No, the GOP Is Not Blowing the Midterm Elections
There is more the Republican Party should be doing, but it is not difficult and the outlook is much brighter than the mainstream media and the liberal pollsters would have you believe.
Much has been written in the past month or so on how the Republican Party is blowing the midterm elections, especially the Senate. Now, one key point here is: Never, absolutely never, believe what the mainstream media and their liberal pollsters tell you. Never.
A second point is that the Washington Post, the New York Times, MSNBC, etc., are arguing that the Biden Democrats will do better because of the brilliant legislation recently passed. Please do not believe this, either.
Virtually all the polls are showing that the so-called Inflation Reduction Act — with its massive climate giveaways, social spending increases, doubling the size of the IRS, and jacking up taxes — is not popular. People understand that more spending equals higher, not lower, inflation. And it’s the working people of the middle class that are going to have to pay higher taxes.
Plus, President Biden’s vote-buying student loan cancellation is enormously unpopular. It could cost as much as a trillion dollars, and it’ll happen fast. Additionally, the $300 billion semiconductor, corporate welfare giveaway to Silicon Valley elites is also unpopular.
That said, I do agree that the GOP should have a stronger, more focused future agenda message, especially for the Senate. In other words, my friend, Senator Scott, is right, and another friend, Senator McConnell, should be doing a lot better.
GOP tech guru Peter Thiel is undoubtedly right that Republicans should have a more positive agenda based on broad-based economic growth that benefits all Americans. Mr. Scott is right to develop his 12-point plan.
Newt Gingrich is also right that the GOP should focus on key issues rather than the 2024 presidential election. For my part, on the issues, let’s not make this any harder than it needs to be.
Inflation — food prices, gas, and electricity — recession, crime, open borders and fentanyl, and parental choice in the schools would be a nice, clear five-point issues plan where the GOP could criticize Mr. Biden and propose its own straightforward solutions. It’s not hard.
Curb federal spending; stop the money printing; re-open the spigots for fossil fuels; go hard on crime by backing the blue and throwing out these crazy, Soros-backed prosecutors; close the border; reinstate Remain in Mexico; build the wall; and stop the flow of fentanyl — including, by the way, imposing a death penalty or surely a lifetime without parole sentence for fentanyl traffickers. Plus, parental discretion and school choice.
Instead of inflationary recession, supply-side GOP policies can generate more than 3 percent growth by cutting taxes, regulations, and spending. Nothing hard about this.
The Democrats are so far to the left with their big-government socialist policies, and because American voters have a lot of common sense, they know fraud and falsehood when they see it.
But, you know, even with all this, frankly the Senate outlook for the GOP is a lot better than it’s being painted.
Arizona’s Blake Masters is already up right now. Joe O’Dea in Colorado is closing in. Georgia’s Herschel Walker, Nevada’s Adam Laxalt, North Carolina’s Ted Budd, and Ohio’s J.D. Vance all have seen modest leads here in mid-September.
Senator Johnson’s going to win in Wisconsin against his far, far-left opponent. Tiffany Smiley is near even in Washington State, even despite the Soviet-style peoples’ republic of Seattle. And I have to believe Mehmet Oz, who is polling almost even, is going to win in Pennsylvania because he’s running against a crazy person.
By the way, I’m thinking a sleeper upset may be my pal Leora Levy in Connecticut — as well as Lee Zeldin here in New York State, because people know he’s their last hope for survival.
So, whatever adjustments may be helpful in the next eight weeks, I think the GOP Senate outlook is pretty good. And I think Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and his House team are in very good shape for a plus-40-seat win, if not more. They will be unveiling their “Commitment to America” shortly.
So, I know elections are always full of surprises. Tough to predict. But, folks, you know me, still optimistic. Help is on the way. The cavalry’s coming.
From Mr. Kudlow’s broadcast on Fox Business News.