This summer will likely be a crucible from which election results will emerge this fall.  By available polling data, it appears Americans are unhappy with the direction of the country and unhappy with the enfeebled, protected, coddled, and coached President Joe Biden.  The most recent polls show some shifts favorable to Donald Trump.

The real question is whether American voters will connect Biden’s policies with the Democrat party at large.  If so, this discontent will resonate with down-ballot voting for lower offices.

There is a good chance that voters will make the connection.  The main reason is it is so obvious that Biden is a cut-out President.  There is little about his Administration that seems to come from his limited intellect.  Rather, he is put forward for show; a puppet show.  The real strings are being pulled by a cadre of Democrat operatives, largely holdovers from the Obama Administration, and hence his policies reflect the deep mechanisms of the Democrat Party.

It will do little good to simply vote against Biden and vote for other Democrats.   Otherwise, it would be just cosmetic change and the once great Democrat Party will remain in the hands of a narrow band of ultra-rich radicals.

Whether it be the transgender activists invading women’s sports or anti-Semites on campus, they draw support from local Democrat prosecutors, mayors, judges, school boards, and school administrators.  The corruption of Democrat rule is evident at all levels of government.  Indeed, some of the most radical proposals, such as the elimination of women’s sports and anti-white racism are being enforced at the local level, with support from above.

To shake out the radicals, and restore the Democrat Party to some semblance of its past, they must receive a thorough thrashing at every level of governance.

There is always a stage where radicals tend to “eat their own.”  Violence at the political conventions of both parties has the potential to show this ugly process to the general public.  As we will see, economic concerns top the list of public concerns, Gaza is very much down on the list, and overwhelmingly the public supports Israel.

Where are the American people on a variety of these issues?  A series of recent polls give us an idea of what voters think.

The most obvious is the use of lawfare has not yielded the results anticipated.  The more Trump is attacked in court, the more the public understands that this is election interference and the more Donald Trump goes up in the polls.  The latest Real Clear polling shows the race tied, with a widening edge for Trump in key battleground states.

The economy is always a top issue and it is here that Biden faces a real problem.  After spending lavishly to buy votes, he seems to be gaining little benefit because those very policies have touched off the worst inflation in 50 years.  According to a recent Gallup survey, Biden has one of the lowest ratings as an economic leader of any President since they started their polling. 

In other Gallup surveys,  for the third year in a row, the percentage of Americans naming inflation or the high cost of living as the most important financial problem facing their family has reached a new high. 

Other economic concerns like home affordability, debt, and low wages indicate there is a widespread concern across economic rankings about maintaining a standard of living.

While touting low unemployment, the Biden Administration has throttled growth with a new wave of environmental and income redistribution regulations.  The American people, however, according to Rasmussen, prefer economic growth over redistribution, or what Democrats call “fairness.” According to a poll in late March, 55% believe growth to float all boats higher is preferred to 34% who think income “fairness” is most important.

When it comes to the border crisis, Pew Research indicates that nearly 80% of Americans think the government is doing a poor job at controlling the border. Interestingly, Republicans tend to refer to the invasion of illegal immigrants as a “crisis”, while Democrats describe it as a “problem.”  Still, a vast majority think the whole thing is being mishandled.

When it comes to support of Israel in the war against Hamas, most support Israel, but there has been some slippage in the past few months.  However, a recent ABC News Poll found Trump has about an 8% lead on Biden as to which candidate would thread the needle best in the Middle East.

According to the Daily Mail, a Harvard CAPS-Harris survey found 80 percent of registered voters support Israel more in the war while only 20 percent say they support Hamas terrorists more.  Meanwhile, there is widespread disgust with campus protests, with almost half of Americans believing college demonstrations should be banned altogether.  Democrats are heavily identified with these rioters as they were with the George Floyd riots.  This should be used to counter the January 6 “insurrection” narrative that frames Republicans as violent.

Where Democrats are doing marginally better is on the issue of abortion.  Recent Gallup surveys indicate that 52% of those polled call themselves “pro-choice” while 44% say they are “pro-life.”  But if you ask the question a different way, such as do you favor some reasonable restrictions on abortion, 51% say abortion should be legal under some circumstances, while 34% say abortion should be legal under all circumstances.  Clearly, the majority is open to a reasonable compromise that allows for abortion if the mother’s health is in danger while only 13% believe abortion should be illegal in all circumstances.  Of course, the devil is in the details.  What constitutes a danger to the mother?  Physical danger or mental anguish?  Should babies be aborted full term or very early stage before they likely feel pain?

At least by the polls, the public is willing to compromise on the issue, which is a lot better than codifying Roe vs. Wade.

In addition, the Republicans can counter that Democrats are not supporting women by pushing the transgender agenda.  Indeed, how can Democrats be “pro-woman” if they don’t even recognize women as a separate sex?

The Biden Administration is pushing the transgender initiatives with gusto, with new interpretations of Title IX. This means mixing the sexes in school bathrooms and showers, allowing men to compete in women’s sports, and exposing women to sexual predators in prison.  If local school districts and jurisdictions don’t cave into the plan, Biden threatens to cut off Federal funds. Republicans must make sure women know of these issues and not let Democrats seem pro-woman because they push for unlimited government-subsidized abortions.

Furthermore, women are a major factor in the workforce, and a strong economy and economic opportunity are important to them.  Public safety, crime and discipline in schools,  quality schools, and school choice, are also of interest to women with children.

On the issue of transgendered in women’s sports, 69% of Americans believe they should compete based on their birth gender, hence preserving women’s sport.  This runs into direct conflict with Biden’s new Title IX initiative.

Republicans are vulnerable on abortion and we suggest they take a nuanced approach at this time.

But neither abortion nor the Mid-East rank as high in the levels of concern as the economy and the border.

Generally speaking, Democrats have sizable advantages on climate, and health care policy while Republicans have the lead on economy, crime, and immigration.

Since the economy and immigration ratings are the highest-ranked concerns, that gives Republicans some advantage.

Therefore, Republicans must emphasize the economy, crime, and illegal immigration.  But they also need articulate positions on abortion, healthcare, and “climate change.”

Republicans often have played the role of the hapless Washington Generals.  This is the team put on the basketball court to get humiliated by the Harlem Globetrotters purposely.  It is part of the show. Too often, Republicans put up token resistance, only so the Democrats can have an opportunity to trounce.  Moreover, it falsely makes the political system look competitive, but the designed feeble opposition has been part of the “uni-party” show.  This has caused some to feel Republicans are not serious about gaining and using power.  We hope they are wrong.  However, never underestimate the ability of Republicans to screw things up.

A Trump-infused Republican Party seems more combative than in the past, but Republicans have historically had problems framing issues properly.  Likely this is because the left dominates our communications, ranging from national TV networks,  magazines, local newspapers, and internet and social media.  It has not been easy to overcome the monopoly in media.

However, new media and citizen journalism like the Prickly Pear are making some inroads.  Traditional Talk Radio and Fox News also help as does Elon Musk’s X. Given that Conservatives do not control the communication nodes of the culture,  it is doubly incumbent upon Republicans to make clear and compassionate arguments that will resonate with the public.