Republicans Can’t Win Telling Only Half the Story

Enumerating their accomplishments is only half of Republicans’ task heading into November. A full perspective requires juxtaposing what Republicans have done with what would have occurred had Kamala Harris and Democrats won in 2024.

Republicans’ task in November is not an easy one. The party holding the White House almost always loses seats in midterms; regardless of current circumstances, that’s the historical overlay. And current circumstances remain dominated by the conflict with Iran’s terrorist regime and inflation that has stayed stubborn even after its primary instigator, Joe Biden, is over a year and a half out of office.

Republicans could have expected Democrats would turn “Biden-flation” into “affordability.” If Republicans cured cancer, Democrats would accuse them of putting cancer researchers out of work. (RELATED: The Conservative Moment Arrives)

Republicans therefore cannot fall into their opponents’ and the establishment media’s half-story traps.

Nor can Republicans expect the establishment media to help them with their case. Across the board, the establishment media runs stories as though these existed in a vacuum: with no mention of what preceded it or what likely would have happened otherwise. Case in point: The border crisis that was ignored for four years, yet all current attention is negatively focused on deportations (routinely ignoring the Left’s provocation of violent clashes).

Republicans therefore cannot fall into their opponents’ and the establishment media’s half-story traps. They must tell what conservative commentator Paul Harvey used to famously call, “the rest of the story.” (RELATED: Why Republicans May Defy Midterm History)

On taxes, yes, Republicans should accentuate that they passed important tax cuts last year on tips, Social Security, and more. But they should equally remind Americans that had it not been for them, Democrats would have allowed the largest tax hike in history. After all, the large bulk of last year’s Republican bill was stopping tax rates from returning to the Democrat levels that existed before the 2017 TCJA — and Democrats voted against Republicans’ 2021 tax cuts and for taking rates back to their pre-2017 levels.

On the economy, Republicans should certainly highlight its positives — investments, private sector jobs, and more. But they should also remind Americans where the economy would be if Democrats had gotten their wish and history’s highest tax hike. However you view today’s economy, it would be worse if Democrats had won the presidency in 2024 and raised taxes dramatically.

On inflation, Republicans can point to inflation slowing in the latest report. That’s good news, and hopefully it will remain under control. But they should also remind the country about the previous administration’s inflation record — and record inflation when it hit 9.1 percent in 2022.

On foreign policy, Republicans should talk about the job Marco Rubio has done and the progress that has been made in rolling back China’s influence in our hemisphere, particularly in Venezuela and Cuba. They should also remind America that, had Harris been elected and continued Biden-Harris policies, Maduro would still be in Venezuela and pursuing narco-terrorism and his close relationship with China. Iran would also still be pursuing nuclear weapons. Israel would not have been given the wherewithal to defend itself from Hamas and Hezbollah. And of course, our southern border would still be open and criminal illegal aliens not being deported.

On energy issues, Republicans should talk about the investments and jobs that their pro-growth policies have brought back to America. They should also accentuate the increased energy security these have enhanced. But they should also remind about the Biden-Harris energy boondoggles, like California’s rail proposal (that apparently runs on overspending) and the misnamed Inflation Reduction Act that squandered billions on wasteful ideological projects.

Social policy may present Republicans’ biggest challenge, as well as their biggest opportunity. Their challenge only arises from the fact that their biggest advances have been common sense rollbacks of perhaps Democrats’ most ideologically driven agenda. Gone are DEI’s race-centric policies that were seeded throughout the federal government. “In” is the executive order that barred boys from playing in girls’ sports. Think any of these changes would have occurred under a Harris administration? Think any will remain in place if Democrats retake control? (RELATED: America’s Socialists Have Already Lost)

Republicans also have a lot of positive things to say about clearing back government regulations. Doing so has reduced the cost of doing business in many sectors. Of course, that’s good news. But they also must remind Americans of the avalanche of regulations that were ushered forth from the Biden administration and from Democrats in general.

Republicans should also be trumpeting their exposure of federal payments fraud. Minnesota was at the epicenter early, but it’s clearly just the tip of the iceberg. Think rooting out federal fraud would be happening under Tim Walz, who dropped his reelection bid in the wake of the Minnesota fraud scandal’s discovery and would have been VP if Harris had won? (RELATED: One Party Investigates, the Other Explains)

Republicans are also doing long overdue work in uncovering what was done and what was covered up during COVID. They should, at the same time, remind America who it was that pardoned Anthony Fauci and who defended him at the recent Senate hearing where he refused to testify despite his Biden pardon. (RELATED: Fifth Amendment Fauci’s Narcissism Destroyed Faith in Scientific Methodology)

The list of accomplishments is long. Republicans should repeat each item on it. However, it’s not enough to tell their story. They need to tell “the rest of the story,” because many of their bigger accomplishments have come from undoing what Democrats had done. And that among their biggest achievements has been stopping Democrats from continuing to do them.

READ MORE from J.T. Young:

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J.T. Young is the author of the recent book, Unprecedented Assault: How Big Government Unleashed America’s Socialist Left from RealClear Publishing. Follow him on Substack.