Democrats living in a bubble that will burst Tuesday night

OPINION:

A red wave is coming, and Democrats have no one to blame but themselves. Liberal candidates are wrong on the things that people care about — economic issues, public safety and parental involvement in education. Plus, liberals continue to talk about the things that most voters do not care about — and that makes them look disconnected from reality.

Not surprisingly, the media seems just as out of touch as most liberal candidates. Case-in-point: Chuck Todd of NBC News was interviewing New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, my former colleague, the other day and this was their exchange: 

Mr. Todd: “Why are you supporting an election denialist? And do you think the inflation issue is enough to sort of rationalize support for somebody who thinks school buses of voters are going to show up in New Hampshire?”

Mr. Sununu: “Yeah, let me tell you, you’re in a bubble, man. I love you, Chuck, but you are in a bubble if you think anybody’s talking about what happened in 2020, or talking about Mar-a-Lago and all that. I know the press loves to talk about it. People are talking about what is happening in their pocketbooks every single day when they have to buy groceries or fill up gas or right now.”

Mr. Sununu nailed it. They are living in a bubble.

Over the summer, I had a similar exchange with Mr. Todd when he came to visit Wisconsin. The interview was conducted in Waukesha’s Frame Park. He kept coming back to Jan. 6th. My response was simple: No one cares about Jan. 6th anymore. They did a year and a half ago. I challenged him to walk around the park with me and randomly ask any of the people there what mattered to them. I declared that they would say the economy, their safety, and the education of their children or grandchildren.

These exchanges sum up why there is going to be a massive red wave next Tuesday. Not only are liberals wrong on the issues, they just don’t get it.

Nearly two years of massive government spending under the guise of “inflation reduction,” while inflation is at a 40-year high and prices are through the roof, has caught the attention of most voters. That includes suburban women who were key to Democrats’ victories in 2018 and 2020. Recent polls show a significant shift to Republican candidates.

In an interview on “Morning Joe,” election denier Stacey Abrams was asked to comment on former President Barack Obama’s basically saying that Democrats need to talk less woke and address the real economic issues facing Americans these days. Her response explains why she is going to lose — again:

“Right now, we are walking away so often from the real issues that people care about. Abortion is an economic issue.”

In other words, radicals like her don’t have a real solution for the economy and high costs, so they revert to radical positions on abortion. 

First, a solid group of voters in competitive races believe that abortion without limits is extreme and that 15-week or 20-week restrictions are reasonable. Second, the fact that Democrats seem to be spending 90% or more of their ad time and direct mail on abortion leaves many voters feeling that it is all they care about. Regardless of how they feel about abortion, most Americans list the economy as their No. 1 concern. Those who fail to address it do so at their own peril.

Liberals are living in a bubble on other issues too. “Defund the police” campaigns, along with efforts to end cash bail and push for the early release of violent criminals, have made many of our major cities unsafe. Voters are taking notice and are moving toward law-and-order candidates. 

In a recent debate, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared, “I don’t know why that’s so important to you,” after her Republican opponent, Rep. Lee Zeldin, pressed her on crime and cashless bail. Her tone-deaf response explains why the race is now a toss-up. If Democrats are losing in the left-leaning Empire State, they are in deep trouble on Election Day.

Plus, parents want a say in the education of their children. They spoke clearly last year in Virginia and are poised to do so again in 2022. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer flat-out lied about how long the schools were closed in her state when she said, “kids were out for three months.” GOP candidate Tudor Dixon nailed her on the issue — pointing out that it was much longer and blaming Ms. Whitmer for the record-low educational achievement. The Parent Party will win.

Liberals are wrong on the issues. They live in such a bubble — fueled by many in the media — that they don’t even know it. They will next Tuesday night.

• Scott Walker is president of Young America’s Foundation and served as the 45th governor of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2019.