Most of us would probably judge Newt as a pretty astute political type. I see he’s out this morning saying, “I’ve never been as wrong as I was this year.” “It makes me challenge every model I’m aware of, and realize that I have to really stop and spend a good bit of time thinking and trying to put it all together.” He thought, as did leaders on both sides, that inflation and crime and the border would swing elections coast to coast. They didn’t.
To me the factors already mentioned all played a part in the outcomes. The one that shocked me, though, was the impact of abortion. The evening after the election I saw a Democratic analyst state that single American women, regardless of party affiliation, broke +37 points for the pro choice/pro abortion candidate. The next day I spoke with a good friend who’s single and he said that didn’t surprise him at all. All the women he knows are concerned about crime and the economy but the single most important issue to them is having a means to have their babies killed if they choose.
As for trading freedom for security, Mr. Franklin already “nailed” that one.
“Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Ben Franklin
And as for seeing bigger government as the answer,
“A government that is big enough to give you anything you want is big enough to take everything you have.” Thomas Jefferson
On reflection, I see I don’t really know and understand the majority of Americans like I thought I did.
