Sir Winston Churchill once remarked that the best argument against democracy was a five-minute conversation with the average voter. Not everybody is interested, or concerned, about politics, figuring perhaps their one vote isn’t going to make much difference. Or, they just don’t care as long as they are enjoying life without too many troublesome affairs. Not everybody lives in a big city or on the border, so a couple of the major problems of America don’t really reach them. Inflation and gas prices touch just about everybody, but again, as long as I can eat, I’m ok. The Republicans are idiots, the Democrats are crazy…what a choice! Those “average voters” may not be so dumb after all.
Too many people don’t know what to do at the ballot box, so they vote their emotions, or vote for the cute guy (or gal), or flip a coin, or do anything but use common sense and what might be best for the country. Joe Biden and the Democrats have created tremendous chaos in America, enough so that any intelligent, decent person wouldn’t even consider voting for a Democrat. But almost 40 percent say Biden is doing a good job, and the Republicans are struggling to gain control of the Senate—and may not. Or the House. Who knows?
A five-minute conversation with the average voter…
This week, former Hawaii Congresswoman and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard announced she was leaving the Democratic Party, though she hasn't said where she will land yet. It would be interesting to take a poll of Americans to find out how many people have never heard of Tulsi Gabbard (a lot, I imagine), but, coming less than a month before the midterm elections, this is not a good thing for Democrats. Enough people DO know who Tulsi is and will pay attention to what she says. And there may be some who will be persuaded by her reasoning. Her analysis of the Democratic Party is never heard on the mainstream media, but they can’t ignore her defection and rationale. Some Americans might learn quite a bit about the Democratic Party that they had not known because of media blackout.
Her reasons were spot on. She left because:
1. “The Democratic Party…is now under the complete control of an elitist cabal…” The Democratic Party used to be the "party of the little man” and the Republicans were the party of “big business.” No doubt, many traditional Democrats still believe that and vote that way. But Gabbard is absolutely correct. The Democrats are the elitists now, looking down their noses at average Americans.
2. “…of warmongers…” The Republicans, if they had any leadership now, could draw such a tremendous distinction here. It is Biden and the Democrats who are in the hands of the “military-industrial complex” now. Unfortunately, Lindsey Graham won’t shut up and Mitch McConnell is a dishrag. Too much of the Establishment still controls both parties, not just the Democrats. 3. “…driven by cowardly wokeness…” If Americans know what “wokeness” is and what it means, they know the Democratic Party is the party that supports it. Of course, that “wokeness” does gain them a lot of votes among the extreme, radical, perverted left in America. But they have gone too far for Tulsi.
4. “…who divide us by racializing every issue [and] stoke anti-white racism…” “Racism” is probably the most common, and the first, word out of any Democrats’ mouth. Tulsi was tired of it, as are many Americans.
5. “…actively working to undermine our God-given freedoms…” The Democrats’ attack on free speech is one of their most heinous crimes. “Big Tech,” which is an arm of the Democratic Party now, as well as the FBI, are canceling, harassing, and even arresting and incarcerating people for the simple “crime” of opposing Joe Biden’s policies. Every American should be haunted by this.
6. “…are hostile to people of faith…” The Left hates Christianity. That religion opposes abortion and infringes on liberals’ sexual hedonism, among other things. But Americans have a right to be free of political molestation because of their religious beliefs. That’s a First Amendment right, too. The Democrats, as the Left always does, is seeking to criminalize active religious participation.
7. “…demonize the police…” Many Democrats are trying to run from the “Defund the Police” movement. But they own it. And Anitfa and BLM are left-wing causes.
8. “…and protect criminals at the expense of law-abiding Americans.” The most important role of government is to protect its citizens against threats, foreign and domestic. Joe Biden and Democrats are more concerned about protecting the people of Ukraine than they are the people of America. Unfortunately, they have too much support on Capitol Hill from Republicans. The neo-cons must be washed out of the Republican Party.
If the Democrats do take a beating next month, wiser heads in the party will try to analyze why; to most politicians (on both sides of the aisle) political power is more important than ideology. The AOCs of the Democratic Party ARE ideologues and they will continue to try to push the party further and further to the left. But the country, as a whole, isn’t ready to go there, and the Democrats may have to draw back and become somewhat more moderate and reasonable—again, assuming they lose big next month. They got a lot accomplished in Biden’s first two years. The Republicans in power won’t be able to undo all of that. So, “two-steps forward, one-step back”; most Democrats will accept that.
What they cannot accept is Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis in the White House. And that battle will begin on November 9 and be one of the fiercest political battles ever fought in American history. 2022 is only the beginning, folks.
Mark Lewis is a native Texan currently living in Thailand. His first book, Whitewater, a western novel, is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Eliva.com. His second book, River Bend, will be out soon. And check out his new blog at thailandlewis.blogspot.com.