For Republicans to win in November, there are certain rules that will broaden the party appeal and hopefully bring victory at all levels of government.
Nothing can compete with Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals, the effective playbook for the Democratic Party and its supporters for decades. Only recently did pro-Hamas protesters prevent travelers from getting to O’Hare Airport. Alinsky himself led similar activity, including having his people take up all of the bathroom stalls in the airport, so that travelers could not use the bathroom and thus make their lives miserable—until he got what he wanted.
With a majority saying that the US is going in the wrong direction and that America’s best days are behind her, the Republicans have an opportunity for a Reagan or Nixon level blowout against a president who regularly fights and loses to his teleprompter. Certain positions appeal well beyond traditional or even new Republican voters.
The Inviolability of Property Rights. Freedom, pursuit of happiness, wealth—they are all meaningless if one is not certain in his or her ironclad right to property. In both personal and business spheres, property rights are being abused. Think of shoplifting—places like California have legalized stealing. How can I run a business if I cannot prevent people from stealing my merchandise? How can I make a profit if the police and the local government do not support my right to protect my store and its contents? The same is true for the individual. Stories of squatters are horrific. That people cannot easily throw out such thieves and in some cases are required to continue paying electricity and water is ridiculous. Laws are needed that give property owners the upper hand in any case of squatting. In a normal world, the owner of a home would bring some brutes with him and throw the squatters out and sue the latter for whatever damage they did. We do not live in a normal world. With that said, Republicans need to push the idea that property is an extension of an individual and is subject to protection from theft or illegal seizure. When shoplifting brings with it jail time, the problem will become much smaller.
A Controlled Southern Border. There is no greater issue of internal concern than the completely open border. From drugs to criminals to potential terrorists, the open southern US border is a disaster. Communities far and wide have been negatively impacted by illegal aliens taking up space (airports in Chicago, Boston and elsewhere), resources (New York is spending billions on them), and causing social disruptions. The vast majority of Americans want the border controlled. Period. Republicans need to make a controlled border the centerpiece of their platform. It’s a winning issue and it stands in stark juxtaposition to the Biden administration’s open border and lack of enforcement of existing US immigration laws (and even fighting Arizona and Texas in their attempts to close the border in their states).
On some issues, the US has become a “2% Society”—where the interests of some small percentage of the population outweigh the concerns of the majority of Americans. Trans and crime are two such subjects. A woman might work years to win the big race, only to have a guy with a beard zip by her to take the gold. Criminals are being released, even in cases of serious crime, and the population has to fear being carjacked, stabbed, punched, or pushed in front of a train. These are winning issues for Republicans.
Trans. Ban all trans procedures and puberty blockers for children under 18. While we allow adults to smoke themselves to death or drink their livers away, we do not allow children the same privileges. Children must be protected from charlatans in the schools and hospitals who are willing to perform Mengle-like surgeries on them. At the adult end, pass laws requiring at least one division of sports for biological women only. Americans have a very strong sense of fairness, and the women and girls need to compete without guys who have personal issues.
Crime. There is no perfect position on crime but if you have to err, then do so on the side of the police. After Ferguson and George Floyd, the police are in retreat. They do not have the support of their superiors or the political echelon to do their jobs. The government must throw its weight behind policing, so that the 98% of Americans who are not involved in crime can enjoy their lives. The FBI needs to be restructured so that we do not have political investigations like the fake “Russian collusion” Crossfire Hurricane investigation.
Taxes. Lower corporate and personal taxes lead to greater economic activity and increased personal wealth. Lowering taxes will spur job growth and further economic activity. Let Republicans be the party of the workers and small business. Let Republicans be the antithesis of the tax-and-spend liberals favored by the Silicon Valley billionaires.
Tame the Universities. Post 10/7, universities have shown themselves to be hotbeds not only to antisemitism but also to rampant anti-Americanism. Universities survive on the billions that federal agencies dole out for R & D. These funds must be conditioned on the universities being useful for America’s future. When reading General Leslie Groves' Now It Can Be Told, I was amazed at the extraordinary contribution of American universities to the successful Manhattan Project. They readily provided top professors, research facilities, key materials, manpower, and even their presidents as James Conant (Harvard) and Vannevar Bush (MIT) were key drivers to success. Federal funding has to be conditioned on universities being pro-American institutions. If they want to be funded and directed by China and Gulf Arab states and push anti-America agendas, then the federal government should drop funding such institutions.
Abortion. It can also be a winning issue. While many conservatives were angered by Donald Trump suggesting that each state pass its own law, the former president realizes that California is not Tennessee. Win elections and enact laws; first, you have to win.
The American Project needs work. Republicans can put forth platforms that appeal to Americans of all backgrounds and political identification. Liberal New Yorkers also want to be able to walk in Central Park without preparing a last will and testament before leaving home. Republicans can win in the Fall. They need a winning message and they need to follow through on their promises.