The Right Side: Liz Cheney, Mar-a-lago raid, Inflation reduction and more conservative thoughts

Ka-Boom!

That was the sound of liberal heads exploding all over the Valley following my debut column. Apparently, I poked a lot of woke. The reactions were heated, occasionally thoughtful, but mostly predictable lefty diatrible. On the flip side, I got called that dreaded term, RINO, since I’m not a Trump acolyte. That means I’m doing my job.

Growing up I had ADHD. Only there was no such thing back then. It was called fidgeting or restlessness or boredom. So sometimes in this column I’ll write short pithy passages and other times longer essay-like comments. I beg your indulgence. It’s a medical issue.

As of this writing the Wyoming Congressional primary has not taken place. If the polls are even remotely accurate, Liz Cheney will lose. (Readers of the debut column may recall my close ties to the Cheney family, both professionally and personally, so my objectivity here is nil).

While this will be another Trump notch on the bedpost and an opportunity to crow, weep not for Liz. She’s playing the long game. Although at the moment she’s the establishment media’s GOAT Republican and a hero to all my Democrat friends — several of whom sent her campaign contributions — she is clearly poison to the current House leadership and a majority of the caucus. If she does win, she’ll be a pariah and will have no Congressional power. So losing may be a godsend. She’ll still be the major anti-Trump Republican, and when the party finally cuts the T cord, she’ll be the Churchill, and McCarthy, if he’s still around, will be Chamberlain. Will she run for President in 2024? I kind of doubt it, but we’ll take this up down the road in other columns. But, regardless, she’ll have endless opportunities to stay on the national radar as long as the Trumpies control the party. Bless you, Lizzy.

I was recently interviewed on KCBS radio about the Kansas abortion measure. To the frustration of the anchors, I did not see the overwhelming vote as an indicator that the abortion issue would galvanize voters and turn around Democrat ’22 election hopes. I see it as a victory for Midwest libertarianism —keep the government out of my life, my body and my bedroom. And don’t tell me what to do. This was a narrow, single-issue vote. Candidates in a general election have to deal with many issues, not just abortion. And likeability often trumps ideology even in today’s climate.

People are always surprised when I say I read the New York Times every day, cover to cover. Why? It’s still the paper of record. But mostly it telegraphs what establishment Dems are thinking. In the past decade or so the Times first blurred, then eliminated, the line between news and opinion. Sure, there’s the op-ed page with articles now in a different typeface, but c’mon, we all know it’s all just one big DNC house organ. In that regard it gives great insight into what the adversary is thinking. A couple of weeks ago the Times decided in the lead page one story that Biden was too old, terminally incompetent and shouldn’t run again. This was followed by a Maureen Dowd column entitled “Hey, Joe, Don’t Give it a Go.”

And then Senator Joe Manchin, the actual president, got what he wanted, and ta da, there was the Inflation Reduction Act. Poor Bernie. Poor Elizabeth. But most Dems and the media were giddy. All of sudden Joe didn’t look so vulnerable, so the narrative changed overnight from Go Joe, to Pro Joe. My favorite Times headline, maybe of all time, was in Paul Krugman’s ultra partisan column: Did Democrats Just Save Civilization? Written, no doubt, without a hint of irony. To the elite lefties the bill is suddenly about climate change, not inflation. Who knew? Which brings up another point: What happened to the great Democrat message meisters of the past? First, it was Build Back Better, one of the lamest slogans/taglines in political history. And now the Inflation Reduction Act. We all know Make America Great Again. What was Hillary’s slogan? Or Biden’s? C’mon, Dems, you can do better!

At my Monday deadline, I’m loath to comment fully on the Trump Mar-a-Lago raid with all the accusations and counter accusations swirling around. Except to say that I just hope to hell that DOJ and FBI used its absolute top people, clear of any possible political taint, and that they thought through all the implications, both judicial and political. For the country’s sake I hope to hell there are no investigators on the team like the scummy Peter Strzok or his paramour, Lisa Page, with a history of anti- Trump bias.

Hard core Trumpers and conservative commentators are all ready to pounce and pick apart the slightest motive or action by the Feds. If there are even the tiniest holes in this investigation from the warrant to the raid itself to the documents, this will be a huge boost to Trump for 2024. The raid is already stirring both the base in a frightening, threatening way as well as many mainstream Republicans who view this as a partisan act. And face it, no one plays the victim card better than The Donald (with the exception of Hillary). Given the biased political leanings and mistakes of Justice and the FBI in the last decade and the general bungling and ineptitude of the Biden administration, I’m not optimistic.

Good on Speaker Nancy for going to Taiwan despite the hand wringing and scolding of the White House, State Department and Tom Friedman—fresh off a private lunch with Biden. Friedman is one of a long line of New York Times reporters and columnists who have taken dictation from the Oval—as long as the president is a Democrat.

Here’s your homework/dinner party discussion assignment: Why is it that the rich liberals in Dem-controlled cities and suburbs, who profess to love the idea of affordable, multi-unit housing, fight tooth and nail against it in their own neighborhoods? Could it have anything to do with property values, or keeping the riff raff or minorities out? LMK.

Bob Gardner resides in Sonoma and is president of The Advocacy Group, which does corporate crisis communications.