b"2022 Post WPMAEXPOKEYNOTE SESSIONTrey Gowdyof our country. And I know, even as I am talking, that there are people out there saying 'look, youre probably right, Trey. We may be too conflicted right now, but there are real differences in this country; there are real differences in how this group perceives the answer to how that group does. So, you cannot minimize the policy differ-ences.' Im not trying to . Im not asking anyone to surrender a deeply held convictionnot even a lightly held conviction.What I will ask you to do, is con-sider doing one more thing, which is engaging in this lost art of actually trying to persuade people. The easiest thing in the world to do in politics is find people who already agree with you and repeat back to them what they believe. Its simpleyou can have a long prosper-ous career in politics telling people exactly what they want to hear. Youll be fabulously successful. Whats harder is saying, 'were 50-50Id rather us get to 55-45. Id rather us get to 60-40.' Id like to see if there are people who are persuadable, and then invest the energies in persuading them that there is a better way.So, what works? I would ask you, in the quietness of your own soul, what do you believe . and why do you believe it? And could you explain that to someone sitting beside you that had a different perspective? Can you tell them why you believe what you believe as it relates to tax policy, or immigration policy, or energy policy? Can you do it, using facts, and authenticity, and sincerity? Can you engage in that art of persuasion?Insults dont work. Insults are great in our modern politicalenvironment, because they fire up people who already agree with us. Insults are a lousy way to persuade people who dont agree with us . Insults are not persuasive So if you want something to change, in your community, inyour family, in your city, in your state, in your country, gone are the days when we could just wait for someone else to do it .If you believe as I do . that you do have the power, and some might argue the responsibility, and definitely the opportunity,to be whatever change it is you want to see.you to do. If you, like me, do not want to die in a 50-50Two famous people said 'a house divided cannot stand.' One was country. Are we pursuing relationships with people whoJesus; the other was Abraham Lincoln. 'A housedividedcannot don't look, and think, and worship, and vote like we do? - stand.' . But if were going to get from the conflict to the contrast So I would ask you to consider the value of pursuingit will not be the people that you send to Washington, it will not be the people you nominate and elect for president. They reflect; they a relationship with someone who might be consideredare a lagging indicator; they react. It will be when you decide, this unlikely. I would ask you to consider practicing thisis what we want the United States of America to be like.uncommon grace towards people that we disagree with; that may have offended us; that have a different viewSWPMA News / Spring 202213"