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A Look On The Bright Side

Dave Davis Commentary, Policy, Uncategorized , , , ,

As we approach the white house return of Donald Trump, there seem to be two distinct views of what it portends. On the left, it means a mass roundup of illegals and their placement in concentration camps awaiting export—the economy in shreds without adequate labor. Inflation is roaring upward, fed by tariffs and rising prices. Tax cuts add to the flames by producing huge deficits. The resulting high interest rates put homes and much else out of reach.

Inequity will rise, with Trump’s billionaire friends growing richer while the rest of us fall further behind. Efforts to make businesses and institutions more diverse and inclusive are stalled or reversed. According to Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, instead of a progressive, forward-looking society, we’ll be in the hands of the backward-looking “regressivists.”

Ukraine turned over to Russia’s tender mercies while our former friends and allies abandoned us. Belittled by Trump and harmed by his high tariffs, they retaliate, plunging the world into a deeper recession and raising the danger of World War III. Trump claims dictator powers.

While Gaetz withdrew from consideration as Attorney General, others nominated, such as Pete Hegseth for Defense, Robert Kennedy Jr. at Health and Human Services, and Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence, confirm the left’s fears that inexperienced extremists will run the government.

In fear of these horrible outcomes, blue states are checking their resistance options. The governor of California has even called for a special session of the state legislature to raise funds for legal action. Others are seeking ways not to cooperate with or impede the federal government.

For those looking at it from this progressive point of view, the future looks bleak. However, the landscape might be more favorable for success from a right-of-center perspective.

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Mirror Mirror

Dave Davis Commentary, Policy, Uncategorized , , , ,

We’ve seen this movie before, or at least something similar. Trump uses his gut feeling to pick those he would support in certain situations. Top of the list of qualifications is loyalty to him. Whether they are up to the job is quite secondary. Gazing at the fawning chosen is like looking in the mirror; the more they ape him, the more he sees himself. The reflection, of course, pleases him. A narcissist likes nothing better than himself.

I’ve pointed all this out before. Who can forget those Trump-backed candidates who used his blessing to edge out people who could win in the primaries only to flame out in the general elections? Herschel Walker, Dr. Oz, Blake Masters, Karri Lake, Doug Maestriano, etc.

Losing winnable contests had dire consequences. Trump put himself first, rather than his party and, if he thought about it, the country, resulting in legislation and actions that brought us inflation and an open border. Control of the Senate in the Biden administration could’ve blunted his leftward lurch.

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And So It Begins

Dave Davis Commentary, Policy, Uncategorized , , , ,

Like many others, I’m still in a quandary after the election. While the media gushed over how Kamala Harris is a great candidate, her history said the opposite. The election confirmed what most already knew: she was awful.  

Of the seven battleground states, six also had high-profile senate races. Democrats won five out of the six, even though Trump swept those states. This outcome shows people were willing to split their ticket to vote for a Senate Democrat. Maybe some didn’t vote for Harris or Trump. It shows it wasn’t Democrats per se that people didn’t like; it was Kamala Harris. The question remains: why trade the declining Biden for the dead weight of the vice president?

It may surprise some, but Trump plans to fulfill his campaign promises. All the people he has appointed are loyal to him and his agenda. This realization inspires fear and joy, depending on where you stand on the issues. I’m experiencing one and the other.

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And So It Ends

Dave Davis Commentary, Uncategorized , , , , , ,

I hope to live long enough to read the definitive book explaining how the powers in the Democratic Party brilliantly executed their plan to win the 2024 presidential election up to the end game. Faced with an administration with failing policies led by an increasingly physically failing President, the plan was to secure the weakest opponent. Once accomplished, replace Biden with a bright new face unattached to the administration to carry them to victory. A complaint media would partner in the endeavor.

The planners secured the Republican nomination for the weakest possible opponent, Donald Trump. They focused media attention on Trump by hitting the former president with several novel indictments. It is suitable to punish even political opponents if they break laws; we punish other citizens.

However, most of the cases were questionable rather than airtight. Republicans reacted as intended, with anger and sympathy for their former president. The planners also tried to keep him off the ballot in several places. The obvious unconstitutionality further enraged many in the G.O.P. All the focus on Trump’s court cases sucked all the air out of his primary opponents. Only Nikki Haley lasted through Super Tuesday.

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Decision Time

Dave Davis Commentary, Policy , , , ,

Well, it’s crunch time. Ballots have gone out in Arizona, and I’ll soon be looking at mine. At 86, waiting to vote isn’t an option. Decisions: Dececions. Over the past weeks, I’ve examined several issues to determine the right course and where Trump and Harris stand. I explored the economy, abortion, and Education.

Surprisingly, both candidates advocate industrial policies bordering on mercantilism: tariffs, subsidies, and tax breaks for the favored. With each announcing new expensive policies almost daily, knowing which will ultimately add the most to our staggering national debt is impossible. Trump stands to retain a business-friendly tax structure. In the long run, an effort to rein in regulations may do more for an economy that increasingly finds itself unable to complete anything. Harris continues piling on rules at a record pace, advocating making the rich “pay their fair share,” whatever that means.

Trump is punting the abortion issue to the states to decide. Harris selected a running mate who signed a bill in Minnesota allowing elective abortions up to birth. No one cares about the little living human. By the second trimester, we certainly know they’re living humans. Some people want to give more rights to octopi than these little people. Neither has dealt with abortion’s future issues affecting gays, autistic, and others.

While a massive problem, Education receives little or no attention from Trump or Harris. Why do we have a Department of Education if this isn’t a national issue? If the children are our future, the outlook is grim.

The last area to examine may be spiraling out of control. Readers know I have agreed with very little the present administration has done on the world stage. From the relatively quiet world the Biden administration inherited, its actions in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and the Middle East have created spreading conflicts. In addition to our loss of position in places such as Africa and South America, I see a need for immediate reappraisal, which will lead to coarse corrections.

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