Imagine for a moment a world where reality is relentlessly blurred by constant complaining and whining about irrelevant, trivial, and even fake news. A place where facts are ignored or hidden. A place where an overwhelming obnoxious media echo chamber ferociously repeats nonsensical propaganda until the people can barely get their bearings on what is real and what is fake. That place ladies and gentlemen is America in the 21st century where partisan virtual news is desperately trying to create an alternate reality.
Many may be aghast at the thought or think it implausible, but we have been here before. In 1992, President Bush the elder was seeking reelection just a year after America’s arguably first and perhaps only effective war since WWII. Commanding the highly successful OPERATION DESERT STORM, Bush’s approval rating soared to a record 89% in 1991. However, America simultaneously suffered a mild recession in the wake of the booming Reagan economy. Democrats hung that recession on Bush like cement shoes and defeated a president with the highest ever recorded approval the next year.
Oddly enough, that recession was from July 1990 through March 1991. It was over 18 months before the 1992 presidential election, but you would never know it. Democrats and a complicit media pounded Bush about an ailing economy even though the recovery was demonstrably well underway by 1992. Although ably assisted by independent Ross Perot who garnered 18.9% of the popular vote effectively denying Bush many electoral votes, Bill Clinton won a landslide Electoral College victory with only 43% of the popular vote by incessantly howling the mantra Americans must be rescued from a stumbling unfair economy.
Clinton advisor James Carville was the architect of this ruse; he reminded everyone at every opportunity: “it’s the economy, stupid!” Carville was right that when Americans are prospering, they are confident in themselves, eschew government assistance, and desire stability, so there is no reason to change. He knew Americans had to be deceived into thinking the economy was bad, so they would have a reason to change leadership. And it worked.
In 2018, it’s still the economy, but again you would never know it. After more than a decade of stagnation under Bush the younger and Obama, the economy is roaring reminiscent of the Reagan years. Trump policies and tax cuts spurred the GDP to 4.2% growth in the second quarter and third quarter is also expected to be north of 4%. This is real growth that has resulted in real prosperity. Jobs are returning and businesses are expanding. More Americans are working and wages are rising, so Republicans should be shouting the good economic news from the roof tops.
Republicans may try, but that’s not the news of the day. Democrats wisely realize the Trump economy is so good it would be futile to lie about it, so instead we are treated to a daily drumbeat of scurrilous allegations against President Trump. With 90+% negative news coverage, Americans are continuously lectured that Trump is crass, uncouth, and incompetent. Since Russian collusion has fallen out of the headlines, it must not be polling well, so we are told Trump is a liar, a racist, and just a bad man. Democrats had high hopes the false accusations against Justice Kavanaugh would make the misogynist label stick, but it seems to have backfired only exposing the Democrats to be comfortable with vile smears.
With Democrats and media grasping at straws to malign Trump, one can only hope their strategy to create a misperception that American is on the wrong track is failing. After all, it really still is the economy, stupid. For the first time in a generation, Americans are prospering again and there is genuine hope America can be great again. So why in the world would Americans vote Democrats back into power? So we can have more irrational insulting inquiries from Congress? So Democrats can paralyze Congress with endless turmoil over Russians and porn stars?
The economy is working for everyone and average Americans know it, but we still have real challenges in healthcare and illegal immigration. Americans want serious people to deal with serious problems not a continuous cavalcade partisan sniping over fake news. Make no mistake; if the Democrats regain the House, they will hamstring Trump with persistent Maxine Waters ranting and baseless impeachment proceedings. Americans are exhausted with all the pettiness and personal attacks. They again believe our best days are ahead of us, so pray the voters will stay the course with Trump and reject the darkness offered by Democrats.
“With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape.” Proverbs 11:9
