“As Republicans, we don’t have a principles problem. We have a messaging problem. We have an education problem,” Freitas said. “I am so tired of hearing Republicans described as being mean-spirited, racist, bigoted, homophobic, xenophobic, I mean you name it, we get accused of it on a regular basis. And then on the contrast side, liberals will show up to an argument and just automatically assume that they’re nicer, kinder, more tolerant — they believe in coexistence — just by virtue of their political philosophy.”
“It’s this assumption that ‘Okay, if you’re a liberal, then clearly you must be a nice person and if you’re a Republican, you’ve got some explaining to do,'” he continued.
“The difference between conservatism and progressivism is not how nice people are. The difference is you’re a lot more comfortable with violence than I am. … Every single solution you offer is based on government coercion and force. Why?”
Freitas unpacks that statement, explaining the contradiction of progressivism: It claims to be kinder and more tolerant while calling for the use of government force to coerce people into behaving a certain way. He talks about conservative policies — lowering taxes, cutting back regulations, securing the border — but he explains them in a way that shows why these things are good for human flourishing, not just political talking points.
Why isn’t every Republican candidate talking like this?
