’t likely to fight
for long you’re a conservative member of
Congress and you want to sound like JFK
at Rice where JFK said it’s
understandable by what some would have a
stay where we are a little bit longer to
wait and to rest but everything within
you says with him this city of Houston
this state of Texas this country of the
United States was not built by those who
waited and rested and wished to look
behind them you are ready to lead you
are ready to prove
the power of free enterprise to solve
challenges like climate change you are
ready to lead so I’ve got a suggestion
for you then lead now step out step up
you know we ask America’s best to die on
littoral Hills in places like Iraq and
Afghanistan is it too much to ask you to
die a figurative death on a political
hill in Washington DC you know at the
end of your time in Washington they
going to take this plaque off the door
they’re going to hand it to you if
you’re gonna go home with it can you
imagine the emptiness of knowing that
you stood for nothing that you risk
nothing that all you did was follow
fearful people to where they were
already going rather than trying to lead
them to a better place
if you’re not willing to lose your seat
in Congress there’s really very little
reason to be there
so here’s the thing it’s not too late
there’s still time to lead speak out
speak up
call lunacy what it is lunacy tell the
American people that we still have
moonshots in us tell the folks at the
county party convention you bet free
enterprise can solve climate change
tell them that Milton Friedman would say
to tax pollution rather than profits
tell them that it’s okay no it’s a good
thing that progressives would agree
tell them the very good news that we can
bring America together to solve these
challenges and to lead the world tell
them that free enterprise can do these
things tell them that America must stop
the dividing and must start the uniting
tell them play your part before it’s too
late
you
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