How to win next year
Republicans need to fight today's battles, not yesteryear's
Don Lemon was right when he said Nikki Haley is past prime. Oh, it is not her age. She is 5 years younger than the CNN presenter.
Her ideas are past prime. She remains a neocon who seeks to appease her tormentors in the press. She’s a politician who says more tax cuts will solve everything. (And the band played on.)
The world today is not what it was 8 years ago when Donald John Trump rode that golden escalator to the presidency.
While the invasion from Mexico and Red China remain existential threats to America, new threats loom. NATO is on a zombie walk to a nuclear war with Russia, which was once a bear but now is a bearskin rug but with nukes.
Trainwrecks and mysterious fires are wreaking havoc across America, either by design or just through the ordinary incompetence of the Cabinet of Tokens that Democrats installed under Biden. Let’s split the difference. The design was to appoint imbeciles and kick back and enjoy the collapse of America from within.
How desperate is America today? Republicans are our only hope. We have to get them elected despite themselves. So here is what DeSantis or Trump (I will take either) must say and do to get elected president next year.
Say, “I will veto any attempt by Democrats to reduce Social Security benefits. In fact, I will increase the benefits for 56% of recipients.”
Democrats have played this game for 90 years. Republicans must finally learn how to do it — and do it better.
Remember how I implied that tax cuts won’t solve everything? That does not mean tax cuts cannot solve anything. 56% of Social Security recipients pay an income tax on some of their benefits.
The cap is taxing up to 85% of the benefits. Dropping that to 50% is a promise that won’t gut the Treasury but will help 30 million or so voters.
Kevin McCarthy said last month, “We won’t touch Medicare or Social Security.” I say, touch it, babe. Leave your fingerprints all over it.
Ballot harvest.
I was for learning to ballot harvest when learning wasn’t cool. Scott Presler — the dog-walker turned social activist — has graduated to teaching people to ballot harvest.
Donald Trump gets it. He emailed supporters, “The radical Democrats have used ballot harvesting to cancel out your vote and walk away with elections that they never should have won. But I’m doing something huge to fight back.
“Our presidential campaign will launch our own Ballot Harvesting Fund in the states where the Left has been cheating the system. Please make a contribution to our brand new Ballot Harvesting Fund to harvest ballots in the states where we can, and beat the Democrats at their own game — for 1,500% impact.”
As Al Davis said, just win, baby.
You can have all the great ideas in the world but they mean nothing if you do not get elected. The presidency is all.
Our chief executive is more powerful than King George ever imagined. Capturing that flag is imperative to ending government of the government, by the government, and for the government.
Call to end the war in Ukraine.
Last October, Haley said in her peppy voice on Fox, “NATO and the United States need to continue to support Ukraine because they're almost there.
“They just have to keep supporting them, not in blank checks, but give them the anti-drone equipment, give them what they need to finish the deal, because this will set the tone not only for Russia, but China.”
Oh, we set the tone all right. We depleted our treasury and stock of ammo supporting the Racketeer-Influence Corrupt Organization known as Ukraine’s government. Zelensky is the Meyer Lansky of Kyiv.
CNN reported, “Ukraine is burning through ammunition faster than the US and NATO can produce it. Inside the Pentagon’s plan to close the gap.”
Here’s my plan: Stop sending aid. Tell Zelensky it is over. Russia destroyed half of Ukraine. Don’t be a dumbass. Give Putin Donbas.
Who are we to tell Zelensky what to do? His financers.
Promise to fix the border.
That means completing the wall and send the American military to defend the border.
Republicans have credibility on this issue because of Trump. He took the heat and baked the issue into Republicans. Exploit the issue as fentanyl, gang-bangers and terrorists overtake the country.
Footage of Mayor Cop in New York City bitching about the invasion helps.
Go after Red China.
Call it Red China.
All that anti-communism that still dwells in the American spirit can be used to attack the largest communist nation in world history.
Do not settle for shooting down a balloon. Promise to rid the nation of all the spies that Red China implanted at universities and in Congress — except Eric Swalwell and Adam Schiff who as citizens cannot be expelled.
Promise spending cuts without touching entitlements.
Point to all the garbage studies and the waste of money on DEI.
The numbers won’t add up. So? Get elected first and then figure it out.
Promise to rein in defense spending.
Surprise voters by ending the blank check for the military. Point out the Pentagon has never been audited. Point out how the money has been diverted to transsexual surgery, DEI and other nonsense.
But also point out how Biden threw away billions in military equipment in Afghanistan and gave away billions to the kleptocracy of Ukraine.
Promise to fix the EPA and DOT after they destroyed East Palestine.
Calling out the Cabinet of Tokens will get you called bad names. So? We were called deplorable and won in 2016. We did it before, we will do it again.
How did Ace put it?
Oh yes, “J.D. Vance sure did hit the ground running. He's looking like a champ in the very early going. Safe to drink? The bastard child of Predator and the Toxic Avenger wouldn't drink that with Gene Simmons' tongue and Kamala Harris swallowing.”
Be the party that sides with the people and not the bureaucracy.
Keep attacking CRT.
Black votes go to Democrats. Write them off. Every 4 years, about a quarter of Republicans swoon over a black presidential candidate. Herman Cain. Ben Carson. And next year Tim Scott. How has that helped the party?
Point out how racist and unAmerican CRT is. Democrats are going to portray Republicans as racist no matter what we do, so be proactive.
Focus on the family.
DeSantis attacked the groomers in Florida and won because people were shocked to learn that the LGBT Mafia is going after kindergarteners. When the chickenhawks and their enablers in the press called his proposal Don’t Say Gay, he did not back down. When Disney tried to butt in, DeSantis put Disney in its place.
Likewise, Youngkin won the governor’s race in Virginia by siding with parents against totalitarian school boards. One board arrested the father of a rape victim for daring to bring it up at a school board meeting.
Everyone knows enabling groomers is evil. Voters want a president who will champion good over evil.
Don’t be silly.
That means don’t push crap like mental acuity tests on politicians over 75. Point out Fetterman is only (looks up the number) 53.
Voters — not easily manipulated doctors — decide.
Listen to Salena Zito.
No one covers Appalachia better than her, and Appalachia is the backbone of the Republican Party.
The parts of the states covered by the Appalachian Regional Commission (a federal agency) are scarlet red after 60 years of liberal paternalism. Republicans cannot win without them.
Also, hire Frank Luntz and other losers. Don’t take their advice because McCain and Romney did. Hire the Luntz-heads to keep them inside the tent.
Quit beating up on Donald Trump.
53% of the people don’t like him? Who cares? He won without them.
People liked John McCain and Mitt Romney. They lost because they are losers who divorced themselves from voters by sucking up to the press, Corporate America and the Democrat Party.
Even if Trump is not the nominee, show respect.
Target Biden, not each other.
Reagan’s 11th Commandment (which he borrowed from a fellow Republican) applies again because America will die if Biden gets another term. The stakes really have never been higher.
Biden really will kill the economy.
Biden really will agitate a nuclear war.
Biden really will use the military on Americans.
Nikki Haley wants to apply 2001 answers to 2025 issues. She is the one who needs her head examined, not Trump.
Kill the Machines! In person, Voter ID, Paper Ballots.
You knocked it out of the park, Don. Agree 110% with everything in your column. If we the readers and you the writer can figure this out, what the hell is wrong with most of the Republican leadership? Don't answer that. You'll have to put it in another column. I remember you talking about ballot harvesting over the last three or four years ago. Maybe longer. I don't remember. I am glad that Trump is finally getting on that. It's not about turning out the vote on election day anymore. If the Republicans want to win, they will have to adapt and overcome. (I think that's a Marine thing, but it applies.) Overall, what you are proposing is just common sense. For god's sake, I hope someone is listening to you other than us folks on the blog. Regarding Salena Zito, she's a real reporter, old school, and I read her religiously. And yes to listening to and visiting Appalachia and courting their vote. They are definitely Trump country. (I just watched the series Justified set in Harlan County in eastern Kentucky. Fantastic and learned a lot about the area. Learned I was pronouncing it incorrectly!) Bravo, Don. Now to the Republicans -- get busy and get 'er done.