Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) channeled former President Ronald Reagan in a rallying cry for Republicans to be “happy warriors” instead of “furious flame throwers.”
Marking the anniversary of Reagan’s famous “A Time for Choosing” speech, Crenshaw argued that the GOP finds itself at a critical crossroads given the massive chasm of political tactics among factions within the party and implored conservatives to choose wisely.
“Some in our movement insist on sorting themselves into labels: populists, nationalists, MAGA, mainstream—but without any real clue as to what ideas separate these groups. These groupings function more like grade-school cliques than serious political divisions. They are about style over substance,” Crenshaw wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed.
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The Texas congressman has been outspoken about his gripes with some corners of the conservative movement, often taking issues with populists and “grifters” more broadly in the movement.
“These divisions are manufactured by opportunists—mostly online and on television—who can’t string a sentence together about serious public policy but are quick to label anyone and everyone a ‘RINO’ or ‘establishment sell-out,'” he wrote in the op-ed.
Although not mentioned by name, former President Donald Trump loomed large in Crenshaw’s mini GOP autopsy piece. Lamenting the “Kardashian-like drama” in today’s political arena, Crenshaw argued that the reality TV style of politics makes the GOP “seem bitter, unserious, and unlikeable.”
“Will we be happy warriors or furious flame throwers? When we communicate, will we persuade? Or will we serve up a limited menu of red meat? Will we succumb to our grievances and bitterness as the Left advances, take the bait they’ve set for us, and become the caricatures they want us to be?” he asked.
Disillusioned conservatives have touted Reagan’s warm and charming appeal as an alternative to Trump’s brash persona and fiery rhetoric. Crenshaw appeared to allude to that juxtaposition, warning that the Right needs to court non-Republican voters to “beat the increasingly radical Left.”
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“I would rather we follow the electoral success of President Reagan, achieved not through grievance but through inspiration. We may win this one election off the coattails of the other side’s seemingly endless incompetence. But we will win the next 10 elections with inspiration, with vision, and with the time-tested principles that Reagan defended so well,” he added.
Reagan gave his “A Time for Choosing” speech on Oct. 27, 1964, and implored the country to back Barry Goldwater for president while railing against bloated government spending and espousing conservative principles. He was elected president in 1980 and served for two terms.
