It’s been repeatedly said that 2016 was the election of the Forgotten Man and Woman, due in part to those large sections of the country who felt their interests were neglected. As a result, a Republican candidate was elected president and a slightly larger Republican majority was established in the Senate with a mandate to address this neglect.
As things have unfolded over the last four years, it’s clear that if this country is to protect the founding principles of liberty and freedom for its people, then this November must become the Common-Sense Election.
No matter your age, sex, ethnicity, family status, or political philosophy, the crises we are facing demand critical thinking and, above all, common-sense in selecting the presidential candidate. Applying critical thinking means looking beyond the personas of the candidates involved and examining their records of action, not applying superficial decision-making based on communication styles.
In the broadest sense, this is an election battle between two distinctly opposite philosophies.
One philosophy has at its center a love for America founded in the freedom and liberty that the Constitution provides; a vision that wants to see this country continue to mature and grow using that philosophy into the more perfect union it was envisioned to be. It recognizes the sins of the past but moves forward in a way to learn from and not repeat those mistakes in the future.
The other philosophy uses an old mask of moderate liberalism to hide that it has been taken over by an ideology that hates our founding principles. This philosophy has been termed “democratic socialism,” but you may recognize it by a more familiar name: Marxism.
This is a battle between a philosophy of control by the people that features freedom, liberty, and choice and one of centralized control and conformance by the population governed under it. A philosophy based on law and order, and taking personal responsibility versus anarchy, ineffective government, victimhood, and grievance. The decision we make in November could very well permeate every aspect of our lives for decades.
On COVID-19
We’ve learned a lot in the last eight months. Yes, it is deeply regrettable to have lost so many lives in this country and around the world. To varying degrees, all nations were caught off-guard. And, in the future, there will be plenty of time to do an after-action report on what we could have done better, and how to prevent such a calamity in the future.
With a vaccine reportedly on the horizon, how is the United States served with a change in presidential leadership at this stage? Other than a national mask mandate, which many states are already implementing (and could prove unconstitutional if pushed by the federal government), what does challenger Joe Biden have to offer that earns your common-sense vote?
On the Economy and Taxes
In this election, we are being given a choice whether to let the person who built one of the most historic economies ever a chance to rebuild that economy versus retreating into the tax-and-spend and job-offshoring economy America muddled through between 2008 and 2016.
Biden’s economic plan looks to shut down major energy industries such as fossil fuels, with the promise of “renewable green energy jobs” over many years. Of course, the targets of these “green new deal” shifts in economic emphasis won’t be realized, if at all, until far in the future. Biden’s team also offers little to no discussion on how displaced earners will assimilate to this “green new deal” future, nor details of how this economic shift will occur.
We have millions still out of work desperate in need of a job now. Predictability and stability should be the name of the game for at least the next four years while the economy recovers. To provide that constancy, America needs an experienced economic mind.
Biden has already said he’d revoke the Trump tax cuts on “day one,” unleash $8 trillion in unbudgeted spending promises on COVID-weary nation, adding $7,800 more annual tax debt per household just to start. America simply can’t afford that.
On Race Relations
What happened to George Floyd was tragic and should never have happened. In this election, two diverse positions have arisen in response: one candidate who believes in liberty, equal rights, freedoms of choice for this nation’s citizens, that all lives matter, and is willing to implement reasonable police reforms.
The other candidate seeks to instill divisiveness by regrounding the founding of this country in hate and uses this hate to attack police forces across the country, seeking to defund these organizations to levels that endanger the citizens they are supposed to protect, with no genuine inquiries into the cause of the problem, nor any logical plan to move forward.
One only needs to look at the situations in Seattle and Chicago to see the future of how the latter vision will unfold, with neighborhoods taken over by gangs or vigilante forces, businesses destroyed, and innocent citizens (including children) being killed.
The Bottom Line
One candidate has a record spanning the last four years that demonstrated historic economic performance; a law and order philosophy that protects citizens and their rights against foreign and domestic enemies, which has strengthened the U.S. military and programs that support its veterans; improved foreign relations and minted historic peace deals involving, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain; sound policy on immigration and border enforcement; and has been addressing inequalities for minority populations with items like business opportunity zones, the Next Step Act, and initiatives such as police reform and education choice, without destroying the successful foundation this country was built on.
The other candidate has no demonstrable, dependable, positive record in any of these areas despite being entrenched in politics for 47 years of his life. Worse, his party seems poised to damage the foundation of this country with Marxist principles.
As you make this common-sense decision, think about those you care for. Can you face your children knowing the limits on their education and future opportunities you may have just voted for? Can you face members of your family who may be out of work or facing critical medical situations? Can you face our family, friends, and neighbors knowing your vote may lead police departments to defund, businesses to flee to avoid being destroyed, a rise in joblessness and crime, and untold damage to America’s major cities and suburbs?
Many supporters of the current president have been asked why they are so loyal. First, he gets results, and those results make our lives demonstrably better quickly. Second, he is making it a priority and pride for Americans to maintain and exercise the freedoms that the Constitution was written to provide and protect.
You don’t like Trump’s tweets? Try paying your bills under a Biden presidency with speeches about the “soul of the nation” or “bringing back normalcy.” To me, the common-sense decision is an easy one.
