The “Cinderella Man” Complex

Due to my near obsession with opinion shows on the 24-hour news channels, I don’t watch many movies anymore. But, a few days ago I stumbled upon the movie “Cinderella Man” about the life of professional boxer James J. Braddock. Although I love boxing and was familiar with Braddock’s story, I was unaware of all the layers of his incredible comeback story.

What makes Braddock’s story so compelling is his embodiment of many characteristics universally accepted as virtuous and worthy of emulation. Many people are tough, many are resilient, and many have a solemn sense of personal responsibility. But people who can lay claim to having all of those characteristics, at the same time, have all of the markers of greatness.

Braddock had these characteristics in spades. Braddock lived through the worst of the Great Depression with his wife and children but refused to take any handouts until his situation became untenable. He refused to stop working on the docks even though he frequently did so with a badly injured and broken right hand, which he hurt in the ring. And, most importantly, he never gave up on a career in boxing despite losing a number of bouts and being labeled a “has been.”

I am writing about Braddock because we have reached another turning point in the evolution of the Republican Party and Braddock’s story can help us find a better path to tomorrow. Many of the principled conservatives, libertarians, and Republican activists I speak with are tired. But they are not tired of the ever-present fight to defend individual liberty and vibrant freedoms; they are tired of the fights with members of their own Party.

A prominent, passionate and respected conservative activist made me aware of an incident this week where she was told that it would probably be best if she “left the Party.” She was told this by a well-known Washington Party insider who should have been embarrassed by this open show of ignorance but, surprisingly, he appeared proud of it. These are the fights that are wearing the grassroots down.

Despite what the insider class may believe, it’s the grassroots that owns the Party, not the insiders. The grassroots activists are the ones doing most of the inglorious work, while the insiders claim the spoils of that work. You would think they would be grateful, but instead, many are resentful.

What the insider class consistently fails to understand about the grassroots is that we are not looking to fight with them; we are looking for them to fight for us.

Braddock persevered though extremely tough times in the Great Depression and managed to overcome a number of obstacles placed in his way in his journey to becoming the heavyweight champion of the world. Sadly, many of the current Republican Party leaders have developed a reputation for crumbling in the face of the first sign of an obstacle in the form of media criticism. This fear of the media has been used as an excuse for damaging votes they have taken on illegal immigration, exploding deficits and debt, tax hikes, Obamacare, and the growing regulatory state. Being on the wrong side of the voters on these critical issues is a black flag to the grassroots and is equivalent to being on the wrong side of a characteristic we all see as salutary, perseverance.

The grassroots is looking for people to lead who, like Braddock, are tough and are willing to persevere in the face of adversity because they believe in a cause greater than simple political expediency. The DC insider class should be willing to take the tough votes knowing that principles matter to people living outside of the Beltway cocoon.

I am not naive enough to ignore the short-term consequences for principled perseverance, and for being on the right side of principled votes in the face of a media firestorm. But, if being principled were easy then everyone would act that way and we wouldn’t be in the troubling predicament we are in. We need leaders now, not tomorrow. Braddock became the stuff of legends not because of his skills, but because of his character. Maybe politicians concerned with their political “skills” and getting re-elected could take a lesson from Braddock and worry more about their character instead. That would truly be a game changer.

EDITORS NOTE: This column originally appeared in the Conservative Review.