Of all the statements from the SOTU and the Rebuttal, Gov. Sarah Sanders’ assessment that “the dividing line in America is no longer right or left” but “normal or crazy” was the best. One could even add “Democrat or Republican” to that sentence.
One would think a representative government would be helping Americans with their major problems. These days, the “normal” bread and butter issues are unemployment, inflation, housing prices, interest rates, etc. Yet, the Democrats focus on massive importation of immigrant labor (both legal and illegal), transgenderism, gay marriage, woke education, abortion to the point of birth and other policies that appeal only to a tiny but powerful fringe of the Democratic Party.
Meanwhile, the establishment GOP sits there and puts up some token resistance on social issues while fully supporting terrible trade policies, escalation of foreign war in Ukraine, mass immigration to displace Americans from the labor market and hot air over spending that never changes anything.
This is what is considered “normal” in Washington and in the progressive fantasyland Gov. Sanders noted in her rebuttal. What is considered “crazy” in Washington is wanting to stop all of this and actually create a functioning country. You want to stop woke education, critical race theory and pedophilia in schools? You’re a domestic terrorist. Seal the border? Bigot, racist, xenophobe. Abortion at or after birth? Anti-woman and, according to Jerry Nadler, anti-baby. Don’t like gun control? You want dead kids. Stop aid to Ukraine? You love Putin. Now, obviously, all of this works great for the entrenched interests. But it is crazy to think a country can run like this.
Yet on the ground, it is clear reality does not conform to this worldview. While polls vary, none indicate widespread support for uncontrolled immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border. And now that blue city denizens are seeing the problem in their backyards, suddenly they are realizing immigration hawks have a point. Did you ever expect to see South Side Chicago protesting against a migrant shelter?
In schools, parents in reliably liberal areas rose up in arms as soon as their own children were faced with boys in girls’ bathrooms, critical race theory and “equity” which ensured high-performing children were denied awards to “level the playing field.”
Genital mutilation of children (aka transgenderism) is not popular. Neither is pornography in schools. Deep-blue Muslim Dearborn was just one of many places to rise up against such insanity – or evil. You pick.
Even on gun laws, liberals are softening their stances. Massive rioting in 2020 and the arrival of crime to their front doors no doubt drove the massive spikes in gun sales in California. In Illinois, there is a boom going on amid the battle over Pritzker’s weapon ban. And polling confirms: Americans aren’t keen on stricter laws, as support for them has crashed from 67% to 52%.
These are all what 10 years ago would have been “normal” stances. So the only conclusion is that Washington, D.C., both parties and the numerous federal agencies are filled with actual crazies who see nothing wrong with placing Ukraine as the “number one priority” for America’s foreign policy or floating amnesty for God-knows-how-many illegal aliens with no strings attached.
The key to winning the broad swathe of Americans, including Republican, Democrat and independent voters, will be divorcing oneself from the crazy, toxic uniparty system that traps well-meaning politicians in its grip. Framing oneself primarily as a Democrat or a Republican is going to draw sighs of “same old, same old.” In other words, another crazy politician who will continue as before. As Trump showed in 2016, candidates will have to put constituents over party, even if it means going all-out against fellow party members.
They will have to ruthlessly call out “crazies,” including those on their own side. Donald Trump did and it worked like a charm. No matter how much the media called him “crazy” and Republicans called him divisive, his ruthless, no-holds-barred, never-apologize style made his opponents look like a bunch of bumbling morons whose policies made no sense after he shredded their demonstrably anti-American records. And voters loved it.
Gov. Sanders’ speech was a welcome indication that the new generation of Republicans is going in that direction. All that remains to be seen is if they have the guts to throw civility to the wind, stand up for what their voters care about (including politically incorrect topics) and tell the crazies in Washington their reign of unhinged stupidity over America is over. No more politeness, no more sugar-coating, no more letting the crazies get by without so much as a word of actual criticism in the name of fake bipartisanship and civility.
Plenty of Democrats are just as eager to jump ship for alternative candidates that represent their core interests. The insurgent GOP must shed the red for the Stars and Stripes and take war to the establishment just as Trump did all those years ago. Voters don’t care about empty platitudes like “bipartisanship.” They care about their wallets, their kids and their safety. Run on that, regardless of party, and the votes will come in. It worked in 2016, and with America in even worse shape, it will deliver even more in 2024.
When voters see their leaders start smashing the corrupt system, those who truly want a functioning country will come out of the woodwork. Just look at Ron DeSantis and his 20-point win — including the blue fortress of Miami-Dade. He didn’t get that by playing nice.
There is nothing crazy about wanting to burn down a corrupt system. The crazy ones are those who want to keep and grow it. And that needs to be the slogan going forward.
Michele Gama Sosa is an opinion editor for the Daily Caller and a historian by training.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller.