Love to Hate Gutter Politicking 2024

Peggy Noonan recently bemoaned how our frustrated & fearful people are now “loving to hate.” One wonders if No. 46 is feeding off this cynical low note by suggesting “business,” not his Bidenomics, is responsible for inflation.

Not that No. 45 isn’t also guilty at times of finger pointing to gain points with the electorate. Vilifying the opponent is as old a tactic as the American democracy. And, so is the flip side of that coin, that is, taking credit for the other guy’s achievements. As the upcoming debate looms large, let’s forget for a second about whether Trump or Biden will do a better job of claiming they know best about controlling spending, inflation, jobs, crime & our broken border. The WSJ recently hit the negative modern day politicking nail on the head in a recent op ed asking whether our politicians really think “business is part of the problem.”

The editors focused on a Montana senate race that too typically has devolved into such gutter politics. They waxed: “When President Obama told business owners “you didn’t build that” during his 2012 campaign, Democrats scrambled to cover for his gaffe. Today’s left says you built that, and you’re to blame.” The editorial board went on to note how ironic it was that one Montana candidate was being trashed by his opponent for being a successful as well as visionary business tycoon who created gobs of news jobs in the state. As the editors also noted, it was the finger pointer who has “helped push the cost of living by voting for trillions of dollars in Biden Administration spending.” Like most of the left, they conclude, it’s about shifting “blame to the wealthy & businesses.” Sound like a familiar burden to carry, Mr. Trump? Can you br better?

Davd Soul