Policy v Politics

In the U.S. political arena, people hold many labels. There are, of course, Republicans and Democrats, but a plethora of other labels come into play…some on the political right and others on the political left. For instance, on the left, some people identify as liberal. Other titles include progressive, left-wing, social liberal, democratic socialist, pro-choice, etc., …each name depending, at least in part, on that individual’s stance on various issues and degree of liberalism.

The same is true on the other side of the political spectrum. On the right we find conservatives, pro-life, libertarian, etc.; once again depending on issues and degree of conservatism.

Personally, I consider myself a constitutionalist. That is to say, I believe government decisions and actions – all government decisions and actions – should be grounded in the constitution. Consequently, I naturally lean to the right politically, I don’t particularly identify with any of the above-mentioned titles, although I do agree with many of the views of those who identify as such. For instance, I am certainly pro-life, and there are issues where I agree with libertarians. For this reason, I tend to vote Republican since that is the party that seems to be more grounded in constitutional principles. That is not to say that I am happy with the party. They disappoint me far too much.

As a constitutionalist, my position on any given policy does not depend on who is in the White House or which party controls the House or the Senate. For instance, on separate occasions, two close friends recently complained to me about the Pentagon’s changes in policy where the press is concerned, insisting that it was infringement on freedom of the press. Yet, if a Democrat rather than Donald Trump was in the White House, I suspect those two friends would have ignored the Pentagon’s actions. I, on the other hand, responded that I don’t particularly want the press to have unlimited access to a place where wartimes strategies, military secrets, and advanced weaponry are developed. I figured the press can have their questions answered at the seat of the executive branch, which is the White House. I can also say that my answer would be the same regardless of which party held the White House.

With the exception of the abortion issue (pro-lifers are generally not wishy-washy), the problem with many people on both sides of the political aisle is that they are inconsistent when it comes to policy. What they believe often depends on which party, Republican or Democrat, holds the White House. This is especially true of those on the left. Take, for instance, the current renovations to the White House. Many on the left (including the legacy media) are making a big deal out of Trump’s renovation at the White House. Yet, in retrospect, those same people see no issue with Obama’s basketball court renovations or John Kennedy’s swimming pool. While those were slightly smaller projects, some earlier presidents have made even bigger changes than are currently taking place. That leads to one possible conclusion. The new ball room is despised primarily because Trump is in the White House.

Kennedy’s swimming pool and Obama’s basketball court were funded by taxpayers while the current changes are being funded by private individuals, including Donald Trump. Of course I want to see the list of contributors for transparency’s sake. Still, vilification of the renovation is preposterous, especially since, if a Democrat president made those same changes, those currently decrying Trump’s work would be some of the first to donate to the project; although they would probably prefer that the alterations be funded with tax dollars. Anyone who denies this is in self-denial since everyone knows it is the truth. It is not even arguable. On the other hand, only a few on the right side of the aisle would care if a Democrat president did this, although those few would likely complain.

Perhaps the most egregious disparity on policy positions can be demonstrated on the topic of illegal immigration. When Trump first held the White House and wanted to build “the wall,” most Democrats fought him aggressively. They came across as pro-illegal immigration, insisting that it was good for the economy along with a host of other reasons. Then, when Biden was in the White House, those same Democrats fully supported the open border. However, many of those who have been fighting Trump on this issue sang a different tune before Trump came on the scene. Here are some interesting quotes from some of those individuals.

• Joe Biden (2006): “Folks, I voted for a fence. I voted, unlike most Democrats ― and some of you won’t like it ― I voted for 700 miles of fence. But, let me tell you, we can build a fence 40 stories high ― unless you change the dynamic in Mexico and ― and you will not like this, and ― punish American employers who knowingly violate the law when, in fact, they hire illegals. Unless you do those two things, all the rest is window dressing.”

• Chuck Schumer (2009): "Illegal immigration is wrong, plain and simple. Until the American people are convinced that we will stop future flows of illegal immigration we will make no progress on dealing with the millions of illegal immigrants who are here now, When we use phrases like undocumented workers we convey a message to the American people that their government is not serious about combating illegal immigration which the American people overwhelmingly oppose. If you don’t think it’s illegal you’re not going to say it. I think it is illegal and wrong."

• Barack Obama (2005): “We simply cannot allow people to pour into the United States undetected, undocumented, unchecked, and circumventing the line of people who are waiting patiently, diligently, and lawfully to become immigrants in this country.”

• Hillary Clinton (2003): "We’ve got to do several things and I am, you know, adamantly against illegal immigrants. … certainly we’ve got to do more at our borders. And people have to stop employing illegal immigrants.

I could go on, but these are sufficient to make the point. These individuals have pretty much made a 180 degree turn on this subject. It makes one wonder what they have to gain with the import of millions of illegals. However, it is probably safe to say that a certain amount of their change of heart depends on opposition to Trump at all costs. At best, the change is disingenuous. At worst, it is a devious scheme to try to expand a seriously dwindling Democrat party.

For those of you who seek to disparage my political views, it is difficult to take you seriously knowing that many of you would not be complaining if someone on your side of the aisle (the left) was doing the very same things, and making the very same decisions we see coming out of the current White House.

Here are some predictions for your consideration. First of all, I anticipate that Republicans will gain seats in the House of Representatives in 2026. This will be due, in part, to gerrymandering of voting districts by red states. Since this has been done in blue states for the last few decades, Democrats have very few seats to gain by gerrymandering current maps. Additionally, the Supreme Court is set to overturn key elements of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. When that happens, it will open the floodgates of redistricting. I expect Republicans will hold the House of Representatives in 2026 to the tune of at least 230-205, although the margin could be (and probably will be) much greater.

Currently, Republicans have a 53-45 advantage in the Senate with two independents. In 2026, I anticipate the Republican advantage will grow to 55-43, although Republicans could gain one extra seat, giving them a total of 56 senators.

I also anticipate that we will see a new Republican president in 2028 (no, it will not be Trump, but Gavin Newsome, J. D. Pritzker, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez do not stand a chance). I will stop short of naming the new president, but it is a fact that red states are getting redder and blue states are becoming less blue. Keep an eye on the New Jersey and Virginia races for governor in November. I’m not saying that the Republican candidates will win, but I believe the races will be closer than 2021.

After 2030, the new census will force an electoral college redistribution with states like California, Illinois, and New York (all Democrat strongholds) losing electoral votes while red states like Florida, Idaho, and Texas will be gaining electoral seats. Given the changes that are coming, had Trump won his 2024 votes under that new distribution, he would have won the electoral college by 10-12 additional votes. This change, as well as Republican strength in congress, suggests that Republicans will likely hold both the presidency and congress for the foreseeable future.

One other thing: I anticipate perhaps four, and maybe even five Supreme Court retirements over the next 10-12 years (this is just an educated guess since four justices are 70 years or more). At least one of those retirements will likely be Sotomayor, who is 71 years old. I expect she will grow tired of fighting six “relatively” conservative justices with no end in sight. All of those retirees will be replaced by a Republican president and agreed upon by a Republican Senate. Democrats in Washington are fully aware of these things and it is driving them crazy.

What is bizarre is that we have the devilish Donald Trump to thank for the shift among the American electorate. Still, some credit can be given to the governors of states like California, Illinois, and New York, where people have been leaving in droves resulting in a reshaped electoral map. What this all means is that MAGA will only become stronger over the coming years. As a constitutionalist, I can live with that.

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