When Your Own Team Keeps Dropping the Ball: A Voter’s Frustration—And a Way Forward

By: Rebecca Witherspoon, April 12, 2025

Sometimes, it’s really not easy being loyal to a political party that repeatedly shoots itself in the foot—whether at the county, district, state, or national level. Many voters show up year after year with hope in their hearts—ready to donate, canvass, share posts, and cast ballots. But that hope begins to wear thin when the leadership of the party you believe in seems incapable of getting out of its own way.

The problem isn’t just one bad decision. It’s a pattern: the rollout of lackluster candidates, fumbled messaging, and a chronic failure to connect with everyday people. Add in vague communication, internal infighting, and an alarming lack of urgency, and it’s no wonder people are burning out or walking away. Worse yet, when frustration is voiced, some in leadership deflect accountability and blame the voters themselves instead of looking in the mirror.

Mixed messaging is a huge part of the problem. You might have a sharp, organized county party doing the heavy lifting—connecting with local voters, planning events, and keeping morale high. But then you look to the state party and see either silence, chaos, or contradiction. It’s disheartening when it feels like the people closest to the ground are working their tails off, only to be undermined—or outright ignored—by the people at the top.

Perhaps the most self-destructive element, though, is how common it’s become for parties to eat their own. The “it’s our way or the highway” mentality has infected internal discourse. If someone challenges the dominant strategy or expresses a dissenting view, they’re often ostracized or labeled as disloyal. Ironically, this mirrors the exact behavior we criticize in the political left. The difference is, we claim to value independent thought. So where is it?

This mindset doesn’t just alienate voters. It pushes away some of the most active, creative, and committed people in the movement. The party becomes more insular, less dynamic, and more prone to doubling down on bad ideas. It’s not principled leadership—it’s rigidity disguised as strength.

So what’s the path forward?

Let’s start with the root issue: respect. Respect for different ideas, different tactics, and different voices—especially when we agree on the mission. You don’t have to love every approach, but treating fellow conservatives as enemies because they think differently is short-sighted and corrosive. The goal should be debate, not destruction. When disagreements arise, find a compromise and move the hell on.

Second, tighten up the messaging and unify the narrative. The public doesn’t care about behind-the-scenes drama—they care about results, vision, and authenticity. When the opposition frames our candidates with false narratives and personal attacks, we must respond with clarity and discipline. Call it out: “The only thing the opposition has is smear campaigns and emotional manipulation. They can’t win on the issues, so they fabricate hate.” Then pivot immediately to the real issues people care about.

Third, don’t let personal attacks go unanswered. If someone labels you a fascist, extremist, or racist without evidence, call it what it is: defamatory and dishonest. Say it to their face if you can. Better yet, have a pro bono attorney on standby and make it known that defamatory rhetoric won’t be tolerated. You may not need to go to court, but the public declaration of truth matters. Accountability matters.

Fourth, leadership must support the grassroots—not sabotage it. Too many local leaders feel abandoned by their state or national counterparts. That disconnect must be addressed. Communication needs to be regular, strategies need to align, and support must be mutual. State parties should not just “tolerate” county leaders—they should be empowering them.

Finally, we need to refocus on what we’re for. It’s not enough to be anti-left. People want to hear solutions. They want a reason to hope and a reason to believe their vote still matters. If we only show up to criticize and never offer vision, we lose credibility—and elections.

This isn’t about being perfect. Every party stumbles. But the consistent failure to self-correct—and the refusal to listen to the people doing the groundwork—is costing us elections, trust, and long-term momentum. The stakes are too high to keep letting internal dysfunction win the day.

Voters are watching. And while many haven’t walked away… yet, they’re tired. Tired of wasted potential. Tired of seeing candidates get steamrolled while leadership hides behind press releases. Tired of watching fellow conservatives attack each other harder than they attack the opposition.

We have a choice. We can keep bleeding support through self-inflicted wounds—or we can grow up, get aligned, and start acting like a team with a mission.

The clock is ticking. It’s time to show up with a plan—and finally, start winning again.