By Liz Peek
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
In 1752, Londoners rioted over the Whig government’s
decision to switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. Tory voters had
been convinced that the one-time elimination of eleven days required by the
reconciliation of the two calendars would shorten their life spans.
“Give us back our eleven days!” became the rallying cry
of the 1754 election.
Not much has changed in the world of politics.
Hoodwinking the uninformed has always loomed large in elections, and today is
no exception. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have emerged as frontrunners in
their respective parties, and both are enthusiastically supported by
undereducated voters – those without college degrees.
Many of those turning out for Trump have a high-school
education and have never participated in politics before because no one had
ever spoken to their concerns. For that, he should be celebrated. This makes
this election unusual, since such voters typically vote for Democrats.
This is why neither Ted Cruz nor Jeb Bush, who have
attacked Trump most enthusiastically, have been able to dull Trump’s momentum.
Ted Cruz is forever reminding caucus and primary participants that Trump is not
a “real” conservative. He imagines Trump followers sitting at home scoring the
developer’s statements against an ideological true north. Ex-Im Bank? Check.
TPP? Check. Abortion? Check twice.
Meanwhile, Jeb Bush, a nice man but a dreadful candidate
who has now thankfully left the race, was convinced that if only he could get
more air-time to expound his intelligent views on income tax reform or trade
policy, his ranks would swell. He actually thought people would rally to his
moderate, achievable program, not recognizing that as seriously as the folks in
Iowa take their first-in-the-country status and New Hampshirites pride
themselves on their turnout, too many of those people are swept up this year in
instinct and emotion. And, he faced too many rivals going after the same
voters.
Neither Bush nor Cruz nor anyone else in the race has
recognized that some defined portion of the electorate has rallied to Trump
based entirely on their gut. The billionaire developer makes people feel good
by vowing to Make America Great Again and to build a wall on the southern
border. Most people probably realize that Trump has literally no chance of
delivering on his promises; they don’t care. Trump’s one-liners are good
enough.
But, they are not good enough for the country. A Hillary
Clinton win in November would make permanent many of the policies put in place
by President Obama over the past seven years, weakening our country both
domestically and overseas. It is hard to overestimate the potential cost, and
it is hard to convince voters of just how damaging to our economy many of
Obama’s dictates will be. Many are visible and much discussed, such as his war
on coal; others – like the creative use of disparate impact to extort billions
of dollars from lenders – much less so. But, there are plenty of red flags to
alarm voters.
For the first time in 35 years, more companies
are going under than are being
formed. Or, the continued low level of workforce participation, and huge number
of people on disability. Or, the stagnation of wages and declining
competitiveness in key sectors. And, the miserable state of our public
education, and the consequent decline in upward mobility.
There are so many warning signs. Americans sense that
something is wrong. Gallup surveys show that only 19 percent of Americans have
confidence in government, one of the lowest readings in the past several
decades. Polls say that nearly two-thirds of the country thinks the Unites
States is heading in the wrong direction.
Perhaps the biggest warning sign is the popularity of
Donald Trump, a candidate who blusters, threatens, and breaks all the rules. As
the field narrows and the race becomes more serious, voters must ask, is Donald
Trump the right man to solve our nation’s problems? Will he dig in and work to
bring about much-needed shifts in education or tax policy? Can he help shrink
the size of government and restore common sense? Can he buttress US alliances
overseas? Appoint outstanding Supreme Court justices; rework the Affordable
Care Act, effect needed entitlement reform?
Doubtful. Donald Trump has opinions, not policies. He
wants to repeal Obamacare but likes the individual mandate, the bulwark of the
unpopular law. He favors higher taxes and is okay with Planned Parenthood, but
reverses course when challenged by right-wing voters. His vague wanderings
through the issues of our day will eventually catch up with him – maybe in the
next few weeks. There are some signs his polling if weakening; given more time,
the contradictions will begin to eat into his lead.
Time, however, is running out. For those serious about
defeating Hillary in November, the trick is to find and support a candidate
capable of beating the Democratic front-runner, while keeping some of the Trump
supporters engaged. Many think the best shot for the GOP is Marco Rubio. Ted
Cruz is not liked and has cleaved too closely to Trump’s vision, in hopes of
scooping up his supporters when and if the developer fades. Rubio has perhaps
ventured too far right for many moderate Republicans in order to succeed in the
primaries, but his favorables still augur well for success in November.
Rubio has been reluctant to challenge Trump mano-a-mano,
an intelligent read of the New Yorker’s ability to eviscerate his rivals.
Now, however, is the time. Rubio does not have to attack
Trump’s unreasonable promise to deport 11 million undocumented people living in
the US. He does not have to challenge the real estate magnate’s improbable plan
to slap onerous tariffs on Chinese goods.
Instead, as the field narrows, Rubio can appeal to
Republicans who know better. Those who hope for sensible governing, who are
keen for the intelligent educational reforms Rubio has promised, who see the
popular young senator as the best hope of beating Hillary Clinton -- who are not blinded by Trump’s bluster.
For those undereducated voters streaming to Trump, Rubio can offer an agenda of
opportunity – that great and enduring promise of America.
He’s good at that. Unlike Mr. Trump, Marco Rubio has
walked in their shoes. And, look at him now.
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