Thank you Megan McArdle for this wonderful piece of clarity in confused times.

She cites Governor Cuomo (D-NY) blunt and spin-free truth-telling about how to manipulate and influence the political process — a lesson that free enterprise leaders need to understand:

Cuomo himself has described the [budget] process thusly: “The governor announces the budget; unions come together, put $10 million in a bank account, run television ads against the governor. The governor’s popularity drops; the governor’s knees weaken; the governor falls to one knee, collapses, makes a deal.”

Note to free enterprise leaders: Listening to people who have been successful in achieving policy outcomes they want despite the fact that those who have to implement them oppose what you want, is a smart strategy.

To achieve the political result they want, successful organizations run television ads, millions and millions of dollars in television ads. They also attack their friends and allies when necessary, and — even more simply — attack their opponents.

They run ads that work.

The opponents cave.

This is really not that difficult. It is pretty straight-forward stuff.

But it takes will and resolve. (Resources obviously, but business is not without resources.)

What it is without, as evidenced by the passage of ObamaCare and “banking reform” is the will to act in an effective and tough manner.

Unfortunately, the lack of will on the part of free enterprise is really a lack of resolve, which can be traced directly back to a lack of courage.

And no amount of memo writing or urging or illustrations of success (see above) can create courage where there is little.

This leaves the heavy lifting to those who have will and resources to ignore the hand-wringers on every free-enterprise Association Board or Legislative Committee — and why they must ignore the Democratic lobbyists all large businesses retain.