This could be an enormous year for Republicans for a hidden reason. Yes, if Democrat congressional retirements continue, if Biden remains unpopular, if Democrats keep drifting left, November could mean a route. But the bigger issue is what that means – for 2024.
First, look at Democrat retirements, a cascade. Already 18 Democrat House members are leaving, another eight not running for reelection. Many are seniors, including the Chairs of the Transportation, Science, and Budget Committees.
Why is that happening? Because they see writing on the wall, want out before that wall falls on them. What writing? Biden’s poll numbers for one, and their party’s left lurch for another.
Biden’s popularity is near record lows. A Rasmussen poll last week shows total approval at 38 percent, disapproval of 60 percent, strongly disapproves of 49 percent. That is abysmal in year one. See, Biden Approval Index History.
Meantime, Democrat leadership is captive to the Hard Left, those pushing race riots, wild socialist bills, overspending, defunding police, downsizing the military, Marxist “Critical Race Theory,” anti-energy independence, open borders, flipping state-level electoral integrity laws, pushing cancel culture, mandates, transgender sports. All this infuriates centrist voters.
The bigger picture is this: If Republicans win the House or Senate, they need to act. Winning Congress stops Biden’s crazy lurch left but it is only half the battle. To win the day, restore the country to common sense, less hysteria, more ballast, and centrism, the mission is bigger.
Needed is forethought on what to do with power, once secured. A Republican Congress – unless veto-proof margins – can only stop bad ideas, so must prepare for 2024.
The goal must be to think ahead, set up 2024 wins in the House and Senate, as well as the White House, for more than holding power and preventing leftism. The idea must be framing and advancing positive, meaningful, all-American legislation, what most Americans really want.
Needed is a clear, forward-looking agenda, a thoughtful, honest, historically rooted, liberty-centric empowerment of people, something that lays the foundation for a big 2024 win.
If the GOP can shape policies for 80 percent of the country – economic, public safety, cultural, foreign, national security, and elevating personal liberty, they can get a whopping win in 2024.
How is this to be done? One idea – which helped in the mid-1990s and informed the 2000s, was the Contract with America, ten priorities that returned government to the people, with wide agreement. A majority behind a new Contract with America could be decisive, saving America.
What might go into it? The list is long. Basics might include holding the government accountable, ending public corruption, restoring law and order, fiscal discipline, lowering taxes, halting overregulation, freeing markets to clear and prosper, lowering our national debt.
Other ideas include incentivizing US businesses to “decouple” from China, diversify supply chains, restore energy independence, reduce cancel culture, high tech, and restore free speech, plus stop federal intrusions on education, religion, diversity of ideas, and the military.
As Ronald Reagan and others demonstrated – with presidents of both parties – if you have the core ideas, stick with them, believe firmly in them – and they resonate, you bind wounds, unify, help the country to prosper. When we lose sight of the ideas and respect for history, we flounder.
So, time is now to think long term, win the day in 2022 – and with integrity convert that win to a bigger win in 2024, using a new Contract with America. Winning power is not enough. It must be used to restore respect for life, liberty, prosperity, and the pursuit of happiness. So, let’s begin!