The power of patronage — and why the right must harness it

As the culture war rages, conservatives rush from issue to issue, chasing whatever the media dangles in front of them. Each time they come armed with facts and logic, well-constructed arguments designed to do battle in the marketplace of ideas, and yet Republicans continue to lose.

The mainstream right has fully embraced the idea that in a democracy, political battles are about making the most logical case to win over the majority, but this is terrible way to understand political loyalty. In a democracy, people lend their political support to those who will deliver benefits to themselves and their communities. There are plenty of true believers on the left, but the reason they are so deeply invested in progressive ideology is that it delivers the goods.

The political contest in the United States is asymmetrical for several reasons, but one of the most glaring is the way both sides approach the idea of patronage. Patronage is the most ancient and powerful bond of political organization. The patron provides protection, material rewards, and access to the patron’s client base. The clients provide loyalty and support to their political patron.

The left embraces this model and is proud of its ability to deliver for its clients. The right rejects this model as a violation of its principles and thereby denies itself one of the most powerful tools with which to build power.

When progressives identify another front in the civil rights revolution, they do not just see an opportunity to exploit identity and advance ideology; they see an opportunity to profit. From the redefinition of marriage to the redefinition of woman, each battle requires massive amounts of funding. New infrastructure is created as universities open academic departments dedicated to studying the latest ideology and NGOs are founded to employ the latest crop of activists.

Media campaigns are launched, concerts are held, movies are made, and foundations generate research to bolster awareness about the latest progressive crusade. Yes, there is a religious fervor in the advancement of progressive ideology, but behind that wave of revolutionary zeal is a network of activists and academics cashing checks. These clients owe their status and income to the progressive machine, which is why they will lie down in traffic, or more often attack opponents in traffic, for the cause.

Benefits of the patronage model reach far beyond the activist class. The left has established a vast network through its capture of most public intuitions, of which the most powerful is arguably the education system. Teachers’ unions understand that the left keeps its leaders in power and its members employed. Due to this direct infusion of power and cash, unions are motivated to ensure that their members stay ideologically aligned.

Read the rest at The Blaze