Political junkies watching what the Democrats have been doing in 2021 might easily conclude they enjoy committing political suicide. So many of their policies are popular solely with the extreme wing of their own party. Moderates are understandably nervous going into 2022. But it’s independent voters that both parties need to win in general elections, and independents are not fond of the open southern border, defunding police departments, inflation, critical race theory, identity politics, and the absolute lawlessness in America’s cities, a phenomenon not seen in decades.
Democrats know they are destined for minority status after November 2022. So, their short game is to try to get as many progressive policies inscribed into law as possible, despite their unpopularity, because their current majority status might be a once-in-a-generation opportunity for The Far Left. The opportunity may not present itself again for some time. Think of it. With the exception of a brief time in 2009-10, Democrats haven’t had a trifecta (control of the House, Senate, and presidency) since 1993-94.
But why not play it safe by trying to consolidate and improve on their thin margins in each legislative chamber? No. Party leaders have resigned themselves to defeat next year and instead are looking to build on the advanced payment of child tax credits by jamming through free pre-K, free college, and even Medicare at age 60.
Here’s where the long game comes in. Leftists are daring Republicans to undo any of the programs they might get passed. And while none of the leftist policies polls with especially strong majority support, if there’s one thing Democrats know, once Americans get a government benefit, they don’t want it taken away. Like a child given candy, no parent wants to deal with the piercing screams involved with taking it away.
Look at precedent. Social Security. Medicare. Medicaid. Who dares criticize these entrenched social programs? No one does, despite the fact that they are headed for insolvency and combined eat up a majority of the entire federal budget. Consider The Affordable Care Act (aka “Obamacare”)? The GOP gained 63 House seats in 2010, just months after its passage. Still, a clientele formed, and the drive to undo Obamacare proved disastrous for Republicans during the Blue Wave of 2018. Obamacare is here to stay.
There’s no such thing as a temporary federal program. Democrats (and Republicans, too) know this. But Medicare is going broke, with insolvency just five years away. Courageous people in both parties are needed to help rein it in with prudent reductions or even raising the eligibility age. After all, we’re living nearly a decade longer than when the program was passed in 1965. Something has to give. No matter. Democrats would rather exacerbate the problem by lowering eligibility to 60, thus daring Republicans to commit their own political suicide if they ever tried to change it in the future.
Enter the poster child of the Democrats’ long game strategy— immigration. Americans have been aghast at Joe Biden’s immigration policies. President Trump left office with a secure southern border and a “remain in Mexico” policy that was working. Halting wall construction and opening the border continues to drive poll numbers down for Democrats. Their latest scheme—calling border patrol agents racists—is also doomed to fail.
But, long term, Democrats know that every person let in is a potential future Democrat voter. It makes sense. What immigrants allowed in would vote against the party that provided them free entry and transport, housing, education, and medical care? Once in, the road from an illegal alien to a U.S. resident to a voting citizen predictably follows. Once in, expelling anyone becomes nearly impossible, logistically and politically. It matters not that the moment an unauthorized foreign person’s toe touches American soil, he/she has broken the law and is thus a criminal. And don’t forget, every illegal alien’s child is given birthright citizenship. It’ll take 18 years, but that’s a plethora of future Democrat votes.
The terrorists who plotted the 9/11 attacks were incredibly patient, playing the ultimate long game of bringing harm to our country, right under our very noses. Today’s far-left Democrats are likewise patient. They are willing to sacrifice themselves with big losses in 2022 with hopes of gaining bigger, more solid majorities in the latter years. Indeed make no mistake about it; Democrats are playing a long game. And they are hell-bent on winning it.
Jeff Szymanski works in political communications at AMAC, a senior benefits organization with nearly 2.4 million members. He previously taught high school government and economics for 15 years.
Dirty rat bastard s
Correction: Your premise of the article regarding the roll of Independents is correct ONLY if one assumes both sides are playing an honest political game. Holding a vote where both sides are fully dependent on the honest outcome of a fair election. This is where in your article you fail to take into account that the Democrats have always tried to game the outcome of any election by whatever means they could get away with. Sometimes they would find a box of uncounted ballots in the trunk of a car. Sometimes they would manage to have some dead people vote. Both are popular tricks used fairly regularly in my state by Democrats.
2020 created a golden opportunity to really step up their game by using a multi-level approach to not only swing a Presidential election in their favor, but also control the outcome of the two Georgia Senate seat elections in January 2021 in an identical manner. Thus giving total control of Congress and the WH to the Democrat party. Using the backdrop of the so-called Covid-19 crisis, they leveraged the crisis to institute a number of changes in how key swing states held their elections to provide an opportunity to achieve the desired outcome they wanted. Now the Democrats want to make these changes permanent by including the language to do so in the so-called Human Infrastructure bill now being prepared in the House. They also have identical language in separate HR1 and SR1 bills. Basically any legislation the Democrats put forth has this language buried in the bill. Surprisingly, only a few states have enacted any sort of election reform laws to prevent the same processes from used in future elections.
Coupled with this is the push to flood the country with as many illegal aliens as possible, that will be registered as Democrats ahead of the 2022 mid terms. There is language in the Human Infrastructure bill to fast track legalization of these illegal aliens in time to get them voting for the mid terms. The purpose of all this is to not only nullify the Independent vote in this country, but to ensure the Democrats a permanent hold on both Congress and the Presidency. With a potential 44 million illegals casting ballots in 2022 and 48 million illegals doing the same by 2024, the Democrats are counting on the fact they would have more than a sufficient majority to win any vote they want. The time to stop all this is NOW, before the human infrastructure bill is passed into law and the Dems get everything they want.
I will agree with the author that the Democrats do indeed play the long game. They have since the early years of the 20th century and that is why we are now in the position we find ourselves. The Democrats have moved strategically and incrementally for over 100 years to position themselves exactly where we now find ourselves today. They stumbled a bit under Obama from 2009 through 2010, but they have apparently learned from their mistakes back then and are pushing ahead on all fronts now. Just one or two steps away from the achieving fundamental change of the United States from a representative republic to a socialist society. I wish I could say the GOP in Washington were on their “A” game and pushing back in a well coordinated fashion, but that of course would be lying. For the most part, most of the GOP in Washington is doing a fantastic job of being largely clueless to what is going on around them. Sure we have a handful of members of Congress putting up a fight, but what is needed is the same kind of focus and determination that the Democrats are using against us. That is what is sorely missing and desperately needed.
They don’t actually need to play that LONG GAME, they’ve figured out with corruption and a rigged voting and ballot harvesting system exactly how to steal everything
Clearly the 2020 elections were fraudulent, so since this worked in the Democrats favor and they are getting away with it, why not use the same tactics at every election?
I see a lot of people in this thread wanting to re-litigate the 2020 elections, as if it matters going forward. The biggest takeaway from the 2020 elections is not who won or who lost, but that Democrats play for keeps, while Republicans mostly fiddle away any temporary advantage they may have at one time or another. We’re in a very precarious place, dependent on Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema to hold back the socialist warriors at the gate. That is the author’s point, and I understand why people don’t want to face that, but that’s where we’re at; thisclose to being too late.
That is why all attempts to modify or remove the second amendment must b RESISTED.
I disagree on Obamacare. IF the Republicans has supported President Trump for ALL of his 4 years, he would still be in office. If President Trump were still in office, Obamacare would have been curtailed DOWN, but not eliminated. So, to an extent you are correct. But the US citizens do not like Obamacare and its restrictions that are telling us that we are not needed and can die.
The dme DO NOT EXPECT THERE WILL BE A 2022 ELECTION, THEY WILL HAVE COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE NATION LONG BEFORE THEN! HELLO!
Dems play the long game just as Chinese Communists play. I know…I know…Dems and Commies are one in the same.
The name of the game is quite simple, One World Government. It’s the long term plan. The Democrats are controlled by this philosophy as well as a number of Republicans. This plan is one that originated in Early Biblical Times in order to establish a Kingdom opposing the Heavenly Realm of God. To do this these people need to find ways to warp the morals of the people. And they’ve done a good job of giving the nations that road to travel down. All of the educational mandates, health mandates and political mandates are being put in place to decay the minds and hearts of people. Look at the shear numbers of followers of Fauci there are. He speaks and the masses fall in line like automatons following lock step behind his mask and vaccinations, it’s all planned out just like WWII Nazi regimes. Old people will be euthanized just like the abortion industry does on the unborn. Lame and mentally challenged will be done away with. Only the strong and mindless will prevail. The only place to look and see how all these things take place in in God’s Word. The One World Government is demonic and we can already see that in the public arena. When cross dressers and those that identify as opposite their birth gender are teaching our young we have crossed the line of God’s creation and have called Him a liar. This whole process will take time, but the issues are staring us in the face and all we get from our so-called leaders are platitudes and very weak threats and promises. The world has dramatically changed and this administration has contributed to its demise as a country that stood strong but now exudes weakness, was once the leader, but now look like a miserable follower of Babylon of the Old Testament Hebrews going into captivity.
The useless,corrupt, self serving democrats must be so soundly defeated and removed that ALL their anti american,American, programs can be reversed.
2022, 2024 and beyond the democrat traitors must be punished into non- relevance.
I was going to try to comment to each person individually, but you’re all not understanding the true reality of the situation – and neither is the author of the article – so, I’m doing my own comment.
If you don’t read this comment any further, at the very least, please consider watching or listening to Steve Bannon’s War Room – I very highly recommend you do so. There’s a LOT going on right now, and a lot being exposed, and he cuts through to the heart(s) of things.
As based on my research (and I’m retired, so I have a LOT of time on my hands, and I’m a scientist, so have a lot of curiosity), the true reality is THERE IS REALLY ONLY ONE PARTY… THAT is how politics REALLY FUNCTIONS nowadays – and, has for some time. Perhaps even always!!! The “division” between the 2 main parties is really only to keep US, the little folk, unaware of this fact. Oh, and to keep our donations flowing – which is the ultimate irony that we’re voluntarily donating to our own demise! The REAL DIVISION is between politicians (sell outs) and the common man – and is the only one that really matters. And, no, not all “politicians” (sell outs) are actually IN political offices, seats, etc.
Do NOT get me wrong… I’m NOT suggesting that we all just give up and give in, and let us all get fitted for our electronic and/or physical shackles and chains, or await our deaths via Obummercare’s “death panels”. JUST THE OPPOSITE.
I’m suggesting opening your eyes, fully and truly, no matter how ugly & unpleasant the truth, and no matter how embarrassed & ashamed we might be to realize that we’ve been (and still are being) used to create the very prison that is closing very quickly around us.
It’s very likely already too late to salvage much of this government – from tippy top at Federal level, all the way down to the bottom, at City level. Now, Steve Bannon advocates regular folks getting involved in government, and esp. at the local gov’t, to start re-building it from the bottom up. THAT IS AN EXCELLENT PLAN!!!
It is up to US, every single individual citizen and legal resident, to fight like hell for what’s right. We may be able to salvage the carcass of what’s left of our great nation, and rebuild it from the bottom up. But, it might also be too late. What’s right might be to finish off the carcass (or let it be finished off) and start over from scratch.
Whichever is necessary, the truth, the real truth, remains – WE ARE THIS NATION. This nation is not rich and powerful b/c of it’s mineral resources, it’s lands, it’s animals, etc. IT’S TRUE POWER IS IT’S PEOPLE.
The sheep are being prepared for the slaughter, and the lions are being awakened. The only real question remaining is, for each of us – am I a sheep, or a lion?
First of all, social security wasn’t intended to be the only means of income, and those that worked their whole life gave to that fund, it is not a social benefit, it is an entitlement to hard workers. Congress stole from it and will bankrupt it soon enough. Although Obamacare is still with us, it is not affordable, nor is it the only provider, so it is as not successful as they intended it to be. Offering Medicare to 60 and up will bankrupt that too. If course, if 65 and older all take the vax, they will be off of medicare real soon, so there is that savings.
They was NO BLUE WAVE. Anyone who believes that, shouldn’t write articles.
Screw the Dems…get power back and revert to the Trump policies that worked! Close the border and get control of our cities. Punish criminals while maintaining justice for ALL (black, white, latino etc) And for God sakes stop the divisive politics pitting Americans against each other, restore respect and civil discourse. Why is it that the dems actual pray for discord and cival unrest- they =create the problem and appear to be the savior that will fix the mess. Americans are waking up but will there be enough to overcome our flooded borders?
This is only true if they fail to get passed the unconstitutional nationalization of election laws. If they manage to get that passed, we are toast and there will never be a free election again and we will be a one party Communist tyranny before we know it.
The Democrat “long game” is not just a Democrat game. Pelosi, Schumer, Newsome et. all, are but cannon fodder in an much larger plot that is being directed by persons that are never in the news stream. George Soros himself is a lightning rod, pushed out into the public eye to move our attention away from the real, shadow players that push the socialism scheme. One only has to look at the so called “conservative” players that still “go along” with the Democrats. There are some countries that have managed to slip out from under the communist stranglehold, but these are small players that can easily be brought back into line. The real prize for communist conquest is the United States. Once they have us, they will rule supreme. Donald Trump can see the danger, but he was unable to find much support inside the establishment. They all worked against him, while mouthing the right words as they stabbed him in the back. After Trump, I can foresee no other patriot that can withstand the horrible socialism storm that is coming our way. At most, Trump can only get four more years in office. Once a people fall under communism there is no return. Look at Cuba, Venezuella, and now Peru.
Nope. They’ll still be majority in both houses, because they’ll get away with wide-spread rampant voter/election fraud just like they did in the November, 2020, election.
We need to quit thinking of these misfits as a “game.” It ain’t a game!
The balance has been breached! The communists are upon us. They continue to sabatoge America beyond repair. The feckless Republicans are in on it at this point. I’m not sure America will recover.