I remember well my first vote. It was 1972, in Decorah, Iowa. I voted for Nixon for president, and he won the greatest landslide in American presidential history. My, how politics in America have changed.
Most noticeable is the outrageous pattern of high government officials calling us names. Yes, we the people, who pay for that very government, are called “deplorables” or “ultra MAGA extremists.”
Oh, and I’ve heard another one from the Democrats — “Christian nationalists.” Labeling like that doesn’t serve any purpose; and in that case, it couldn’t be further from the truth. It simply amounts to propaganda.
We were ridiculed as “folks who cling to their guns and religion” or “deniers (of global warming).” We are told that we live in “flyover country.” We Texans were even called “neanderthals” because we insist on election integrity.
Those who call their fellow Americans by these demeaning names need to be reminded of who we are, that we vote and that we pay their salaries. They will get that reminder in November.
As we the people wonder why elected officials call us derogatory names, Scott Rasmussen of RMG Research has completed extensive surveys. They offer some excellent insights and the percentages cited herein. He describes an “elite 1%.” These folks are prominent in every major institution of American power; from media, to universities, to government to Wall Street. We in the other 99 percent feel the heavy weight of policies that ignore our situation and values; and to add insult, the “1%” call us names.
Who are these “1%” folks? They have a postgraduate degree, live in a city and have an annual salary greater than $150K per year. Further, they are very involved in politics: government lifers, bureaucrats, media figures, professors and career politicians.
Let’s call them elites, for lack of a better word. The rest of us, the other 99 percent, let’s call “the people.”
How do elites see America? They give Biden an 82 percent approval rating. They support Bernie Sanders-type socialist policies (47%). They think there is too much individual freedom in America today (47%).
Elites have a very favorable view of Congress (69%). Only 6 percent of the people share that view.
Elites would like to impose strict rationing of private use of gas, meat and electricity, to fight global warming (77%). The people oppose those same measures (63%).
Ridiculous government policies that oppress the people come from these so-called elites, who think they know what is best for the rest of us. The survey asked about the top issue facing America today. Not a single elite respondent mentioned border security or immigration. Yet, the people said those were the top issues in America today.
But there’s hope. After all, we are the American people; we have dealt with tyrants before.
When asked if America’s founding ideals of freedom, equality and self-governance are worth fighting for, 89% of the people agreed. Most powerfully, that strong mandate was across all political party and demographic lines.
All of this indicates Americans are looking for leaders who promise to return power to the people, who drive an agenda of personal freedom. Americans are looking for a government that spends money carefully and stays in its proper place; a government that doesn’t tell us what kind of cars, or stoves, or insurance to buy. Americans are looking for leaders who can help we the people make America great again. An overwhelming majority of Americans think our great country is on the wrong track.
Thankfully, we are free to vote and elect our own leaders. In November, we the people will choose. We will decide if the White House and both houses of Congress should have new leadership to make America great again.
Let’s show the “1%” that the 99 percent have the real power in America. Scott S. Kramer is a Kendall County Republican.
