“I will keep America moving forward, always forward – for a better America, for an endless, enduring dream and a thousand points of light.” — George H.W. Bush, Republican National Convention, August 1988
A MAGA adherent won’t often quote George H.W. Bush. But the concept behind this famed phraseology, hailing America’s multitudes of community groups, is apt at this juncture for a conservative base that is, understandably, despairing.
A base that witnessed an expected Red Wave swirl down the toilet on the watch of hapless Republican Party leadership – the very ones expected soon to be swept back into their positions of powerlessness. Just in time to conduct another post-mortem that will certainly consist of more deckchair rearranging and abandonment of conservative principles.
A base gasping in shock as lame-duck, and lame-brained, Republican senators sell out not only their constituents but the newly elected Republican House majority – by helping radical progressives reinforce fake marriage, attempt to ram through an outrageous amnesty, and pile up trillions in debt on the backs of your grandchildren’s grandchildren.
A base gaping at the ceding of the world’s greatest superpower’s southern border to Mexican drug cartels conducting an audacious invasion: an incursion consisting not only of a wave of job-stealing, budget-busting and schools-and-services-burdening trespassers and transgressors, but also a torrent of deadly poison aimed dagger-like at America’s youth and most vulnerable.
A base appalled by the advancing ascendancy – and repulsive presidential celebration – of dark, deviant and demonic forces rubbing society’s collective nose in their rejection of every standard of decency, exposing even innocent babes to repugnant perversions.
And a base lately overwhelmed by fresh evidence of the corrupt collusion of authoritarian and at times, seemingly omnipotent elites across the permanent government, tech oligopolies, a now unapologetically militant-left media and woke Corporate America. An autocracy engaging in clandestine censorship, enforcing the cancel culture, and manipulating the electoral process – but also unleashing the wrath and crushing clout of the judicial juggernaut on conservative champions and Everymen (and -women) alike while shielding the reckless and rapacious Biden family syndicate and rampaging rioters, marauders and murderers.
The Silenced Majority could be forgiven for throwing up its hands, and giving up all hope, at the increasing inability of the law, social and civic institutions or the electoral order to dispel or delay the darkness and impending doom that appears to be descending upon America.
But such a resignation ignores two realities, two forces for good greater than anything these heinous hordes can inflict on humanity. One, of course, is a far Higher Power who “never slumbers nor sleeps.”’
The second is, while not remotely comparable in strength or scale, still more formidable than many believe.
No government, party, movement or leader makes America great. George Bush certainly didn’t. Believe it or not, Donald Trump didn’t. Nor will Ron DeSantis.
You make America great.
In your families, your businesses or workplaces, your communities, your schools, your churches, and most important, your daily lives.
You make America great through your devotion to your spouses, children, parents and extended families.
You make America great as you teach and show your children right and wrong and how to live happy and fulfilling lives, and protect them from evil cultural influences.
You make America great as you live out your gifts of manhood and womanhood, in the normal, natural, desirable and society-ordering roles God gave you, within the institutions of real marriage and the family.
You make America great as you get and keep people working, serve customers and communities in your enterprises, or go above and beyond the job description in your employment.
You make America great as you pull your own weight, pay your bills and taxes in full and on time, and give generously.
You make America great as you worship God, and share His love in myriad ways.
You make America great in your choices of entertainment and media consumption and, to the extent possible, businesses you patronize.
You make America great by, circumspectly and respectfully, standing up for and speaking the truth, not just over social media but in public forums and face-to-face. And by supporting leaders who do the same, no matter how corrupt the government that resists them or the electoral processes that seeks to suppress them or the media that shadow-bans them – and you.
President Bush was off by orders of magnitude. There are not a thousand points of light or ten thousand or hundreds of thousands.
If one chooses to judge by the 2020 election results, there are 74 million – and certainly many more.
Seventy-four million points of light – your commitment to goodness, to excellence and most of all, to truth, in words and walk – cannot be concealed, canceled, silenced or extinguished.
As you Make America Great and “keep America moving forward, always forward – for a better America, for an endless, enduring dream” – one other line from George Bush’s Points of Light speech rings truer than ever:
“Our work is not done; our force is not spent.”
And as long as you draw breath, it never will be.
Bob Maistros is a messaging and communications strategist, crisis specialist, and former political speechwriter. He can be reached at bob@rpmexecutive.com.
