Trends are Emerging
Week after week, things continue to improve for Trump as Democrats’ prospects get even worse.
For Trump, there were recent statistics showing that real wages (wages adjusted for inflation) rose again for the first time since his first term. The increases in his first term were pretty much the first time since the early 1970s. Also, gas prices hit a four-year low.
Then you had the successful strike on Iran. Almost like clockwork, the media, based on a leak, tried to question the efficacy of the attack. Still, their jubilant reporting of failure didn’t even last the day before it was called into question. Their experts all predicted that the attack would destabilize the region and lead to Iran getting a nuclear bomb. Instead, the threat of Iran, something I have worried about since 1979, is significantly reduced, and the week ended with the ceasefire holding. For the Democrats, their hatred of Trump blinds them to a more reasonable reaction. When Obama had the attack that killed Bin Laden, most Republicans applauded, but Democrats could not reciprocate.
Despite complaints that Trump was damaging relations with our Allies, there was a successful NATO meeting where the Secretary General argued that Trump should be given credit for pushing the organization to meet its commitments, as this would not have happened if Trump had lost the election. Finally, the Supreme Court ended its term with a series of favorable rulings for Trump. (Side note: Jackson’s dissent on stopping nationwide injunctions was hardly judicial reasoning.)
The latter is an excellent example of soft power. Nationwide injunctions never happened until the 1960s. While they were questionable, they were accepted as they existed in a gray area. Then, they were so overused with Trump that the Trump administration challenged them in court. Now they are gone. Such is the case with soft power; it exists unless pushed too far.
Thus, for the Administration, wages are up, prices are down, the border is secure, the world is safer, and peace is breaking out in the Middle East and Africa (Congo and Rwanda). There is still much to do, but it’s a good start.
On the Democratic side, it seems the far left is winning in the battle for the Party. In the decision to follow the example of 1972 (to the left) or 1992(to the center), the Party appears to be going after 1972. The likely results will be, as it was in 1972, a massive loss next year. Trump Derangement Syndrome is real and unfortunately is alive and well on the Left.
For example, Judge Brian Murphy ordered the Administration to stop deporting illegal aliens to third countries. The Administration stopped and appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Administration, yet the judge refused to abide by the Supreme Court’s decision. So, the Administration has to appeal to the Supreme Court again.
Cythina Gonzales, vice mayor of Cudahy in CA, publicly calls for gangs to step up and protect their territories from the “biggest gang there is,” ICE officers.
Democrats in New York voted for a socialist as their candidate, Zohran Mamdani. However, this may be an indictment of rank-choice voting. Not only is he a socialist, but a racist, promising to tax the “white neighborhoods.” Mamdani promised to make New York more affordable by enacting policies that have repeatedly failed. Do you really think $30 minimum wage, freezing rents, free buses, defunding the police, and setting up government-run grocery stores will actually improve people’s lives?
Like most blue states and cities, people are already leaving New York. So, how is he going to pay for all this? As Margaret Thatcher famously said, socialism is great until you run out of other people’s money. But the Left never seems to learn. They are always chasing utopia. Despite all the failures of the past, this time they will do it right, this time it will work, or so they promise.
Meanwhile, while Momdani has the support of people like AOC, more reasonable Democrats are lamenting Momdani’s win. I have even heard some wonder if the Party can be saved. Perhaps the only solution is not 1972 or 1992, but to follow the example of those who broke away from the Whig party over slavery and founded the Republican Party. While not an easy choice, the only alternative would be another round of losses to break the hold of the far left on the Party that keeps it pushing for the 20% of so many 80-20 issues.
Happy Fourth of July!
