Times Examiner Facebook Logo

Friday, December 13, 2024 - 06:49 PM

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

First Published in 1994

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

There is nearly a month to go before Election Day, and things could change, but if they don't, the numbers look like Joe Biden may win big. The national popular vote polls aren't super helpful in predicting the outcome, since our winner is picked state by state according to the Electoral College. But the national polls since the presidential debate all turned even further toward Biden. What that tells us -- no matter what flaws each individual poll may have -- is that President Donald Trump did not help himself with his debate performance. When you add in the fact that Biden was already leading in most battleground polls (where it really matters) even before the debate, you get a sense of just how dire the current situation is for Team Trump.

Vice President Mike Pence had a good debate, but nothing happened that would fundamentally change the race. Now it looks like the second presidential debate may be off, which means there is even less opportunity for Trump to shake things up. If nothing changes, and something easily could in this crazy year, we are looking at President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democratic House and maybe even a Democratic Senate.

Many of my fellow conservatives don't want to believe this. They will point out legitimate questions about polling techniques, the flawed polls in 2016, and the "shy vote" (those who may not want to tell pollsters they are supporting Trump) that may skew the results. There is some truth to these arguments, but it's unlikely to close this large of a gap. None of this is a commentary on whether Trump or Biden deserves to win or lose. It's just a realistic and detached look at the state of play today.

The most pressing issue for conservatives if Trump does not mount an epic comeback will be stopping the potentially radical agenda Democrats will try to impose. Today's Democratic Party is more radical than any in recent memory. Democrats are angry, and many are out for revenge. There a push to remake our system and take over political power by changing the rules. There isn't much talk of national reconciliation.

The far left wants to abolish the Senate filibuster (the rule requiring 60 votes to get things done). If Biden wins, there is a good chance he'll have a Senate majority for at least his first two years. And nobody believes the Republicans are in any danger of winning back the House. This means the Senate filibuster will be the only thing standing in the way of complete, unfettered Democratic control over our government. The left will pressure Biden to kill the filibuster, and the Democrats will have the votes to do it. Once they kill the filibuster, they will have the ability to pass any policy they like with a bare majority vote in the House and the Senate.

Trump has pushed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to kill the filibuster so Republicans could have passed more bills without any Democratic support. Trump argued that the Democrats were going to do it the next time they got power, so Republicans may as well do it first. It looks like he may have been right about that. But McConnell refused for very good reasons. The filibuster is a requirement that we have some level of consensus before radically changing our country. Our founders were not in favor of radical swings in our governance. National stability is a good thing. It's one of the things that separates our country from much of the world, where things can swing wildly year to year. It's one reason America has been the world's leader. We should be really careful before throwing these things away. McConnell understands this; Democrats want power and don't seem to care.

The filibuster rules sound like inside baseball minutia to most Americans, but they are anything but. As soon as you only need a majority to accomplish your goals, you can do radical things such as expand the Supreme Court. Biden has been asked many times to state his position on the radical left's plan to add new judges until they have a left-wing majority. It's not a subtle plan. It's a partisan attack on our fundamental system. The founders set up three branches of government so power would be shared. Dividing power this way, with our system of checks and balances between the branches, reduces the possibility of corruption and promotes the need for consensus. The combination of killing the filibuster so you can pass Democrats' laws with no Republican input and then blowing up the Supreme Court until they will rubber stamp anything you do would permanently change our country and take today's already bitterly partisan politics to a whole new level. It should not be hard to oppose, but Biden still will not take a position.

Biden has been known as a moderate liberal for much of his career. If anything, he's been more of a corporatist Democrat -- doing the bidding of big business while pushing a more liberal environmental and social agenda. Most who know him think Biden knows in his heart that radical change such as blowing up our Supreme Court and neutering a co-equal branch of government could destroy our country. What nobody knows is whether Biden is willing to stand up to his party's ascendant left wing and whether Biden is really in charge, or if he's micromanaged by the young left-wing staffers surrounding him. The fact that Biden is not willing to commit himself against radical ideas should worry every American more moderate than an Elizabeth Warren/Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Democrat. It may be too late for a comeback, but making sure every American understands this issue could be Trump's last shot.

-------------------------

Neil Patel co-founded The Daily Caller, one of America's fastest-growing online news outlets, which regularly breaks news and distributes it to over 15 million monthly readers. Patel also co-founded The Daily Caller News Foundation, a nonprofit news company that trains journalists, produces fact-checks and conducts longer-term investigative reporting. The Daily Caller News Foundation licenses its content free of charge to over 300 news outlets, reaching potentially hundreds of millions of people per month. To find out more about Neil Patel and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators website at www.creators.com

COPYRIGHT 2020 CREATORS.COM

 

Tucker Carlson and Neil Patel

Tucker Carlson currently hosts Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (weekdays 8 p.m. ET). He joined the network in 2009 as a contributor.

“Tucker Carlson Tonight” features powerful analysis and spirited debates, with guests from across the political and cultural spectrum. Carlson brings his signature style to tackle issues largely uncovered by the media in every corner of the United States, challenging political correctness with a "Campus Craziness" segment and tackling media bias and outrage during "Twitter Storm."

Carlson co-hosted “Fox & Friends Weekend” starting in 2012, until taking on his current role at “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”

While at Fox News, Carlson has provided analysis for “America's Election Headquarters” on primary and caucus nights, including in the 2016 and 2012 presidential elections, as well as the 2014 midterm election. He also produced a Fox News special, "Fighting for Our Children's Minds," in 2010.

Prior to working at Fox News, Carlson hosted “Tucker Carlson: Unfiltered” on PBS from 2004 to 2005 and “Tucker” on MSNBC from 2005 to 2008. He joined CNN in 2000 as its youngest anchor ever, co-hosting “The Spin Room” and later CNN's “Crossfire,” until its 2005 cancellation. In 2003, he wrote an autobiography about his cable news experience titled "Politicians, Partisans and Parasites: My Adventures in Cable News."

Carlson graduated with a B.A. in history from Trinity College in Connecticut.

Neil Patel

In addition to his role as publisher of The Daily Caller, Neil Patel is co-founder and managing director of Bluebird Asset Management, a hedge fund investing in mortgage-backed securities.

Before starting his two companies, Neil served in the White House from 2005 to 2009 as the chief policy adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney. From 2001 to 2004, Neil was staff secretary to Vice President Cheney. Prior to joining the Bush administration, Neil was assistant general counsel at UUNET Technologies. Earlier in his career, Neil practiced law with Dechert Price & Rhoads. He also served as Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on U.S. National Security and Military/Commercial Concerns with the People’s Republic of China. 

Neil received his B.A. from Trinity College in Connecticut and his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he served as associate editor of the Journal of Law and Policy in International Business.

Neil lives in Washington, D.C., and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with his wife, Amy, their two daughters, Caroline and Bela, and their son, Charlie.

COPYRIGHT 2019 CREATORS.COM