Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Has Passed—Now the GOP Needs to Cut through the Crap

I don’t know about you, but I’m happy with the tax reform
package signed by President Trump. He fulfilled a number of promises with a
more cooperative Republican Congress, and all in time for Christmas!

This country’s previous corporate tax rate was uncompetitive,
chasing away large businesses and corporate firms. Understandably, they
inverted their corporate headquarters or invested in low-tax countries like
Ireland. Now, Europe is worried because American firms in those countries are
coming home. Major corporate firms are pledging or actively investing in the
United States. Established firms are awarding American workers with bonuses. Contrary
to the media lies and the left-wing spin, working families will keep more of
their money with expanded child credits and the doubled standard deduction.
Income tax rates across the board have been reduced.

Yet numerous media-hyped studies and polls have either presented
the tax reform package as a minor success with the public … or downright
unpopular. The consensus reaction has concluded that Republicans once again
gave away the store to Big Business, to corporate cronies, to millionaires and
billionaires, and middle-income earners and working-class voters are getting
the shaft.

The Bernie Sanders class warfare rhetoric has become so easily
and readily repeated, it’s boring. Of course, if 50% of the public relies on
national corporate media for news, the lingering animus shouldn’t surprise
anyone.  The misinformation war against
free markets, limited government, and constitutional rule is still waging over
the minds of the next generation. To our benefit, post-Millennials are avoiding
college altogether and jumping right into the job market and entrepreneurship. But
they are not the largest voting bloc for conservatives to reach out to. Working
class voters in the Rust Belt are witnessing the return of manufacturing and
energy jobs, i.e. West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Despite the good times, Democratic activists are angrier,
more organized, and determined to prove themselves right at all costs, even if
it means ushering in more poverty, despair, and economic stagnation for all but
the most politically connected of their liberal elites. The commitment to this
myopic fanaticism came through clearly when an interviewer asked a group of
students about the GOP tax plan. They immediately panned it. When the interviewers
revealed key parts of the plan, and it was presented to them as Bernie Sanders’
plan, the students accepted the plan. The ideas are great, but the media,
academia, and entertainment industries’ rabid hatred toward Trump and
Republicans still sours thoughtful political discourse.

Without an engaged response, this animus will poison next
year’s elections. Trump and his council of political counselors are taking
steps to prepare for Election 2018, but how? If they think that passing reforms
and economic growth will ensure widespread victories next year, they are
greatly mistaken. Domestic and foreign policy victories alone are not going to
work.

Here’s what conservatives need to do, and the GOP leadership
in the White House and on Capitol Hill better pay attention:

First off, Republicans are damn fools to pursue any kind of
DACA fix. The fate of the young illegals in this country are not our problem. Republicans
need to review and memorize the set answers which former US Senator and Presidential
contender Rick Santorum gave to a young illegal pleading for her “right” to
stay in this country. Republicans should let the program sunset without further
acclaim, then pass the RAISE Act, limiting legal immigration and granting
Americans priority in their country’s workforce. Republicans need to push
funding for the border wall without delay.

Second, Republicans need to tout the successes of the Tax
Cuts and Jobs Act, and find the most creative ways to do so, forcing the
corrupt, anti-American media to report on these victories. Instead of allowing the
false narrative “all corporations are bad” to dominate the news, they need to
fight back and drum up heavy media attention on the economic victories for
working Americans. President Trump’s rallies have harnessed the media’s
attention on the plight and now victories of working families. Those kinds of
victories will fight the false plutocrat narrative pushed by the left.

On this point, I would submit that Republicans in Congress
are pushing back at the “Greedy GOP” narrative. Trump was not ashamed of his
wealth while running for President. Chairman of the Senate
Finance Committee  Orrin Hatch briefly
dominated Twitter’s hashtags and headlines when he slammed progressive
leftist US Senator Sherrod Brown over the Democrats’ hollow class warfare “crap”.
Hatch was born in the working class, but worked his way up to prosperity and
political opportunity. Those accomplishments are nothing to be ashamed of. After
signing the landmark legislation, Trump reminded the reporters in the
standing-room only Oval Office that Americans will see the benefits
immediately. Good, but make sure to remind everyone as much as possible, Mr.
President.

Third, conservatives and Republicans need to demonize the
Democrats for voting against tax cuts, the repeal of the hated Obamacare
individual mandate, and the expansion of job opportunities for all Americans.
Happy voters are great, but angry voters will go the extra distance to cast
their ballots against the political party which they view as inimical to their
best interests.

Fourth, and this part is for the long haul: conservatives
need to forcefully confront the anti-capitalist narrative on college campuses.
These riled-up Millennials and post-college graduates are driving the
anti-wealth media fraud about the GOP Tax Reform package. Helping corporations
expand and grow is good for the economy, and inequality does not matter when
even the poorest among us are more prosperous. Conservative activists need to
understand that the anti-Trump media is not gone yet. Angry progressives and
feisty, demanding Democrats have not stopped, either, and economic prosperity
alone won’t change minds about President Trump or Congressional Republicans.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act legislative victory is a major win
for the Trump Administration, but the political victories in Election 2018
require on-the-ground training, engagement, and confrontation to protect GOP
majorities in Congress. Let’s hope that Congressional leaders will get the hint.