What Can Voters Do This Election Cycle?

Orange County election stands await voters inside the Honda Center, which has been converted into a polling place, in Anaheim, Calif., on Sept. 16, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Commentary

The 2024 election season is in full swing, and candidates across all points of the political spectrum are vying for attention and attempting to persuade the electorate. Thousands of candidates in California and other states will compete for seats on city councils, governorships, legislatures, school boards, and so on.

Gov. Gavin Newsom won’t be on the ballot since he has three years left on his term. All federal House members will be up for election along with one third of the Senate. It’s likely that President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will face off for a second time.

The Democrats

Predictably, most of the Democrats on the campaign trail will claim that conservatives and the GOP are too extreme to govern and are a threat to democracy. They repeat this mantra because they’ve lost touch with common sense and sound moral principles. They will also attempt to cancel classical liberals, independents, and libertarians who want to bolster America’s strength and dare to question woke orthodoxies.

Democrats will claim that crime and homelessness are down, the economy is humming, energy supplies are fine, inflation has been tamed, the border with Mexico is secure, public schools are succeeding, and foreign policies are peachy keen on their watch. Of course, all of these are flat out distortions of the truth and are so far out in left field as to be in foul territory.

Notice how the Democrats rarely mention the staggering national debt and deficit spending, persistent inflation, and a Middle East in flames. It is unhealthy for any nation to run up the national debt that eclipses the annual Gross Domestic Product. If the Southern border is under control, why is it necessary to invoke emergency powers or generate new laws other than Title 8 or other established laws on the books?

Without a credible record to tout, national and state Democrats will campaign on culture war issues such as climate change hysteria, green energy sources, reproductive rights, transgender “rights,” more government programs, and Marxist woke policies. These condescending elites are too busy spending other people’s money and centralizing power to care about solving daily challenges that confront Americans.

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A prime example would be Joe Biden’s yearlong indifference to the East Palestine, Ohio rail disaster that spewed hazardous chemicals into the environment. “Progressive” ideology always takes precedence over tackling genuine economic and social issues. Consequently, today’s Democratic Party is adept at facilitating America’s decline and practicing the politics of personal destruction.

The Republicans

Over the next nine months, Republicans will provide a stark contrast between their future vision for the country and the socialist tendencies of their Democratic opponents. Conservatives in the GOP need to articulate their vision clearly without going down a rabbit hole. They shouldn’t make the mistake of promising fiscal discipline only to acquiesce to limitless spending which drives the national debt. This has occurred repeatedly in prior years, so they need to be honest rather than promise the moon and stars.

Besides the kitchen table issues of inflation and jobs, the Southern border likely will remain on the front burner for voters who value traditional principles such as legal immigration, national security, and the rule of law. Conservative leaders ought to set out specific plans to expedite legal immigration for folks who could contribute to America and those who are genuinely persecuted abroad.

They should emphasize the national security dangers of an unlawful migrant invasion wherein migrants are elevated above citizens and legal immigrants. Not one cent of taxpayer dollars should go toward processing or settling these lawbreakers. If they can afford smuggling fees to barge into America, they can pay their own way. Anyone caught at the border without valid papers should be deported immediately. Illegal immigrants already here should consider themselves guests of the country and act accordingly.

By contrast, legal immigrants who respect the legal process and American traditions should be welcomed.

Conservative leaders have an opportunity to reverse economic malaise by proposing economic growth through deregulation, across-the-board tax cuts, sound monetary policies, energy development, and spending discipline which can boost business expansion and employment. Obviously, this is no easy task due to legislative battles and unelected bureaucrats who detest downsized government agencies. GOP candidates will try to convince voters that they can do a better job of reducing inflation by unleashing economic growth. They could also promote methods to reinvigorate America’s manufacturing base. Will they muster the courage to seize this opportunity?

The Voters

Every election cycle, politicians of all stripes claim that the upcoming election is the most important election of our lifetime. America will either be lost or saved. Voters have heard this before, but this time around it seems less of an exaggeration due to America’s internal divisions and vulnerabilities vis a vis adversaries such as China, Iran, and Russia. If the United States stumbles and goes down for the count, the world would likely enter a very dark age indeed. We could kiss goodbye to liberty and the rule of law.

Hopefully, this scenario won’t unfold, but we are in turbulent seas. America’s strength emerges from the people not the government. The government at all levels can giveth, but it can taketh away as well. Therefore, it is wise to rely more on community, faith, family, and self-governance. Voters ought to scrutinize all candidates regardless of political party and vote for those who promise the least yet have a track record of policies that enhance liberty, prosperity, and national security. Well-informed voters can help to restore America’s founding ideals and strength.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.