Democratic overreach is key to rising Republican prospects in November
Donald Trump has built a unique coalition that crosses party lines to bring together the traditional Republican coalition with formerly Democratic working-class voters. The key issue for the midterms is whether that coalition will hold together and whether these voters will get out and vote in the face of a hugely energized Democratic base.
Early polling shows the Republican base holding together, with nearly 90 percent giving their support to Donald Trump. Critical to any Republican strategy is to retain potential suburban Republican voters while also holding on to working-class voters.
{mosads}This means having a pointed message about what the Democrats are seeking to do to the country if they get into power.
A victory for the Democratic Party, under its current left-leaning leadership, would result in weak and inadequate border security for America, a weaker military, even higher deficits. It means tax increases instead of tax cuts, more regulation instead of less, and a renewal of the politically correct culture that threatens the First Amendment and the support for the brave men and women in law enforcement.
A Democratic majority would also mean going down the road of impeachment, as the Democrats fear another election running against Donald Trump. It’s their nightmare that they would once again lose at the ballot box. Thus, they are determined to plunge the country into a year-long drama to try to oust President Trump and make resistance the order of the day. Every vote for the Republicans is a vote against the national turmoil they are set to unleash on America.
Ultimately, though, it’s not one person or one issue that’s at stake, it is prosperity that’s on the chopping block. We are experiencing full employment, low inflation, solid economic growth, as a result of lower taxes and less regulation.
But the Republican Party needs a strong message of renewed fiscal restraint to rein in runaway spending, a powerful message for Republicans.
There also is an opportunity to call for reform of the tech sector — break up some of the monopoly tech companies, restore privacy to Americans, and defend freedom of speech that is under threat by these companies that are suppressing dissenting voices.
The Democrats have gotten in bed with these new mega-billionaires, and this can be a strong populist differentiator for the party that has all but ignored these emerging new issues.
Crime and immigration remain strong issues in much of the country, and the Republican Party needs to come together on a plan to restore the nation’s borders. This means some kind of barrier, along with limiting chain migration and ending the immigration lottery. Opposing sanctuary cities is a winning position for Republicans across the country when correctly explained as nothing more than requiring police to contact immigration authorities when they arrest someone on the detainer list.
Perhaps, most importantly, Republicans should leave no doubt that they are aligned with Trump’s policies — especially when it comes to helping the economy grow, fighting terrorism and standing up to China, Iran and North Korea. Trump’s ratings, especially on the issues, are far higher than the Republican Party or Republicans in Congress.
The GOP has to get organized here and get going. With internal divisions and resignations, the party has been looking like losers when it has a real opportunity to hold on to its majority if it shows some fight. The country rejects the extreme left policies of the Democrats in the party’s leadership and fear what a new “Speaker Pelosi” would do to the country.
Sure, a lot of Democrats have been energized to vote against Trump. However, if Trump achieves a North Korea peace deal, a lot of the anger will be dissipated. The fear of Democrats driving the car of the country over a cliff with impeachment, along with moves toward open borders and tax increases that would threaten our prosperity, can motivate tens of millions of Republicans and hold onto the new working-class voters Trump has added. Resist the resistance — keep America going forward. That’s the winning message for Republicans.
Republican Pete King represents the second District in New York and is a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Andrew Stein is a former president of New York City Council and chairman of Democrats for Trump.
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