A few thoughts on herding cats
Readers have undoubtedly noticed the letters from folks unhappy with my congressman, and the congressman of many Californian readers, Kevin McCarthy. Many of those letters, perhaps most, appear to be from outside his district, some from out-ofstate and at least one from as far away as Pennsylvania. Some take statements out of context or reflect a general hostility toward Republicans. Such letters are truly motivated by one basic reality — he is doing a great job of unifying the party.
Those left-leaning authors know they may lose the House majority.
We are all familiar with the adage that leading independent individuals is like “herding cats.” A great illustration is the leading of Republicans and conservative independents. They view themselves as individuals, think independently and resist categorization diminishing that individuality. Those on the left are more likely to view themselves as members of a social class and are more susceptible to simplistic narratives based on class. Various attempts at division by class have failed, so that leaves them trying to create new classes to divide people.
Leading a group of strongminded individuals is challenging because even when the core principles are widely accepted, there are always a few who have unique perspectives.
Witness the slightly left-of-center Republicans who rent space on billboards to attack our congressman, or witness some on the right who fail to grasp the need for pragmatism and building coalitions. What these outliers forget is the reality of elections in our country, to win elections, it is necessary to appeal to independents while still motivating the “base.”
McCarthy has mastered that balancing act by fostering dedication to the enduring principles that individuals from the center of the political spectrum to the right can agree upon. He may get some sniping from a few on specific issues, but he focuses on the issues that hold the coalition together. He did that as registration chair for the Kern GOP in the 1990s, as state Assembly Republican leader in the first decade of this century, and as the Republican leader in the House of Representatives. It’s no wonder those on the left attack him — he’s a master “cat-herder.”