America is the land of second chances. In the case of Georgia, the Senate runoff is a third chance for the Republicans to finally get it right.
One thing I have learned from living in Israel (coming here courtesy of a US Fulbright Fellowship) for the past 30 years is that Israel’s Arab enemies always fight the last war. About a decade ago, there were several battles, both in Lebanon and in Gaza, where terrorists successfully attacked Israeli armor with Russian Kornet missiles and RPGs. When the next battle came a few years later in Gaza, they tried it again but they did not realize that Israel had developed an advanced on-vehicle system (“Trophy") for destroying projectiles before they could hit a tank or personnel carrier. The result was no loss of armor and a completely befuddled enemy.
Georgia is having its third special Senate runoff in only a couple of years. The GOP famously lost the first two and with them a Senate majority. Can Herschel Walker win this time? Can the GOP at least settle for a nominal tie in the upper chamber and get some momentum heading towards 2024? Are we playing by the previous playbook or do we have something new to offer?
One of the Alinsky rules is to make your enemy live by his credo. And Georgia would be a good place to do a dry run for the 2024 political cycle. Everyone who is not a Democrat-only voter knows that the Democrats are awful. But what does the GOP have to offer in their place? Glenn Youngkin spoke to parents about protecting their children and giving those parents a role in their children’s education and he became governor of Virginia. Give a positive message that Georgians can expect a brighter future and maybe they’ll choose you to help realize it. Walker and the GOP—and no doubt a lot of people who will show up before the special election to “help”—must give voters a positive image of a future that the GOP can offer. Constantly telling crowds that Joe Biden is not with it will not get people to vote for you. Here are issues where the GOP can offer a brighter future and the Democrats have nothing much to offer.
*Cheaper Energy. A senator does not drill for oil but he can push policies that will increase hydrocarbon production and lead to lower energy prices. Talk about gas getting back under $3 a gallon as a goal if elected. Support nuclear power for reliable electricity. Wind and sun have been shown to be unreliable when needed, so let Senator Warnock run on renewables.
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*Reduced Inflation. You don’t have to tell people that they are spending too much at the store because of Democratic policies; they know that and even so they returned Governor Whitmer to her job and actually turned the Michigan legislature blue after 40 years. Explain how cheaper fuel and improved supply chains can lead to lower prices. Explain how you plan to make ports more efficient and bring more manufacturing home to increase availability of critical components. Everyone knows that things are too expensive today. Explain how you will make the prices go down.
*Education. This has been a winning issue for Republicans. Again, make the Democrat own child mutilation and sexualization of young children. Most parents remember that school was a time for learning and growth and not a time for “top” surgery and men dressed as women reading stories to toddlers. Make the parents partners in their children’s education and they will want to be there for their kids.
*Abortion. The end of Roe has been a dream for conservatives for decades but politically it has been a problem. While conservatives can sing all day that now states can make their own policies, the Democrats have painted the post-Roe Republican Party as wanting to ban abortion completely, and a few of its recent candidates actually said as much. I was in Las Vegas in the weeks before the November election and every Democratic ad said that the Republican candidate wanted to lock up the doctor, the woman and the unborn child. One may wish for a world without abortion, but if the Republicans want to win, they had better come up with something that is politically palatable. Most Americans are opposed to abortions until birth, so the Republicans have a lot of room in which to propose policies that reduce the number of abortions in the US and keep the party politically relevant.
*Policing. Make Senator Warnock own the defund police movement. Stress the importance of a person leaving his/her house and coming back to that house unharmed without being attacked or carjacked along the way. Make people know that their personal safety is a priority for you and that you will support the police and all policies that make people’s lives safer and more productive. You support citizens while your opponent supports the criminals.
Independent of policies, Herschel Walker has to give a positive image of himself—smiling, confident, and offering a positive vision of the future. You do not have to tell Americans how awful Joe Biden and the Democrats have been. You need to give them a positive alternative that will make them vote GOP. The last two special elections were lost with grievances about stolen elections. You can be right or you can win. Offering people a positive future is a winning approach; complaining about what was (even if it was true) will not get people to make the effort to vote for you.
This election is a tune-up for the 2024 cycle. Now is the time to find the winning themes and run on them. Herschel Walker knows how to run. Let’s hope he can run all the way to Washington as the newest senator from Georgia.
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