"First you win the argument, then you win the vote." That advice from Margaret Thatcher has been ignored by President Joe Biden and Democratic Party leaders to their detriment.
Democrats, aided by former President Donald Trump's denigration of Georgia's electoral system, which gifted them the state's two Senate seats, were gifted by voters with the narrowest of legislative majorities: 51 to 50 in the Senate and 220 to 212 (with three current vacancies) in the House. Biden himself won the crucial three swing states by just 42,918 popular votes.
Incautiously, Democrats plunged into policymaking without making anything like cognizable policy arguments. Trump had reduced illegal immigration by extending walls on the Mexican border and persuading Mexico's president to hold asylum-seekers in Mexico until their (usually baseless) claims could be ruled on. Both policies were ditched on day one of the Biden administration. The policy argument: "Orange man bad."
Now, we see the easily predictable results. Border apprehensions are headed toward 2 million this year -- the highest since the 1998-2000 boom years. So-called asylum-seekers from Central America have been joined by Middle Easterners, Africans and, most recently, by some 20,000 Haitians, previously settled in Chile and Brazil, huddled under a bridge heading to Del Rio, Texas.
Vice President Kamala Harris's pathetic plea, "Don't come," has been overwhelmed by the evidence that most of those who do come illegally are ushered into the United States and told to meet court dates that everyone knows most won't.
The likely result is something like one million new illegal immigrants in the United States this year. This represents a reversal of the trend. The Pew Research Center says the illegal immigrant population peaked at 12.2 million in 2007, declined as post-recession net immigration from Mexico plunged to zero and leveled off at 10.5 million in 2017.
During that time, immigration has been shifting from Latin America to Asia and from low-skill to relatively high-skill newcomers. What's the policy argument for that?
The best that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas could summon up on Fox News Sunday was, "We do not agree with the building of the wall," i.e., "Orange man bad," and, "the law provides that individuals can make a claim for humanitarian relief," i.e., asylum.
But as my Washington Examiner colleague Byron York points out, the same law allows the government to require illegal border-crossers to remain in another country pending resolution of their asylum claims. What's the policy argument for dispersing them, without being tested for COVID, through all corners of the United States?
Now, consider the Biden proposals for $3.5 trillion of additional spending on "infrastructure." The case for some adjustment is obvious: Gas tax revenue is headed down, existing roads and bridges need maintenance and some new ones should be built. Other arguments are dubious. Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are enthusiasts for high-speed passenger rail which, as transportation analyst Randal O'Toole explains, is as relevant today as electric typewriters, rotary telephones and steam locomotives.
Much news coverage is given to the interesting questions of whether the Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure bill that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised a vote on by Monday will get a majority of House votes later, and whether Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema will agree to support parts of the $3.5 trillion bill.
Much less attention has been given to the obviously noninfrastructure provisions of the "infrastructure" bill and the arguments for them.
For example, the bill includes a rollout of federally funded universal preschool education. That sounds like a good idea, and if you put it on a poll, you'll get a favorable response.
But the policy argument for it is thin. Advocates like to cite lasting positive results from two expensive pilot programs, Perry Preschool and Abecedarian. But those experimental programs were conducted 50 and 60 years ago, respectively, and in the very many years since, no one has been able to replicate their results.
Or consider the stealth section essentially repealing the 1996 welfare reform law and its work requirements. Here we have actual results: Welfare rolls fell sharply after 1996, child wellness criteria improved, teenage pregnancies nosedived and the number of welfare-raised children committing violent crime decreased. Why do we want to reverse these results now? Just because "Orange man bad?"
The answer seems to be that Biden subcontracted policy development to Bernie Sanders, and that "Bernie Bros" love policies that spread money around but lack any curiosity about the effects.
Now, those programs may get ditched in midnight Capitol Hill bargaining or if the "infrastructure" bill gets as bollixed up as the Biden withdrawal from Afghanistan. The administration might have done a better job of winning the vote if it had bothered to win the argument first.
Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and longtime co-author of The Almanac of American Politics.
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30 comments:
Orange Man was in fact the worst. Liar. Adulterer. Racist. Hypocrite. Bully. I’ll take Biden any day.
5:37,surely this was meant as tongue in cheek? If not then please supply facts to back up your ludicrous claims.
And why wouldn’t you @5:37. Woke Marxist like you love the idea of communist controlling the country. Any dipshit who believed the democrats lies coming from the mouths of the most corrupt people on the planet couldn’t think differently. Anyone who thinks things are better than the Orange Man suffers from the most lethal strain of numbskulliosis and cannot be cured by facts!!
@5:37pm
Trump was a magnificent president. Though his New York tough guy style could be cosmetically obnoxious, his ideas and leadership were patriotic, creative and he established effective policies that enabled all, especially lower and middle classes to pursue success.
Biden has been a catastrophe, his approval rating is in the dumpster, in the thirties. Why is it even that high? Because he is a willing punk for the hard left.
5:37 So would I. I'll take horseshit over bullshit any day. Thank goodness we had a clear choice.
Isn't it a tragic picture of American style statesmanship that the best our parties can offer the American people for leadership was the Orange Man and a 99 year old Depends wearing Dementia patient. Looking at the house and senate, perhaps they were the two "best" options.
Orange Man Bad and 1/6 is all the Dims have and that’s all those diseased children can repeat. It’s laughable but sad at the same time.
Trump was not a good president and his administration was one of the most incompetent in the history of the US. I understand some people liked the immigration policies but it was a bad four years that people made a little bit of money in and because he wasn't "traditional" people like y'all loved it. It was MS Legislature bad, yet y'all praise it because of celebrity worship and hate of Mexicans. Y'all are no better than the people who were going crazy over Obama.
It still blows my mind that ‘news’ outlets still post anything and everything about the big orange, 5 to1 over articles about our current leadership. Whether you liked or hated Trump he is no longer president! He is not making decisions for this country. I think I want to know what’s going on today and in the future. But the media either gives Biden a pass or is silent. Makes me want to puke!
5:37 You are insane. You still believe Democrats about Trump. Some of his comments were over the top but he was an excellent president. You must enjoy paying higher taxes, gas, and food prices.
8:35 What was Trump’s so call incompetent polices? Biden is the king of incompetence. What about Afghanistan and the border crisis? Not to mention shutting down the pipeline the FIRST day? What is that if not incompetence?
9:19
I PROMISE you no one is giving Joe Biden a pass. Reading comprehension be damned, y’all gotta stop.
Anonymous people making comments praising Biden. You know where you dont see people praising him? Facebook, where people can see who is posting what. None of my democrat friends have posted one thing since he took office, and they were super outspoken before the election. Now it is radio silence. You cant get them to make a political post when before you thought they were paid by the DNC. I wont forget who they are and remind them when I see them in person they own this mess we are in and getting deeper in.
5:37 ....Yet they have Uncle Joe ON TAPE on the floor of Congress dropping N BOMBS. 47 YEARS of proof of what Joe Biden is and zero of Trump. MSM soundbites are indeed for the stupid. I didn't vote for Trump for one reason...he ran as Republican. The guy was a lifelong Dem and should have run as an Ind.
Mr. Barone doesn't seem to appreciate that's it's not only the " Orange Man" that we see as unstable,irrational, and destructive, it's his loyalists as well.
Sorry, but the crazies on the left aren't nearly as erratic and thus easier to keep within manageable boundaries.
The well educated sociopaths on the extreme want to create an oligarchy or dictatorship which is far more unpleasant than becoming more like Sweden.
Why y'all fear " communism" is beyond me. The once communists countries are now capitalistic oligarchies...Russia,Vietnam,China...and Russia also has the pretend voting the Red States are trying to implement. Just make it hard and scary to vote and give one party access to voter information.
There's a reason we tried to make election officials and judge elected in non-partisan contests Numbskulls!
8:31 I'm not praising Biden and didn't want to vote for him.
11:46: Covid, all of the environmental rollbacks (that they didn't even perform correctly) the unfilled crime policies. He took credit for the First Step act which he had nothing to do with, didn't replace the ACA, those silly tariffs that hurt us more than they actually helped America. Not to mention the global impact he made by making the US look like fools. "Orange Man Bad" IS stupid but y'all gotta stop acting like stuff got done in four years when it really didn't.
@10:09a- LOL!
1. If Trump could have dealt with COVID his way, China, Fauci, and Gates would have been brought to their knees for the shit they created! I guess you think Joe is responsible for the left's coveted vaccine??
2. Environmental rollbacks NEED to occur. Most are ridiculous and do more harm than good. I bet you believe electric cars are more environmental friendly in totality.
3. You mean the crime policies derailed by life-long democrats? You mean the desire to hold criminals accountable versus patting them on the head and releasing them to commit more crimes? Please name ONE crime policy he had that democrats didn't declare racists. Your boy Joe is responsible for WAY more devastation on the crime policy front over the last 50 years.
4. Despite the process, Trump had to sign the First Act into law for it to take effect. Name one president who hasn't taken credit for an act they signed into law. Whether you want to admit it or not, Trump did more for prisoner reform than any other president in history. (FYI, refusing to imprison criminals doesn't count as actual REFORM!)
5. The ridiculous ACA... Trump did what he could. The ACA is a dumpster fire to begin with. So many lies told by Obama and so many people left stranded unable to afford his "affordable" healthcare. People are so blinded by what they perceive as cheap that they cannot understand the actual overall impact.
6. Those tariffs only hurt America because previous politicians and their policies obliterated our manufacturing capabilities. American manufacturing and tariffs that support her are GREAT things! Too bad our government doesn't want us to be more self-sufficient. (The last sentence of #5 above also applies to this issue.)
7. The only groups stating Trump made us look like fools on the world front are liberals and the media. You can study the body language of Trump versus Biden with world leaders and easily see who they truly respected.
I encourage you to look up Trump's list of accomplishments. It's obvious by your description of his policies that you are left leaning and/or rely on the media for your information. Expand your thinking... it's a WONDERFUL thing to do!!
If you voted for Biden and stilk like him, call me. I would like to gauge your interest in a timber investment I am selling. :-)
@2:01 - you might try calling up some Republican senators. I hear they are gullible enough to fall for your type of fraud.
@ 12:53 - I encourage you to read actual books and stop watching Fox News. If you turn off the propaganda for a bit, you may actually be able to think clearly and undo the brainwashing which has clearly taken you over. It’s obvious by your posting that you have gone full Trumptarded. Good luck in your journey back to society, you may learn something and actually earn the respect of your family/friends who probably all laugh at you behind your back currently. Just remember, you have hit rock bottom and there is nowhere left to go but up from here. Keep your chin up and I believe you can get through this.
@2:43p- Well, don't you look silly! I watch ZERO news, because they are all full of shit! (Even the conservative news sites, which Fox News is not, skew their reports.) I choose to read and educate myself through books and other resources. You really should get a new go-to insult when you have nothing to add to the conversation.
What exactly am I brainwashed about? What did I state that was false?
I'm actually not a "Trumptard" as you put it. It almost pains me to defend him, but facts are facts. I cannot stand his personality and will never understand why he doesn't utilize a communications coach. But, despite his gruff demeanor and verbal skills, I cannot argue with his America first policy.
My family and friends are MOST DEFINITELY not laughing behind my back. I usually have to hold them back on these topics.
Do tell, how exactly can I move up when I'm being suffocated by inflation, taxes, crime, and false science?
The sad part is you either do not realize either your own brainwashing or your flat out lack of knowledge about economics. I bet you believe Joe when he says his $3.5T reconciliation budget won't cost you a penny, don't you?
Historically speaking, Democrat Party BAD. Crime ridden, drug addicted, lawlessness, defunct infrastructure, and depleted monies are what Democrats offer. Orange Man, while an ass at times, is much better than incomprehensible Biden, hiding from her duties Harris, and flat out lying Pelosi. II hope all those voters believe their life is SO MUCH BETTER NOW.
@3:41
Try not to reply to people like @2:43 because they are baiting you into sounding like an unhinged lunatic to their fellow low information NPC sheeple. I know what you are trying to say. But people like @2:43 are so absolutely disconnected from reality that they are beyond reasoning.
Just remember that these are the same people who support irreversible sex changes for prepubescents.
3:41 - please list the books you read that educated you on your 7 points. I look forward to hearing your reading list since you don’t watch tv. ;)
@8:27 - thanks for telling me what I support. Care to enlighten me any more on my own thinking? Can you guess which number I’m thinking of? Do you believe yourself to be clairvoyant?
Orange man was as stupid as he was obnoxious. It takes a certain type of dumbass to bankrupt a casino, 6 times.
@8:27 - try not to use terms like sheeple and hyper focusing on sex changes that are not widely supported. It makes the right look like a bunch of brainwashed sheeple.
@9:10a- You think you're cute, don't you? Do you seriously believe education only comes through books and television?
The books that I have read over the decades have provided a foundation which allows me to process current events and politics. There are little to no books actually telling the truth about Trump's work, because that's not what sells via our twisted, liberal media outlets. However, with a little effort, you can easily find a long list of his actual, government-recorded and documented accomplishments.
For current insight, I research public government records (it's amazing how much of what the public hears contradicts what the records state), judicial processes, audits, and many other available resources to gain FACTUAL knowledge.
Your pitiful, winky-eyed request for a list of books is nothing more than a failed attempt to take a stab at a conservative. It only proves you understand NOTHING about the political and economic spectrums of our country.
@12:44 - I didn’t think you could name any books you actually read. So since that was a lie, what government records are you reading? Care to provide any links?
@12:44 - now that your story is falling apart, why not admit that you are just hard for Trump and that’s the extent of you knowledge? Don’t you look silly.
@7:25a, 7:28a- I definitely do not look silly. You commented, offering no debate, seeking a reading list.
Providing you a list of books, and offerings of government records and links, is not necessary. You are just lazy and cannot think for yourself.
There’s no “story to fall apart.” What is it with libs and their “gotcha” mentality? That’s not how the adult world operates. You haven’t proven or won anything just because I refuse to spoon feed your lazy ass a reading list. Why don’t you research and EDUCATE YOURSELF!!
Geez, enough of the trashy, uneducated mentality… I’m not “hard” for Trump. (Grow up!) I’m a lifelong American and conservative. His policies and accomplishments uphold and protect BOTH of those positions.
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