Year: 2024

Biden Isn’t The Only One Slipping

Dave Davis Commentary, Policy, Uncategorized , , , ,

Another off-year election and another Republican loss are on the books. This New York congressional defeat illustrates the ongoing weaknesses of the party. Compromised from the start, the race to replace a fraud kicked out of the House of Representatives needed solid handling to offset the stench of the poorly vetted former Republican member. A known, solidly-funded candidate with a well-organized campaign was necessary.  

What happened in the New York election reflected the continuing inability of Republicans to match Democratic fundraising and organization. Instead of finding a known squeaky-clean candidate, the Republicans selected a little-known candidate who appeared to be a registered Democrat. Heavily outspent, Republicans received much fewer early and mail-in votes. This situation left the campaign needing election day votes. Of course, the weather was terrible on that day. The result was that the seat turned Democrat, leaving the party with an even slimmer majority in the House.  

I’m tired of pointing out that parties exist primarily to win elections. After three miserable general elections, some changes might be in order. Why do Republicans underperform? It isn’t that a charismatic leader leads the Democrats. Joe Biden is the least popular incumbent in polling history. Yet, Democrats can widen their appeal to gain majorities.

Suburban women used to vote for Republicans but now provide winning margins for the Democrats. By running engaging pro-choice candidates, Democrats broaden their appeal. They understand the idea is to gain more votes.

Conversely, Republicans seem to go out of their way to repel voters. Instead of putting forth candidates who can who generally support their agenda, Republicans increasingly put loyalty to Donald Trump above electability.

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I Have My Reasons

Dave Davis Commentary, Policy, The Future Party, Uncategorized , , , ,

In the last post, I stated people should back the person most closely aligned with their principles and goals that can get elected. People have pointed out that former President Trump is leading Biden in several polls, so why am I not supporting him? The simple reason is that we disagree on important issues, precisely his stance on capitalism vs. state-directed economies and his subservience to bureaucratic elites. 

That doesn’t mean I didn’t applaud his tax cuts, opposing more regulations, and solid court appointments. Support for Israel while containing Iran led to the Abraham Accords. Providing real weapons to Ukraine kept Russia at bay. 

Trump’s stance on Capitalism vs. State-directed economies, as characterized by protectionism, debt, and immigration, however, revealed Trump’s less attractive side. Subservience to bureaucratic elites, Trump clashed with my fundamental values. 

A bedrock belief in markets allocating resources rather than self-serving elites makes me hostile to industrial policies. These policies, characterized by state intervention in the economy, have historically proven ineffective and often disastrous. 

After freeing up markets and achieving remarkable growth, China is reverting to the state direction of the economy with the expected results; growth is decelerating. Soon, it will join the old Soviet Union, Cuba, Venezuela, and Argentina as countries that could be rich but choose to move backward.

Speaking of Argentina, the new president, Javier Milie, explains the differences between capitalism’s successes and the failures of statism in his address before the World Economic Forum. I only wish I had his passionate ability to make the case for markets and the people rather than the state making decisions. One can only hope he will get the support to return Argentina to its place among wealthy nations.

A state-directed economy is only possible by separating a nation from competing goods and ideas. Protectionism through tariffs is a primary tool. Trump loves tariffs. He imposed them to protect our steel and washing machine industries. While he saved some jobs in the protected sectors, the data shows he lost more jobs among the users of tariff-protected products such as autos and washing machines using the now higher price steel, making them less competitive.

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We Deserve A Better Leader

Dave Davis Commentary, Policy, The Future Party, The Middle East, Uncategorized , , , ,

Three dead, and dozens hurt, the result of a suicide drone attack on a U.S. base in Jordan. It was just a matter of time before U.S. troops died, according to Gen. Keith Kellogg on Fox News. After 160+ attacks on U.S. troops in Syria and Iraq, added to assaults on shipping in the Red Sea, the Biden administration had repeatedly told Iran and its surrogates, “Don’t,” but they did. Still, administration spokespeople’s recurrent theme is, “We don’t seek a wider war.” 

Remember, as recently as 9/29/23, the national security advisor Jake Sullivan claimed the Mideast is the quietest in decades. Now, Anthony Blinkin says we face the most significant Mideast problem since 1973. Since the October 7th horrific attack, the hostilities have spread from Israel and Gaza to Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, the Red Sea, Yemen, and now Jordan. A war already rapidly widening. From the quiet of the Abraham Accords and a restrained Iran at the end of the last administration to the present mess, you can’t avoid the conclusion it’s the result of Biden’s policies.

Besides removing sanctions allowing a massive increase in Iran’s oil revenues and unblocking Billions of dollars, which allowed the Mullahs to finance the increase in the terrorist activities of their surrogates, the administration also re-instated aid to The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNWRA). Years ago, I pointed out in posts on the Middle East that this agency was far from being a force for good. It served only to prolong and deepen problems. 

Instead of facilitating Palestinian resettlement in the Arab world, it kept them in camps, with only their hatred and families increasing. UNWRA schools taught hostility to Jews. President Trump’s U.N. Ambassador, Nikki Haley, aware of its failings, successfully pushed the U.S. to defund the wayward agency. However, Biden restored funding and added even more discretionary funds.

Now we find UNWRA employees took part in Hamas’ ghastly attack on Israel. Evidence shows at least one in ten of its staffers have ties to the terrorist group. Believe it or not, the U.S. Taxpayers supported the terrorists. Even with UNWRA’s widely known flaws, Biden gave them funds, much of it ending up with Hamas financing its horrors.

I can’t prove my earlier idea that a quiet but robust alliance between Israel, the U.S., and the Kurds would’ve kept a lid on the Mideast caldron, allowing the area to evolve into modernity. Still, it couldn’t have worse results than we have now. Even in a limited form under Trump, maintaining the Harir airbase in Kurdistan and solid support of Israel allowed some Arab nations to join in the Abraham Accords, with others likely to follow. Wouldn’t it be better to have our own strategically placed proxies?

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Words Should Have Meaning

Dave Davis Commentary, Uncategorized , , , ,

Some things are driving me crazy. I’ll share them with you in no particular order while we await the New Hampshire primary results. Why shouldn’t you lose some sleep, too? 

When Ron DeSantis entered the presidential race, Trump denounced him as disloyal. After all, he endorsed him for Governor, so he owes him loyalty forever. Tim Scott, whom Nikki Haley appointed to a vacant senate post, supported him over Haley and declared that he thought it was terrific. Trump’s allegiance only travels in one direction to him. Who has Trump been loyal to? What an example for our children.

How many times do you see the fearful term genocide used in articles about Israeli operations in Gaza? It’s on signs of the pro-Palestinian marchers. Progressives around the world use the term to attack Israel to justify their anti-Semitism. 

Long associated with the holocaust, the murder of six million Jews, this horror-engendering term is now widely used against Jews. Employing this term to describe the situation Palestinians find themselves in is wrong. 

The BBC defines Genocide this way, “Genocide is understood by most to be the gravest crime against humanity. It is defined as a mass extermination of a particular group of people – exemplified by the efforts of the Nazis to eradicate the Jewish population in the 1940s.”

 Since 1948, the Jewish-Arab conflict has had many ramifications, but the Palestinian Genocide isn’t one of them. Since that time, the number of Palestinians has multiplied over eight times. The 1.67 million in 1948 expanded to approximately 12 million today. The one thing you can’t say is the Jews are exterminating the Palestinian people. 

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Losers

Dave Davis Commentary, Policy, Uncategorized , , , ,

Watching Florida Representative Mile Walsh explain why he was enthusiastically backing former President Trump, I was struck by the incoherence of his answer. While he conceded Ron DeSantis was a fine governor of his state, he indicated our problems were so severe that we needed someone to “hit the ground running.” We face many serious issues requiring solutions, but why would Trump be your choice? 

The first thing any candidate needs to do to effect change is get elected. How likely is Trump to return to the White House? Let’s look at possible scenarios. Even though most voters don’t want it, the nation expects the election to be a rerun of ’20 with Biden and Trump.

The latest polls show a statistical dead heat. everything is within the margin of error. Trump may have a slight edge. Even against the most unpopular president anyone can remember, Trump gains no distance. The public has about the same distaste for both.

For a moment, let’s assume Trump ekes out a ’16-type victory. Democrats are more successful in the latest gerrymandering, have a better ground game, and we have some poor Republican candidates, such as Kerry Lake, in Arizona; the Democrats will likely retain at least one house of Congress. Add the fact Trump is a lame duck on day one, and it’s hard to see him accomplishing much of anything, and this is the best Trump outcome. 

Trump’s legal problems may still hurt him, the economy improves, or both, and Biden wins. Given how close the polls this is entirely possible. Instead of making positive changes, we continue to march down the progressive road.

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