Swarming the Enemy

By now, the pattern should be clear: Republican governors sign legislation taking a stand on an issue and the left mounts a rabid attack with the tactics and fervor of the Boycott, Divest, and Sanction (BDS) movement. They sucker punch Republican governors in the economic gut, enlisting the help of other elected Democrats, their media pals, Hollywood, and corporate America (yes, that evil corporate America whose free speech rights they condone only when it suits their political purposes).

We have seen this play out in states that enact legislation mirroring the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA)—introduced by Congressman Chuck Shumer and Senator Ted Kennedy, and signed by Bill Clinton in 1993.  Their swift about-face is, I guess, what Democrats call "evolution." 

To date, only North Carolina's Governor Pat McCrory and Mississippi's Governor Phil Bryant have demonstrated the intestinal fortitude to stand firm against such leftwing onslaughts.  Bryant is defending the will of the people of Mississippi through their state RFRA bill and McCrory is fighting the transgender bathroom brawl where the people demand that girls use the girls bathroom and boys use the boys bathroom.    

Contrast such courage and conviction with pusillanimous redcoat -governors Jan Brewer (AZ), Mike Pence (IN) and Nathan Deal (GA), each of whom succumbed to left-wing bullying and turned tail on their state RFRA laws.  Pence capitulated when Angie's List cancelled a $40 million expansion of its headquarters in Indianapolis; Brewer caved in the wake of fierce opposition from Delta, MLB, and the Super Bowl host committee; and Deal vetoed his state's RFRA measure under pressure from the NCAA, NFL, Disney, and Salesforce, among others. Although Deal claims he "doesn't respond well to insults or threats" it seems he did just that.

How Citizens United of the left to use corporate influence and an economic cudgel to get their way.

And conservatives?  They just stand on the sidelines and watch.  Most throw up their hands and complain We can't do anything because the left controls the media.  True enough, but if conservatives click their heels together three times, they'll see that the solution has always been there:  Utilizing the internet, conservatives can deploy the very same progressive street fighting tactics that the left has used against the right to make noise, fight battles, bully the opposition, and reinforce their brethren on the front lines.

But it requires a two-pronged approach, and, to draw an analogy, we need to take our cues from…bees.  First, we must envelop courageous conservatives like Governors Bryant and McCrory the way drones surround their queen, creating an impenetrable barrier of support protecting her at all costs.  Second, we need to swarm outside of the hive and attack anything that gets in our way.  If Springsteen cancels a show, conservatives support a different artist performing in that state, tweet #NoFanOfSpringsteen, boycott his music, and maybe post a homemade video burning old Springsteen album covers. We need to inform Governor Cuomo that those blue hairs from the Midwest who populate Manhattan during Christmas, will redirect their yuletide traditions to Vegas or Branson.   We must make it known that thousands will cancel business and travel plans to Georgia and take their spending dollars to Mississippi instead.  We respond to threats from Coke, Delta, or Apple by drinking Pepsi.  If Pepsi joins Coke, give up soda for iced tea.  Fly United.  Buy Dell.  Forego the beaches of Georgia for Mississippi.  Whatever the message, tweet it, petition it, write it, email it, post it, FaceBook it, and hashtag it to death. 

You don't have to live in Georgia to tweet your support.  And no one will check to see if you flew United instead of Delta.  But to have an impact—the best impact—once you commit to boycott Coke, stick to it, get your friends and family to join in, email Coke, write Coke, post your intention to boycott Coke products on Coke's FaceBook page.  A visual of you pouring Coke down the drain and drinking iced tea from Dunkin' Donuts is worth a thousand words. 

It took me ten seconds to type this and might require 30 seconds more to post on FaceBook: 

Dear Governor Pence:  Because you caved on religious liberties and turned your back on conservatives, my son will not apply to any Indiana colleges but will instead apply to schools in North Carolina.  When you decide to grow a spine and stand up for conservatives, we will reconsider.  (Picture: teenage boy wearing a UNC sweatshirt, throwing away an application to Indiana University.)    

In an ideal world, fellow Republican governors would also support each other.  Thus, when Governor Cuomo prohibited official NY state travel to North Carolina because Governor McCrory had signed the transgender bathroom legislation, it should have prompted other Republican governors to rise up:  a simple #FLstandswithNC would do the trick; a FaceBook post from Governor Christie that he will travel to NC to discuss economic development and visit the Outer Banks with his family, would be powerful. 

We need to ensure going forward, that we have the backs of our elected officials who take a stand on our behalves.  And, at the same time, we must force governors like Jan Brewer to sign bills like SB1062 by demonstrating that we will bring in dollars and Arizona-friendly businesses to compensate for any losses suffered because of liberal threats.

An assault on our elected representatives, especially those of conviction, is an assault on all of us.  Don't give up.  We are legion and powerful.  When Republican leaders actually do the job we ask of them, we must protectively swarm around them and shield them from attack.  Then, we swarm around our political foes and sting them with every hashtag and FaceBook post, every petition and tweet, every article and email, we can muster.  And the buzz we all make must be consistent with one another. 

In the words of Mohammed Ali, we need to "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."  We must be nimble with our tactics and brutal in the execution.

By Sally Zelikovsky