A series of recent memos and op-eds from senior Democrat strategists questioning the party’s iron-clad focus on J6 and abortion have fallen on deaf ears at the White House. Democrats apparently still haven’t learned their lesson and this error in judgement is providing a wide opening for Republicans to win big in November. If Republicans hope to capitalize, however, they must have strong message discipline, focusing chiefly on inflation and the economy while Democrats continue to squawk about issues only the corporate press and DC bubble think are important.
It seems that with each passing month, inflation continues to get worse. Year over year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) reported inflation in January rose to 7.5%, followed by 7.9% in February and March, up to 8.3% in April, rose to 8.6% in May, and hit 9.1% in June, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending November 1981, they reported. This month’s number was an eye-catching 11.1%. When moms and dads go grocery shopping, they are paying at a minimum 12% more today than one year ago and on many household items, much more than that. But energy costs alone are enough to make families look for new leadership in DC. Filling up mom’s SUV costs 60% more and when dad opens the electricity bill, he’s paying nearly 14% more than one year ago.
Dinner table issues must remain front and center of Republican messaging if Republicans want to solidify their chances of retaking the Senate and the House by wide margins. Congressman Jim Banks (R-IN), who leads the House’s Republican Study Committee (RSC), sent a memo to House Republicans urging them to “tie inflation to the Biden economic agenda and explain to voters how inflation is Democrats’ hidden tax on the Middle Class.” The RSC’s memo states that “not only does inflation affect the price of consumer goods, it is an insidious government tax on your income and wealth. And the American people deserve to know who’s doing it to them.”
Congressman Banks is right, and a Quinnipiac University poll released last month supports his position. According to the poll, “Nearly 6 in 10 Americans, 59 percent, think that rising prices in the United States is a crisis and 38 percent think it’s a problem but not a crisis.” That number is up from 49% two months prior, illustrating inflation’s shift from “problem” territory to “crisis” territory. Another Quinnipiac poll from early June – one month after Banks’ memo – found that “Americans say inflation (34 percent) is the most urgent issue facing the country today.”
In addition, recent polling among Hispanic voters showed a greater focus on jobs and the economy rather than crime, immigration, or social issues. A March 2022 poll from Axios/Ipsos Latino showed that inflation was the number one issue of concern (34%) to Hispanic American voters compared to December 2021 when inflation didn’t even rank among the top three issues of concern. That shift indicates a demographic that is increasingly receptive to Republican messaging regarding President Biden and national Democrats’ disastrous economic policies.
Congressional Democrats are currently rushing to pass another spending package via budget reconciliation before the September 30 deadline full of climate change and environmental policies that would accelerate inflation. This tone deafness is striking and presents a major opportunity for Republicans to keep talking about voters’ top concerns. If Republican’s can keep talking about inflation and the economy, their message discipline will surely pay dividends in November.
Bob Carlstrom is President of AMAC Action
100% correct on the messaging! I am tired of being identified as a knuckle-dragging evil racist… I do not even know a Nazis, KKK or white supremacist much less identify as one. BTW – why are they called Alt-Right? They are not on the right. KKK has its roots in the Democrat Party.
Republicans need to focus on real issues and promises of action to the American people. Not just talk… they talk great policies – cut spending, smaller government, etc… but then no plan (remember ObamaCare alternate plan) and no action.
The author writes “If Republicans hope to capitalize, however, they must have strong message discipline, focusing chiefly on inflation and the economy”. Well duh!!!! Nice to see that the inside the beltway types have finally realized the Republican Party has to present a concise, coherent, unified message as to “Why should the average person vote for Republicans going forward?” Oh and for the folks out there that always say “Republicans are independent thinkers so there can be no unifying message, Republicans should still possess a core common set of values and principles that bind them together, that can be articulated in a concise and consistent manner. If they don’t then there is really NO PURPOSE for having a political party in the first place.
People have been shouting that the Republican candidates needed a new Contract with America type message for several months now. Something that not only lays out a specific set of deliverables from the new Republican Congress, if they succeed, but also as a way to inform all voters of the contrast in policy from today’s Democrat agenda. Instead what we continue to receive from most congressional Republicans, who do television or radio interviews, is some variation of the inevitable Red Wave talking point. The old “Based on past history, the minority party usually picks up a number of congressional seats in the first midterms.” Gee, if that isn’t a compelling rationale, I don’t know what is. Sitting back and expecting a landslide while doing next to nothing to ensure it actualy comes to pass.
We were promised a new Contract with America type initiative from the both Gingrich and the head of the RNC to be delivered by June of this year all the way back in March of this year. That strong message that the author of this article has finally realized in the middle of July is needed to ensure the so-called Red Wave and hopefully attract non-Republican voters to consider voting Republican. However, by the middle of June, Gingrich did a few interviews stating the issue of a New Contract with America set of both language and deliverables is still under debate with Party leaders. That it won’t be delivered until sometime in September. Talk about waiting until the last minute, with 8 or less weeks to go before the elections. In recent interviews, Gingrich seems less interested in discussing this item at all and quickly changes the discussion to other topics. So it will be interesting to see in the coming months whether any sort of cohesive message with a small set of practical deliverables materializes.
The BIGGEST CRISIS is
DICTATOR Beijing biden and his COMMUNISTS Party.
That explains the DISASTER CRISIS beginning 1-20-21 we have today.
It’s almost like the RHINOS are letting all these extremely damaging policies against American citizens happen without any interference or a word said? Mitch is a TURTLE and how this politician is leading the Republican Party is a sad reflection on our conservative and Republican Party, He Lindsey, and all the others desperately tried to destroy TRUMP and battled him every day. This administration is making the CARTER years look like a good one. Most damaging 2 years in the history of the country, and most embarrassing also. This is what happens when you install a demented puppet that obeys everything the progressive Marxist socialists demand he do. This is a disaster.
Don’t forget this CRISIS as well…COMMUNIST China and other Foreign countries now OWN
37.6 Million ACRES of PASTURE, TIMBER, and FARMLAND. The size of Illinois.
And TRAITORS keep SELLING to them with DICTATOR Beijing biden blessing.
INVASION of of OUR BORDERS a TREASONOUS ACT has a MAJOR EFFECT on OUR ECONOMY and NATIONAL SECURITY.
DICTATOR Beijing biden has let in OVER 2 MILLION ILLEGAL ALIEN TERRORIST since January 1, 2022, this year so far and STILL letting in FOREIGN MILITARY TERRORIST.
That in REAL NUMBERS since 1-20-21, is around 10 MILLION that WERE NOT CAUGHT.
The democrats know exactly what their policies are doing to us as it’s part of their goal to destroy our government and then replace it with a left wing dictatorship.
I don’t think Dems are worried about November. People may be surprised. If they stole the election once they can do it again.
& add Joes Energy plans, Green New Deal, lose 401K, Our reliance on China
Talking without doing is pointless
repubs appear unconcerned/helpless fighting the overthrow of our country, if not complicit.
WE THE PEOPLE…should NOT have to struggle. THIS IS THE U.S. OF A, ISN’T IT!?
Yes, the economy and inflation are at the top of the list but talking about these issues assumes that this election is the same as any other election. I say it is not! Voters need to remember all the attempts over the past two years of Democrats trying to limit or take away our guaranteed Constitutional rights should be enough to take power away from them and give Republicans control of both houses of Congress by large margins. Senate and House Republican candidates should be talking about FREEDOM above all else and then we should hold them accountable to address the issues in a Constitutional manner so that we the people can get back to some sense of normalcy.
The question should be asked as to why Democrats, when they control the government, they always look for ways to control us rather than protect our rights as citizens. I maintain that Obamacare was never about healthcare it was about control of the healthcare system. The Green New Deal is not about climate, because it is another hoax. It is all about being able for government being able to control almost every aspect of our lives from the cars we drive, how our food is grown, what our clothes have to be made out of, and so much more! In November we have to vote as if our freedoms are at stake, because they are!
The movement and methods of the conservatives (ie. republicans) has always come into question when we look at what has happened and is happening….and see just how lame the repubs have been, even to the point of being contributors to the troubles. It reminds me of those lines in the Star Wars movie when the fighters are attacking the Death Star and the commander of the squadron keeps on telling the pilots….”stay on target….stay on target……” Republicans, unlike the leftists have a real problem “staying on target”……and get side tracked and deferred every step of the way….that is why the left still has the chance to succeed…..they may be wrong, corrupt, vile, etc….but they stay on target. Repubs are like butterflies….flitting from flower to flower (that is to say, from crisis to crisis) with one reaction after another as the left dangles such in front of them…..so they never really settle on a package of issues that matter ……and share messages that reflect that butterfly mentality.
…..when you look at leaders who were/are effective, productive, and good for the republic, they all have this one characteristic…..a single mindedness of direct effort….focused, determined and clear in its definition. People respond to that kind of leadership……and yes…even the evil leaders have this same capacity…..but the end result is a disaster….and we have seen them both…..evil and good…..using the same tools, the same methods, the same applications…..but the motivation is not the same. One desires good, the other, evil. People go where they want……and they follow those who can convince them what they want is what you have. God says we are to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves.
That does not mean……stupid and weak. If we don’t pay attention, we will have what comes…..
As far as I’m concerned, the inflation crisis is genocidal. I am currently on Social Security, and I get a fair amount, but I still worry that it won’t be nearly enough if this keeps up. I have moved to buying the least expensive grocery items I can find and to buy only what I need in order to make my SS check last me through the month. I’ve even cut back on my electricity and water usage as much as I can! As for gasoline, fortunately my car gets pretty good mpg, and I don’t have to go out very often.
Sure, Republicans. Keep talking about it. Don’t do anything, just keep talking about it. Maybe Liz Cheney can help you along…
I imagine how President Reagan would have handled this. He would have kept Trump’s energy policy, tamed Iran as well as North Korea. Trump had right policies. The current republicans, including especially Mike Pence, are no more than bureaucrat, has no world vision, attitude toward Putin, Xi, and the likes of human being. Ordinary people can not handle the current world leaders. US President has to be above them.
because they need a lot of direction or Trump!