David Webb: Enough resolutions, time to be resolute

The 2016 political season is finally here, and on the Democrats’ side of the aisle, President Obama is a lame-duck president with an unfettered ideological bent.

On the issue of gun control, the executive action taken by the president after his discussions with Attorney General Loretta Lynch would have done nothing to stop the 2012 massacre in Newtown, Conn.; Dylann Roof, the racist shooter in South Carolina; or Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, the Muslim terrorists in San Bernardino, Calif. I don’t propose that we accept the principle of letting the perfect be the enemy of the good by not doing our best to stop anyone who should not legally have a gun, but we need an honest — not a political — argument. 

{mosads}On immigration, there has been nothing done for seven years, and nothing will be done this year. 

When it comes to closing Guantánamo Bay, Obama soon plans to release 17 detainees, while refusing to identify them to Congress prior to release. The remaining detainees pose a particular problem in that they are either not cleared for release to other countries or they have been refused. Current U.S. law prohibits them from being brought onto American soil. 

On the environment, it is simple math. As America closes coal plants, and the Environmental Protection Agency runs wild with regulatory blockades, China and India are opening coal plants at the rate of five to every one we close. We should be responsible with the environment, but a piece of paper will not compel their countries to act against their interests. 

No need to discuss Hillary Clinton. She is the de facto Democratic nominee for president and whatever she says on the campaign trail is opportunist and about getting elected. Those who support her will continue to do so; the same goes for those who oppose her. Some Americans may think about how the upcoming Benghazi movie might affect her bid, but that is not a criminal issue. Her classified emails, violation of federal law and the Clinton Foundation serve as the only legal hope for the GOP, and Republicans will have to play to win.

As for Republicans and their candidates for the White House, they are primarily traveling on the road to Cleveland, where the party’s nominee will be chosen via the caucuses and primaries. It’s never a good strategy, but hope of a win in November for the presidency and holding the Senate is driving the base. 

So often I am asked who will be the nominee. No one knows. Front-runner Donald Trump has thrown a big monkey wrench in the field. The Jan. 14 and Feb. 6 debates and the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries will give us an idea. It may well be that we won’t have a clear direction until the southern Super Tuesday. If Trump is still in the race then, we must learn the rules of a contested convention and a brokered convention. 

I just attended a Committee to Unleash Prosperity lunch with Ben Carson. It was on the record. This is not an endorsement, but I can say that he was impressive in the room, and given time — not a sound bite atmosphere — he spoke clearly on immigration, Syrian resettlement, economic issues and his newly released tax plan. The candidate took questions with no reservations from the attendees. 

More of this availability and approach is needed by the top six or seven candidates in public forums. An adult and complex conversation on policy can’t be held in pressers and explained in red meat catch phrases. The same applies to the debates. There are too many on the stage. The possibility of political burnout grows as the primary process drags on. With all due respect to the others, if you do not have a viable ground game and money to move forward, it is time to exit the political stage. 

What really matters and what does not? Think about how the policy decisions in the coming months and next few years will affect your personal, professional and political life. All of this becomes integral to a greater nation — one that now has a bleak future in some aspects and a next generation that may do worse than the prior one. Politically you must accept imperfection: It is not a flaw, just a simple fact. No candidate is perfect. 

True knowledge is acquired on the journey — arriving at the destination is simply validation of a successful journey. 

Webb is host of “The David Webb Show” on SiriusXM Patriot 125, a Fox News contributor and has appeared frequently on television as a commentator. Webb co-founded TeaParty365 in New York City and is a spokesman for the National Tea Party Federation. His column appears twice a month in The Hill.