Gates GarciaIf there were ever a time for the conservative movement to look in the mirror, it would be after this week’s midterms wiped away the fog.
As a father of four young children, I’ve been reflecting a lot over the last couple of days. Not as an “influencer,” not as a pundit, and not even as a voter. I’m writing as a dad who wakes his kids up for school each morning, wondering what America will look like when they are walking into their own kids’ bedrooms. And after Tuesday night’s results, I have a few things I’d like us all to consider.
First, stop pledging allegiance to politicians and pledge allegiance to principles. My family watches a lot of sports at home. And I’ve noticed political loyalty resembling that of our favorite football teams. With all the scandals that run rampant in leagues like the NFL, fans continually excuse behavior from those wearing “our” jersey but refuse to tolerate it when a player is on the other team. While inexcusable, in sports it’s just fandom. But in politics, it’s tribalism.
If I teach my children the inconvenience of character and that the truth often hurts, why should I expect anything less from the people asking me to bubble their name on a ballot? Like players on a team, politicians come and go. But teams have captains. And captains hold their teammates accountable. Who are the captains of the conservative movement ensuring that limited government, individual liberty, personal responsibility, religious freedom, and the dignity of human life aren’t just campaign slogans? If defending those principles means criticizing someone with an R next to his name, so be it.
Second, seek and support better candidates. And by that, I mean better human beings. We often hear of championship teams that don’t always have the most athletic roster, or even the best coach. They have something else: culture. And in politics, a winning culture forms around people with character. People who have built something, raised families, served their communities or country, and experienced life outside the political arena. People with the rare ability to combine public service with skills outside it. Not people who confuse being provocative with being courageous or being famous with being qualified. Lately, it seems having a personal scandal in one’s past is a prerequisite for office.
Here’s a question every parent should take into the voting booth: Would I be proud if my son or daughter grew up to behave like — or marry — the candidate I’m supporting? If the answer is no, perhaps we should consider what we are rewarding.
Third, remember that the family isn’t just another item on a policy agenda; it’s the whole point. Why does majority control even matter if we are not raising a generation that believes in marriage, the joy of having kids, and the honorable vocation of fatherhood? I’m tired of hearing speeches about the importance of the American family that don’t address why so many young Americans struggle to build one. Gen Z has gone from listening to hearing to tuning Republican leaders out. And while I don’t rely on the government to build my family, it could at least get out of the way.
If we’re going to call ourselves the movement of family values, we must demonstrate that we understand the economic and cultural conditions that allow families to flourish. Prices aren’t magically correlated with the number of times a politician says “affordability.”
Fourth, give the next generation something to believe in. My kids don’t need another personality or enemy or promise that everything comes down to defeating the other side. Politics is volatile; our kids’ future in America shouldn’t be.
Storytelling is an underrated asset. Every night I read my kids books about America’s story and the heroes who made (and make) it possible. I’m giving them a vision of America worth sacrificing for. Do the same.
If we keep treating young Americans like a collection of votes waiting to be harvested through the latest social media trend, they’ll never know that liberty requires virtue or that rights come with responsibilities. Previous generations grew up with calluses on their palms and blisters on their heels. Today, political campaigns are giving young people carpal tunnel of the thumbs. Provide them meaning and belonging, not the next viral clip.
Finally, remember that winning elections and winning the future aren’t necessarily the same thing. Just like one can earn a spot on the team and lose the locker room, one can win the White House and lose the culture.
In our house, that culture starts at the kitchen table. Politics will never replace that. But it still matters, and I hope many will spend the next two years conducting a front-office overhaul of our approach to the sport that is politics.
I want the conservative movement to succeed. But more than that, I want to ensure that decades from now my kids will be adults themselves, bursting into their children’s bedrooms every morning in a country that is still fulfilling the promises of its founding.
No election will change my obligation as a father. But politicians want my kids’ vote. And to get it, they’ll have to get through me.
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Gates Garcia is the host of the YouTube show and podcast “We the People With Gates Garcia.” Follow him on X and Instagram @GatesGarciaFL.
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