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Much of the Left’s Control over Elections Doesn’t Involve Ballot Fraud
President Biden recently Tweeted that he was trying to devote more resources to security at our southern border, but that he was being blocked by Republicans who don’t care about Fentanyl overdoses, and seek to open the border.
This is not a Clintonian lie. Bill Clinton was an exceptional liar — he was very good at suggesting something that wasn’t true, but couching it in clever words that made him difficult to pin down, “That’s not exactly what I said.” He earned his nickname Slick Willy.
Biden is different. He says stuff like this, that is clearly and obviously not true. He acts as if he knows that the media will never challenge him, even on open, obvious lies.
Republicans recently proposed a bill that makes any school that accepts government funding be required to make their curriculum and reading lists publicly available, that those schools allow parents to speak to their children’s teachers and at school board meetings, and preventing school employees from changing children’s pronouns or other gender identity without discussing it with that child’s parents. The Democrat response was predictably unhinged:
“Extreme MAGA Republicans don’t want the children of America to learn about the Holocaust,” alleged Hakeem Jeffries, absent any evidence. … “This Republican bill is asking the government to force the outing of LGBT people before they are ready,” Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said on the House floor. “When we talk about progressive values, I can say what my progressive value is, and that is freedom over fascism.”
I could go on and on, but an article titled “Leftists are often dishonest” would not be terribly interesting.
What is interesting, I think, is that I’m not really sure how Republicans can combat this. President Biden’s casual assumption that the media will back him up on any lie he utters, no matter how outrageous, as long as it attacks Republicans — that assumption is correct. Hakeem Jefferies and AOC presume that their inflammatory comments will be published without scrutiny, have their desired effect of attacking Republicans, and then fade into obscurity. And that presumption is correct.
They also presume that, absent media reporting on this, if the Republicans argue the facts, it will just sound like partisan bickering. Those Republicans are so bitter and argumentative, you know…
Reagan was known for working past the media, and communicating directly with the American people. The media have learned from that failing, have become more powerful through social media, etc., and are now much better at controlling the narrative. I don’t think Reagan’s skills would work as well now. In fact, I don’t think they would work at all.
Much of the left’s control over our elections does not involve ballot fraud.
The Republicans have a problem. I don’t see an obvious solution.
Some Republicans don’t communicate well. But it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what they say, and it doesn’t matter what Democrats say. All that will be fixed — adjusted and edited for mass consumption — to be sure the proper message gets across. Every time. And everywhere — even the sports pages — absolutely everywhere. It starts to sound true after a while.
Hoping for another Reagan doesn’t help. He had a unique talent. And that talent wouldn’t help now, anyway.
The game is different now. There is a reason that Trump was so successful. But his talent set is unique, as well — there aren’t many of those walking around. Which is probably a good thing.
Pointing out the lies of the Democrats is important. Attempting to ridicule them through satire is important, as well. Although even the Babylon Bee has a hard time coming up with satire of such ridiculous lies. How can you make the absurd sound more absurd without being absurd? A question for the philosophers…
This is a game Republicans can’t win, obviously. That’s the whole point of the game, in fact.
So we need to change the game. But I’m not sure how.
I’m open to suggestions…
Published in General
I think he did articulate a vision. His cabinet did a fantastic job the first two years. That was his leadership.
If DeSantis wins the nomination, and I believe he will, I hope his goal is to get government out of the way so that Americans can thrive again.
We will crash if the government doesn’t stop micromanaging the country.
He was a top-notch developer but what was the political vision? Calvin Coolidge had a philosophy, Reagan, LBJ, FDR offered visions, JFK an image as did Trump. Trump mostly offered a sales pitch about the best ever, the greatest as provided by him. God bless him for keeping bad policies at bay for four years but he did not grow into the office as he should have.
Don’t misunderstand. I voted for him with enthusiasm in 2016. His administration was a godsend. But I don’t do cult stuff. What no longer works politically has got to go. And his petty attacks on DeSantis are vomitous.
He did not grow the party. He did not steal moderate GOP support from the RINO wing. He instead managed to alienate the suburban swing vote. He did not establish a vision that would help grow the party beyond his tenure. He pushed loser Senate candidates whose sole qualification was overt personal loyalty to Trump. That was political malpractice and damage to the party (and the country) out of sheer narcissism. I don’t forgive that. Biden will successfully lower the average IQ of the federal judiciary by about 10 points because we do not have a GOP Senate majority.
I wonder how many current journalists could tell you who Gary Hart was.
I get the cynicism. I agree with many of the challenges you present. I completely disagree with your conclusion. Good disciplined communication combined with courageous action does still persuade. Ron DeSantis just won every major demo in Florida and flipped the democratic stronghold of Miami Dade County using this approach. There are other examples as well. He’s been the most successful at it. The media will always attack Rs. Reagan was known as the Teflon man because nothing would ever stick. That’s because most the attacks were lies and he was disciplined and beleiveable when he responded. 41% of the country still hated him. Even if you subscribe to the idea that Donald Trump is wonderful, it’s not hard to see why so many people can’t see it, based on his lifetime of behavior. It’s always darkest before the dawn. Don’t give up on the country, there is still hope.
you so nailed libertarianism
Ancient history. That’s like almost as long ago as the Civil War!
Of course, they don’t need to. Once the program is in place, it doesn’t matter where it came from.
And you can’t put the “progressive” program in place until all history has been erased or discredited.
I think it is wonderful the Republicans finally have a candidate they can get behind. It bodes well for the country.
It’s been a rough time for the party since half of it turned on GW. It’s time for the feud to end. :)
And I hope part of the next wave is a vision for a prosperous future and lots of new building across the country.
Poverty is my main issue, and things may be looking up. :) :)
How about saying “I believe you are mistaken.” This trend politicians are caught up in that disparages the person rather than addressing the basic disagreement is not setting a good example for our kids. Maybe I’m simply naive, but surely there’s a kinder way to express a difference of opinion without an insult. I have a close friend who is a Democrat and who totally believes the fabrications her party delivers, so I find myself using the word mistaken as I would never call her a liar.
No.
The time for being polite is far in the past.
Republicans should treat Democrats as they treat Republicans: As the Enemies of America and all that is Decent and Good.
Our whole problem is we don’t fight.
If it comes down to personal interactions, I won’t talk politics with a Democrat. If they insist, they don’t get to be a friend.
Hmm. I think it might be a guy thing. Men aren’t afraid to assert themselves aggressively, but women are more likely to take a softer approach?
Women are far, far more likely to trade their freedom for security.
When conquerors take a village, they kill the men or sell them into slavery. They take the women to be wives. Women are easier, on the whole, to dominate and control with coercion and fear.
If you advocate the softer approach, can you point to where it has worked in stopping the left?
Thank you for putting that more politely than I was going to. Including something about how that sounds like a good reason for women not to vote. Because they’ll tend to vote for surrender, too.
I think there was at least one other reason for that nickname.
From testimony in one of the cases I think he could have been called Bumpy Willy.
He was already “ribbed for her pleasure?”
3. People who are already smoking a lot of weed.
No, that’s not good enough. When they’re caught lying we need to throw in some wild, improbable lies of our own to show how bad they are. Otherwise nobody will pay attention to us.
No need for that, the media already says we’re crazy liars even when speaking the truth.
Judging by my right-wing inbox, a lot of people haven’t got the message.
Maybe I haven’t been precise enough. To begin with, IMHO, wars result from the failure of diplomacy. For a politician to appear on national television and call his opponent ugly names not only insults the person and his country, thereby complicating any sort of potential settlement, but it sets a bad example for the younger generations who are watching it. Does this teach them to be bullies? I agree that women are more apt to go for a softer approach, but it’s because we’re usually at a physical disadvantage to men and have had to learn to get what we want by using our wits rather than brawn.
I think you are 100% wrong why wars start. A failure of diplomacy is way down on this list of reasons. Wars start, always because one party wants a war. That is all it takes.
The Left and the Democrats are at war with us. Not fighting back does not mean we are not at war.
And finally, women have almost always used other things besides wits to get what they want from men. That is not a personally attack, just my observation of how things are.
We are also at war with them. Each side believes they are right and the other is wrong. There is no room for compromise.
Nope.
Is compromise your goal? What that our side wants, are you willing to give on.
Your name is Goldwaterwoman. He didn’t think compromise was called foe. Defense of Liberty and all that. If you belive in compromise with the left, I wonder why you picked that name.
Bryan — I didn’t say I believe in compromise with the left as it currently stands. Bernie Sanders and a bunch of immature kids barely old enough to vote seem to be running the Dems these days resulting in a country I barely recognize from the one I grew up in. That’s the way I see it, but I do recognize there are also some intelligent, well-meaning people on the other side who totally believe they are on the side of the angels, and we are the bad guys. Never the twain shall meet, but it’s been made even worse by the ugly rhetoric on both sides, and diplomacy has disappeared. 😢
There are no intelligent, well meaning people in power. None.
They are enemies of all we belive in. Who are these well meaning people. Name one in power.
The bottom line is it is up to the voters. Freedom isn’t free. They need to earn it. If they aren’t up to the task, if they let any number of the seven deadly sins drive their votes, then they don’t deserve freedom and prosperity and I won’t lift a finger to save them. They can become another chapter in the history books on how to blow a good thing. Mankind is imperfect despite the existence of the “self-anointed” “elite” who think they can perfect mankind.