With Election Day fast approaching, Republicans are busy telling voters what they plan to do if they win in November.
Democrats — and President Joe Biden — meanwhile, are breathlessly warning voters what will happen if Republicans are victorious.
Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) recently said America faces “a coordinated domestic attempt to undermine our Constitution.” Florida Democrat Max Frost, running for Congress, said Republicans like Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis are trying to build “right-wing fascist power.”
And Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH) bashed his opponent on abortion, saying: “It wouldn’t be a woman’s choice — it would be the government’s choice.”
Biden and Democrats in Congress, who control both chambers, pushed through a flurry of legislation over the last few months, hoping to be able to campaign on a record of accomplishment. Instead, Democrats have bailed on that idea and instead are busy painting a picture of a dystopian disaster should they lose and the GOP take control.
“This November, you have to choose to be a nation of hope, unity and optimism — or a nation of fear, division and darkness,” Biden said at a September 23 Democratic gathering.
Goodbye unity.
“I remember I got beat up in the campaign by saying that I wanted to unify the country and unify the parties. You used to be able to do that. But things have changed a whole bunch,” the president said.
Then, Biden derided half of the country. “The MAGA Republicans control the Republican Party right now, and that’s self-evident. That’s self-evident. So there’s a lot at stake here.”
Here’s why Democrats have suddenly changed their message: The country’s in the dumper.
Gas prices have soared again — rising every day for the last 31 days in some areas and hitting a new record of $6.47 in Los Angeles County. Nationwide, the average price for a gallon of regular is $3.83 — it was $2.38 when Biden took office.
Food prices have skyrocketed, climbing 13.5% in August over the year before, the highest annual increase since March 1979 (that’s Jimmy Carter territory).
Mortgage rates have also spiked, topping 7% for the first time in a decade. Just weeks before Biden took office, Freddie Mac was offering a 2.66% interest rate.
Crime in the U.S. is out of control, hunger and homelessness is soaring. Foreigners are pouring unchecked over the southern border. Parents are frustrated with liberal government intrusion in schools. And World War III seems not at all out of the question as nations take sides over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
So Democrats literally have nothing to run on. Zippy the chimp. Instead, they can only paint the other party as evil.
“Many Democrats have largely settled on a campaign message, and it’s not one that simply emphasizes their accomplishments,” The Washington Post reported. “Instead, it amounts to a stark warning: If Republicans take power, they will establish a dystopia that cripples democracy and eviscerates abortion rights and other freedoms.”
But voters care about kitchen-table issues, especially in midterm elections.
“Talking about January 6th and whether we have a democracy next year is a really important issue in Washington, D.C. But it’s not an important issue to voters in the real world,” Republican strategist Corry Bliss told the Post. “In the real world, voters care about the price of groceries, the price of gas, being able to walk down the street and feel safe.”
There’s an old adage among lawyers that says, “If you have the facts on your side, pound the facts; if you have the law on your side, pound the law; if you have neither the facts nor the law, pound the table.”
Right now, Democrats are pounding the table.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.
