VOTERS NEED TO VET CANDIDATES!

 Weekly Opinion Editorial

DO THE WORK!

by Steve Fair

     Politics has always included dirty tricks. The presidential campaign of 1828, pitted incumbent John Quincy Adams against Andrew Jackson, a rematch of the 1824 election. In 1824, because none of the five candidates received a majority of the electoral votes, the election was thrown into the U.S. House of Representatives. Jackson had received more popular and electoral votes than Adams which had resulted in bad blood between the two men. The rematch in ’28 became what is perhaps the dirtiest campaign in American political history. Jackson was accused by Adams of murder, gambling, slave trading and treason. They called him a 'military chieftain,' and said his mother was a prostitute, his father a mulatto man, and his wife a bigamist. After the attack on his dead mother, Andrew’s wife Rachel found Old Hickory in tears pointing to a newspaper article and saying, “Myself I can defend; you I can defend; but now they have assailed even the memory of my mother." But Jackson’s supporters were not innocent. Adams was accused of installing gambling tables in the White House at the public expense, of padding his expense account, and even of pimping women for a Russian monarch.

     According to author Joseph Cummins, politics is not getting dirtier as some claim. In his book, Anything for a Vote, Cummins says, “a rough rule of thumb is that incumbent parties tend to play the most dirty tricks, perhaps because they have the ways and means to do so." Cummins says the dirtiest presidential race was not the Jackson/Adams race, but the Johnson/Goldwater race in 1964. “President Lyndon Johnson, seeking his first elective term after taking over for the assassinated JFK, set out not just to defeat Goldwater, but to destroy him and create a huge mandate for himself.” Cummins says that Johnson had a top-secret after-hours team that planned the dirty tricks. “There were sixteen political operatives, in close contact with the White House, who set out to influence the perception of Goldwater in America’s popular culture.” “They put out a Goldwater joke book entitled You Can Die Laughing.” “ They even created a children’s coloring book, in which your little one could happily color pictures of Goldwater dressed in the robes of the Ku Klux Klan.” So dirty politics is nothing new- it’s been around since the beginning of the Republic. And it happens at all levels of politics- not just at the national level. When campaigning begins to include signs, opponents begin using dirty tricks to keep the other guy’s name out of the public eye.  The recent primary runoff elections in the Sooner state included some ‘dirty’ politics, but the mudslingers didn’t fare well at the polls.  Three observations:

     First, attack politics works.  Political operatives like to say they only work when you are behind, ahead or even- in other words- all the time.  Voters like a good scandal.  They love sensualism. Puffery and hyperbole appeal to our base nature.  Policy is boring, so personality becomes the focus in most races.   Until voters refocus their focus, mailboxes will continue to be filled with attack pieces.

     Second, anonymous attack pieces should be largely ignored.  With the expansion of ‘dark money’ groups, funding can come from anonymous/non disclosed donors.  That namelessness and obscurity shields the money source of the attack, fueling unsubstantiated claims, caricaturing and distorting of policy positions, personal attacks and downright lies. Those pieces of trash should be promptly thrown in the round file.  It does appear voters in the primary runoff were not swayed by the dark money pieces.  If voters continue to ignore them, the money will dry up.

     Third, dirty politics is used to distract.  Campaigns and groups that stoop to slinging mud lack the confidence to run on policy- or they often have something to hide.  When a candidate paints themselves as a committed Christian, but violate fundamental principles in God’s Word, their sanctimonious, hypocritical spirit is exposed.  True believers don’t lie, cheat and steal to win an election. 

     It’s difficult to cut through the rhetoric and self-promotion in politics.  Discerning who is an able, honest, selfless person who wants to serve and not be served requires work.  Do the work!

AMERICA NEEDS TO GO BACK!

 Weekly Opinion Editorial

PEOPLE LIKE REFORM!

by Steve Fair

     During an annual performance evaluation with their supervisor, a salesperson is told they have failed to achieve the agreed upon results for the past 3 ½ years.  It is pointed out they failed in virtually every area and their lack of productivity was unacceptable.  In fact, the territory is in worse shape since it was assigned to them.  The salesperson doesn’t argue with their superior’s gauging, but instead brazenly asks for a promotion.  “If you will promote me, reward me with a more prestigious position and title, I promise to fix everything I have messed up,” they promise.  The boss gives them high marks for boldness and arrogance, but low ones for accomplishment, perception and discernment.  They are not promoted, but terminated.  Those scenarios play out every day in the business world.  Low-productive employees don’t get promoted in the real world- they get fired.  That is seldom the case in politics.

     In a well delivered 37 ½ minute speech on Thursday evening at the Democratic National Convention, Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her Parties’ nomination and loudly proclaimed, “We are not going back, America!” She promised to give the middle class a tax cut (Trump idea), stop illegal immigration at the southern border (Trump did that), and get inflation under control.  In her speech, she hammered former President Donald Trump’s policy positions in some areas and pilfered others as her own.   Three observations:

     First, most Americans want to go back.  Four years ago, the southern border was secure.  Americans were paying 20% less for groceries and 40% less for gasoline.  The prime interest rate was less than half of what it is today.  Businesses were expanding.  Jobs were being created.  Manufacturing was returning to America.  Fast forward to 2024 and 75% of Americans say they are worse off economically than they were four years ago.  The majority of Americans would happily go back to when the border was secure and inflation wasn’t out of control.    

     Second, Harris has huge blind spots.  A personality blind spot is a trait or aspect of a person that they are unaware of but that can affect their behavior, thoughts, and actions. Blind spots can be attitudes, beliefs, emotions, or habits. They can limit a person's effectiveness and make it difficult to grow personally or professionally.  Everyone has blind spots but how a person deals with them defines their character and values.  Blind spots can cause major damage if not acknowledged. 

     Harris’s blind spot is her inability or unwillingness to accept responsibility for her own actions.  She wants America to promote her when she failed in the job she was hired to do.  Like an arrogant, clueless, unperceptive salesperson who wants to be rewarded for poor performance and ineffectiveness, Harris can not honestly evaluate her own performance. 

     Three, Harris can still win.  America is a divided country.  The Democrats appear to be energized and united around their nominee.  Republicans are infighting and feuding.  Elections are about who votes.  Harris will have a strong get out to vote effort.   Republicans should be prepared to be as effective at getting their infrequent voters to the polls.

     In the movie, O Brother, Where Art Thou,” Junior tells his daddy, Governor Pappy ODaniel the reason their reelection campaign is languishing is because their opponent is a ‘reform’ candidate.  Junior notes: “People like that reform.  Maybe we should get some of that reform daddy.”  Pappy hits him in the head with his hat and says “I’ll reform you, you soft headed dufus- we’re the incumbent.” 

     Elected officials have a track record and they either run on that record or from it.  Harris is running from her record.  Her campaign strategy is to borrow Trump’s most popular policy positions, use clever slogans and hyperbole to deflect attention from that track record.  Junior Odaniel must be Harris’ political strategist, because she is running as the ‘reform’ candidate and she is the incumbent. 

SKILLED MANIPULATORS GET ELECTED!

 Weekly Opinion Editorial

CUT & PASTE

By Steve Fair

     Years ago, there were three Republican candidates for county sheriff.  Two were experienced law enforcement officers- the third a perennial candidate for office.  At a GOP booth at a major outdoor event, all three candidates campaign material was laid out on the table.  The two viable candidates had well written, well produced, slick campaign push cards to distribute.  The third candidate took the other two candidate’s push cards, cut and pasted what he agreed with, and put his name at the top.  He didn’t bother to retype.  When confronted by his opponents, he explained he agreed with what they stood for.  Voters didn’t buy the plagiarist’s story and he received less than 40 votes in the primary election. Three observations:

     First, Vice President Harris is cut and pasting President Trump policy.    This week, Harris announced she supports exempting tips from personal income taxation for service workers.  Trump has been touting that concept for months.  Trump has endorsed a $5,000 per child tax credit to help struggling families.  This week, Harris announced she supports a $6,000 one.  Harris claims to now support hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a drilling technique that involves injecting pressurized liquid into a well to extract oil and gas.  Trump has consistently supported fracking.  Harris says she supports private health care, walking back her long-time support of national health care.  Trump has consistently said Americans should manage their own health care. 

     Harris is not just borrowing Trump’s policies.  She supports price controls, similar to those enacted by President Nixon to control the inflation the Biden/Harris administration created.  She wants to empower the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorney generals, “to investigate and fine food companies that violate the federal ban.”  

     For those too young to remember, Nixon’s price controls were an utter disaster.  They simply delayed the inevitable and created shortages.  The price controls resulted in the demise of many food processors and ingredient providers.  Unable to pass along real price increases in a reasonable period of time drove many out of business.  The end result was the American consumer paying more for food.  Government rarely fixes anything with regulation and interference.  It helps when it gets out of the way.

     Second, will the real Kamala Harris stand up?  Is her recent conversion to conservative policy real or it just a ploy to get votes?  Consider Harris’ track record of the aforementioned issues: (1) Biden/Harris expanded the reach of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to hire more IRS agents specifically to target ‘tipped workers.’  (2) During the 2020 presidential campaign, Harris said: ‘there is no question, I’m in favor of banning fracking.’  But energy exploration (drilling) is a big issue in battleground Pennsylvania, so now she supports fracking? (3) Harris has consistently supported a single payer health care system ran by the government since she was in elective office.  So now she doesn’t? 

     Harris has contradicted the Biden/Harris administration policy and unless Harris was converted on the road to Damascus(unlikely), this looks like the ultimate confidence game.

     Third, skilled manipulators get elected.  Because such a low percentage of American voters pay any attention to public policy, all too often connivers finagle and beguile the naïve to get into office.  Once there, these public servants abandon their campaign promises and govern to help their true constituency- their donors.  That’s why America has record inflation, an out-of-control national debt, and a huge government footprint.  Until voters hold their elected officials accountable, it will be the same old same old.

     Solomon said in Ecclesiastes there was nothing new under the sun, meaning no matter how things seem new to us, in their essence they are the same.  Voters need to recognize the ‘cut and paste.’

LIBERALS CAN BE FOLKSY AND RADICAL!

Weekly Opinion Editorial 

WALZ IS RADICAL!

by Steve Fair

      Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.  Walz, 60, is a former high school coach, who served 12 years in Congress after defeating a six term Republican.   In Congress, Walz was considered a political moderate, likely because he was reflecting his district.  Walz was elected Minnesota governor in 2018, but moved to the far left after Democrats won full control of Gopher state government in 2022.  Since then, Walz’s policies have become increasingly liberal. 

     Walz was an unexpected pick for VP.  According to polling, only 21% of Americans know who he is.  Walz is a liberal and his selection was lauded by the most liberal Democrats like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, (D-NY) and IIhan Omar, (D-MN).  Walz has received 100% ratings from Planned Parenthood, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), AFL-CIO, and the National Organization for Women (NOW).   Three observations:

     First, the VP pick seldom determines who wins.  It made a difference in 1960 when Senator John F. Kennedy picked Senator Lyndon Johnson as his running mate.  Johnson’s barnstorming ‘delivered the south’ for JFK in a very close race, that was likely stolen from VP Richard Nixon.  Can Walz ‘deliver the rust belt,’ like LBJ did in 1960?  That is what Harris is hoping.

     Second, the Harris/Walz ticket is the most liberal in U.S. history.  More liberal than McGovern/Eagleton/Shriver- more liberal than Carter/Mondale, Clinton/Gore, and Obama/Biden.  Harris/Walz policy positions are next level liberal. Redistribution of income and wealth is their stated goal.  Using tools like taxation, welfare, public services and monetary policies, they punish those who produce and reward those who don’t.  Their fiscal policies are more communist than socialist.  Their social policies are even more to the left.

     Third, liberals can be folksy.  Walz has been described as sociable and friendly.  He wears Carhart and camo.  He looks and talks like a guy you would run into at the local co-op or elevator.   His nickname is Uncle Tim.  

     Some voters will see Walz’s wardrobe and demeanor as a reflection of traditional Midwestern values from his rural Nebraska roots.  Nothing is further from the truth.  Like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, Walz- and Harris- are radicals. 

     Walz’s fiscal policy has delighted progressives(liberals) across the country.  With a $72 billion state budget package chock full of social programs that Democrats on the national level have only dreamed of, Walz has made Minnesota the envy of liberal states.  Free meals for school kids, free college tuition, and free medical leave, are all programs passed by the state legislature this year. 

     The problem is free doesn’t exist in any economic system.  Someone is always paying the bill.  When an economy has more who don’t produce than those who do produce, their days are numbered.  That is where we are in America.  Government takes from the needy and gives to the greedy.  Voters this year need to look past the folksy, sympathetic, affable persona Harris and Walz are trying to project to what they really want to do- move America to a socialist state.

America could use some mutual weirdness in politics!

 Weekly Opinion Editorial

WEIRD

by Steve Fair

     I never set out to be weird. It was always other people who called me weird. ―Frank Zappa.

     Webster defines weird as: strange, extraordinary, odd, bizarre eccentric, queer or unusual.  Democrats are using the word ‘weird’ to describe President Trump and Vice-Presidential candidate J.D. Vance.  This is a deliberate shift from their painting Trump as ‘a fundamental threat to democracy.’  Seems that message was too complicated- and false- for most voters to absorb.    “Weird is a word regular people use in their everyday lives,” Democratic operative Martha McKenna claims.  A simple message for low information voters.   Three observations:

     First, weird isn’t always bad.   There is a difference between being creepy/strange weird and just being quirky or different than everyone else.  Very often, those branded ‘weird’ are creative, intelligent, innovative game changers.  Those weirdos refuse to follow the crowd, run with the pack, go with the flow or play the game.  Because of their non-conforming attitude, they change the world.  Jesus was branded ‘weird’ by the Pharisees.  Edison was considered quirky.  Mozart unorthodox and strange.  Zappa was a musical genius, but eccentric. What the world called ‘weird,’ God used to change the world.

     Second, the weird strategy is weird.  The Democratic Party has more unconventional, unorthodox people in it than the Republicans.  Biden’s Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, is openly gay.  Assistant Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine is transgender.  Many Americans, conservative and liberal, see their lifestyle as ‘weird.’     The risk of alienating like-minded voters by calling their views ‘weird,’ is one McKenna says Democrats are willing to take to win the election.   

     When a person uses the word ‘weird’ to describe another person, they are judging the values of that person as compared to their own- aka value judgment.  Democrats have said for years no one has the right to ‘value judge’ another, but they are practicing it by calling another’s values ‘weird.’   

     Third, calling Trump/Vance ‘weird’ avoids policy debate.  That is the real strategy.  Politicos of all stripes create a diversion when they can’t run on their track record. So, the opponent becomes ‘weird,’ and often the public buys it.  Google searches for ‘weird’ in association with MAGA/GOP/Vance are up +32% in the past week from three months ago, so curiosity is being piqued. 

     But the real end game of labeling Trump/Vance ‘weird’ is to distract voters from checking past performance.  i.e.: Biden/Harris economic policy isn’t working.  July marked the highest jobless rate in the U.S. since October 2021.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 600 points lower in the July.  Inflation has Americans paying +20% more for gasoline and groceries than they were four years ago.  In battleground states, President Trump continues to poll 15 points higher than Vice President Harris on economic issues.  If voters get weirded out with the ‘weird’ distraction strategy, Harris wins.

     Dr. Seuss said, “We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone, whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”  America could use some mutual weirdness in politics.