Saving the GOP from itself

In my book, Democrats are often driven more by emotion and identity politics than by facts, while Republicans are driven by personality and vengeance. Example: Donald J. Trump.

So the very first thing they do after achieving the slimmest majority in the House is to announce an investigation into Hunter Biden.

I believe Hunter Biden should be investigated, along with his father, Joe, the president, who stated he never discussed Hunter’s business operations with him. That is as unbelievable as Joe’s earlier claims that he had a double major and was at the top of his law school class. 

But when 80% of Americans feel the USA is on the wrong track, it is not because of the president’s miscreant son.

It is because of inflation, an economy that despite low joblessness seems uncoupled from reality, the perception of rising crime, high gasoline prices, and serious problems such as increasing drug deaths, and a tsunami of illegal immigration instigated by Biden’s policies.

Instead of announcing plans to deal with all that, Republicans squandered an opportunity and gave their enemies ammunition to say the GOP cares about nothing but settling scores.

In a previous column, I mourned the descent of the GOP from the Party of We Like Ike to the party of We Fear Donald. 

If Republicans want to increase their numbers, they have to understand most Americans care more about their lives than they do about Biden or Benghazi.

If I were their Svengali, here are three proposals I would put on the table. (While these will help the GOP, they are designed to benefit America.)

1- As Sarah Palin once said, “Drill, baby, drill,”

Yes, I know she is unpopular, but so are the gas prices. Here is something Republicans understand — supply and demand. When supply goes up, prices go down. I would push for drilling on federal land and letting more leases. Fracking, yes. (Even Senator-elect John Fetterman is for fracking, right? Right?)

Under Trump, America exported energy. Under Biden we are asking the frenemy Saudis and commie Venezuela to pump more oil.

Little known fact: When the Saudis or Venezuelans pump more crude it comes from the very same earth as America’s resources. So Biden isn’t being eco-friendly, because oil pollutes whether it comes from the Mideast, South America or Oklahoma.

Gas prices will decline.

2- Save Social Security by removing the wage cap. The “wage cap” is the amount of your income that is subject to the 6.2% tax paid by individuals and their employers. This year, it is $147,000. Next year it will be $160,200. I never made $147,000 in my life and chances are, you didn’t either.

91% of us won’t reach $147,000 this year, which means we pay 6.2% every week. People like Elan Musk and Jeff Bezos reach that cap on week 1 and pay nothing the other 51 weeks.

Removing the wage cap will fund Social Security for decades, and — get this — because Republicans love cutting taxes, they could reduce the tax to 6%, still save Social Security, and deny the Democrats a talking point.  

What’s not to like?

3- Close the damn border. The current wave of migrants crashing our border have discovered a clever dodge — they don’t sneak in. They walk in and request asylum.

This is a scam, as I have previously reported, because the vast majority do not qualify for asylum, which is granted to people with a well-founded fear of persecution on at least one of five protected grounds: Race, Religion, Nationality, Political opinion, a particular social group. (Such as gays, for example.)

Notice what is not included: Hunger, joblessness, climate change, drought, flood, threats from criminal gangs, lack of housing. All of these are sad characteristics, but they do not provide a basis for asylum under U.S. law.

So why do they claim asylum knowing they will be rejected?

They know they are entitled to a hearing before a federal judge, and that there are 1.6 million cases backlogged. The Biden administration turns them loose in America to wait their hearing. 

It could be years before they get that hearing and they know they will be supported by Open Borders nonprofits who will argue “they have put down roots” and it would be “cruel” to deport them.

It is a scam, but there is a way to stop it: The law must be changed so that asylum seekers wait in their own country, or some other country, for their hearing.

If they can’t wait in America, the flow will stop.

Not all Americans will approve my three-point plan, but the majority will, and that’s what the GOP should have in mind — appeal to the majority.

And if you want a Point 4 — fix the Taylor Swift ticketing mess.