A “Dear Fellow Conservative” email sent by Heritage Foundation President Kay Coles James on Wednesday evening included a video meant to “share with you our thinking here at Heritage on the results and what they mean for the conservative agenda.” It’s essentially a pep talk for conservatives who might be disappointed with Republican loss of control in the House and other progressive victories.
The video appears on a web page that acknowledges that the loss of Republican control in the House was “a disappointment” for conservatives, but declares that “the conservative coalition stands stronger than ever,” urging viewers to “now let us all band together to fight for the values we hold dear.”
“Wow, what an election night,” begins the four-minute-plus video message from James. She says she’s “thrilled” with conservative gains in the Senate. Regarding the loss of the conservative majority in the House, she says, “there’s a big difference between being disappointed and being defeated.”
“The Left will make things appear worse than they actually are,” she says, “so allow me to put things in perspective.” She continues:
We are still standing strong with an allied president in the White House. Conservatives have not only kept control of the Senate, we have increased our numbers. We have strong conservatives like Marsha Blackburn, the first woman to represent her state in the Senate; Josh Hawley from Missouri—a young rising star for our movement, who once interned here at the Heritage Foundation; Rick Scott ,who led his state of Florida as a great governor; and like Mike Braun of Indiana, a successful businessman who will bring a needed perspective to Washington.
These conservative gains in the Senate mean the left has no way to stop the confirmation of constitutionalist judges for the federal bench. Judges like Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
It also means many of the bad policy ideas that will now come out of a liberally controlled House will be dead on arrival when they get to a strengthened conservative Senate.
She also touts the victory of Ron DeSantis in Florida’s governor’s race, while neglecting to mention the many Democratic wins at the state level.
Jones says Heritage is “already working to achieve the unfinished conservative priorities during the lame-duck session of Congress.” And she says Heritage is “already laying the groundwork for the policy ideas that will shape the 2020 presidential and congressional elections” and is preparing to oppose “Medicare for All and amnesty for illegal immigrants, higher spending and attacks on the Second Amendment.”
“We will be stronger, bolder, and more prepared,” she promises, telling people this is the time to “send more resources.”
