Above all, my motivation for supporting someone else in the GOP primary was that I didn’t think former President Donald Trump had any chance whatsoever to win the general election. As I’ve written before, I was as sure of this as I’ve ever been sure of any political prediction in my life. I had zero desire to be correct in this prediction though. In fact, as the election results solidified I was elated to be wrong.
But more than that, I also felt a sense of profound relief. Relief as a columnist and online pundit that I would be able to continue to express my opinions relatively free and uncensored. Relief as a father that at least some of the woke nonsense trying to brainwash my kids may be dialed back a notch or two. Relief as a business owner that the economy will get better and the regulatory environment will ease. Relief as a homeowner that interest rates might go down. Relief as a citizen that my right to defend myself and my family won’t be impeded. Relief as a Christian that my religious liberty will be protected. Relief as an American that our country is in good hands and we are much less likely to get into a pointless foreign war.
I could probably spend a few more paragraphs just on the ways things are going to get better, but you get the picture. Of course, there are no guarantees any of those things will absolutely happen, but I can say with certainty that the chances under a Republican president are far better than under a Democratic president.
If you consider my reaction, you might understand why I’ve not been as critical of Trump and other Republicans these past three months as some others on my end of the right have been. To me, it’s hard to get over the notion that we’re playing with house money. This is an election we were supposed to lose, but we won. So why not sit back, relax, and enjoy it?
I would imagine plenty of other Trump supporters, including maybe you, are also feeling this way right about now, at least to some extent. Except, how we’re feeling is probably exactly what the left hopes. Relaxed, relieved … dare I say, complacent?
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Today is inauguration day. In the blink of an eye 90 days will pass. Then a year, then two and a possible House midterm loss. Then, almost before we know it, another general election with nothing of lasting substance except perhaps keeping the country from sliding entirely into the abyss.
Yeah, how many of us are feeling now is exactly how Democrats want us to feel, because they play the long game. While we’re fat and happy, content to go back to our jobs and businesses knowing we’ll have a few years of peace, they’re engaging, organizing, bending and shaping the culture. They are content to lose a battle here and there, but only because they plan on winning the war.
Have you noticed the lack of ‘resistance’ to Trump? Oh, there were a few purple hairs and p*ssy hats marching the streets over the weekend, but nothing compared to eight years ago. Why is that? Could it be that Democrats, even the younger, dimmer ones, are learning that nearly everything Republicans do in office is reversible when they take back over? Could it be that the left knows they only need one great takeover to change the game for good in their favor? One big chance to make Washington DC and Puerto Rico states. One big chance to eliminate the filibuster. One big chance to pack the Supreme Court. One big chance to ensure freedom-loving Americans never have a chance to assume national power again.
Republicans have some good, even great ideas. But in today’s divided political climate, they have no ability to implement anything of lasting significance because they aren’t willing to fight fire with fire, to respond with nukes when nukes have been fired at them. To wit, the lack of any sort of willingness of Capitol Hill Republicans to abolish the filibuster themselves even when they know full well it’s exactly what Democrats will do.
Can Trump and Congressional Republicans do enough good over the next two years to win enough hearts and minds to keep Democrats out the old-fashioned way? That remains to be seen. I hope so. But political pendulums tend to shift. And the next time it shifts in their favor, the left is fully intent on not ever letting it shift back.
So, while we should enjoy this victory, the last thing we should allow ourselves to feel is complacent. We all know Democrats play for keeps. We need to find a way to do the same. We have one chance, a Providential chance at that given the tremendous odds Trump faced, to turn this country around. Blow it, and we likely won’t get another.
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