COMMENTARY The sky is not falling
The story of Chicken Little is a familiar folk tale. It is an old story of many versions, but the general theme is that Chicken Little is struck by a falling object such as an acorn or a leaf, depending on the tale, infers that the world is coming to an end, and rushes off to tell the king. The central theme, “The sky is falling,” has come to be applied to those who predict disaster or calamity or wish to incite unreasonable fear around them with little or no justification.
We are witnessing modern day Chicken Little Syndrome promoted by the left.
The day that President Trump was elected, the left began prognosticating the end of the world as we know it. The willing mainstream media could find nothing positive to say and still can’t, providing 90 percent negative coverage. Celebrities vowed to leave the country (a very positive thing that none have had the guts to carry through on). Columnists like Paul Krugman have written column upon hysterical column predicting everything from the end of the dollar as the world currency to the collapse of the stock market. Hillary Clinton blamed her loss on a hundred different reasons, none involving the fact that she was a terrible candidate and the Democrats had no message.
The current-day Chicken Little Syndrome, manufactured by the Democrats and their media partners, is that the country is in shambles and there is a huge “blue wave” building that will wipe out the Republican Party in the mid-term elections and restore the country to the insanity of their Democratic socialist order.
While it is true that most parties in power lose some seats in mid-term elections, there is no evidence of a “blue wave.” In fact, quite the opposite is true. The latest Reuters Generic Tracking Poll shows Republicans up six points.
Focus on things that are important to people: the economy, jobs, security and message.
The economy is in fine shape. The GDP is growing at an annual rate of 2.9 percent. In April, the U.S. ran the largest budget surplus in its history, $190 billion. The equity markets are at all-time highs. In the past year, S&P 500 companies have returned a record $1 trillion to their shareholders. The outlook is for continued and sustained growth.
Unemployment is 3.9 percent, a 40-year low, with black and Hispanic unemployment at record lows. People are working. Wages are up, taxes are down and paychecks are bigger. People have more money to spend thanks to bonuses otherwise referred to by Pelosi as “crumbs.”
Fifty-seven percent of the people are satisfied with the direction of the country, the highest satisfaction rate achieved in quite some time.
The president has played hardball with a number of nations around the world and renegotiated some existing very bad treaties to be much more favorable to the U.S.
What’s more, the president continues to deliver on his campaign promises. Most recently, he moved the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and exited the very bad Iran nuclear deal. Fulfilling promises, maybe more than anything, really galls the left because it is a concept unknown to them. The president’s approval rating is 50 percent (higher than Obama’s).
In the face of this, what do the Democrats have to offer? Let’s take a look at some recent primary elections.
In the City of Pittsburgh, two long-establish Democrats, Dom and Paul Costa, lost primary battles by huge margins to two candidates representing the Democratic Socialists of America. This is a party that, according to their website, “seeks to facilitate the transition to a truly democratic and socialist society, one in which the means/resources of production are democratically and socially controlled.” They believe that “both the economy and society should be run democratically to meet human needs, not to make profits for a few.” Karl Marx would be happy with this. Bernie Sanders must be delighted. An “elder statesman” of the party, who must know better, spoke glowingly about the new energy. I can’t believe he is so happy with the message. Nationally, the Democrats are in an internal civil war pitting progressives against extreme progressives. So far, the extreme progressives are winning as the party lurches toward socialism.
On the other side, in Washington County, the Republican Party nominated a number of bright, articulate young people who are solidly conservative, will support the president’s agenda to bring jobs to this area, grow the economy and strengthen the security of our nation.
What message is the Democratic Party going to put forth to promote the “blue wave” it dreams of? They are going to scrap the tax reduction that is driving economic revival, increase your taxes, send your jobs back overseas like Obama did and close down American industries by heaping regulation after regulation on them. Plus, as an added feature, they are bringing you a new and ultra-left group of Democratic Socialists who want to nationalize the economy and turn the United States into the new Venezuela. Oh, yeah, they also hate Trump.
Working American voters will listen to that message and ask if these people are really as crazy as they sound. In the 48th Legislative District special election, a number of Democrats voted for Republican Tim O’Neal because they saw, in him, the qualities that they value in their lives. This will happen in many races across the country.
The sky is falling only in the minds of the most Trump Derangement Syndrome-afflicted Democrats. The Republicans may lose some seats. Maybe not. There certainly does not appear to be any “blue wave” on the horizon. For that, the Democrats would have to have a clear message and a positive alternative. They don’t. People like what they have right now – jobs, a good economy and security. Why trade that for a Venezuela lookalike?
Dave Ball is vice chairman of the Washington County Republican Party and a Peters Township councilman.