One of the items that hurt GOP candidates in 2020 was the lack of a healthcare plan. While it is not high on the traditional GOP list, it is on the minds of many Americans who are in the middle. Believe it or not, people held out hope that President Trump would have a plan that helped people and didn’t break the bank. Failure to present such a plan hurt Trump in the election. Failure to provide a plan by 2024 will again hurt the 2024 efforts. We all must find the path between appearing or even being racist and protecting our borders. Protecting our borders have so many impacts on our lives. The increases in drug-related crime, the fentanyl crisis, increases in gang crimes, the high costs of the humanitarian crisis, human sex trafficking, and the potential for terrorists to enter unimpeded. These are all legitimate concerns and justifications for closing the border. The GOP needs to continue to push back against the incompetence of the Biden administration in this critical area. To be clear, it is not all incompetence; some of these policies are intentional. Dems believe that they are increasing their voting block. Ukraine, need I say more. Biden’s policies look almost like cowardice. To
be fair, though, Trump pointed out the vast corruption in Ukraine and Russia. Allowing Putin to move through another country unimpeded is unconscionable. No matter their opinion of Trump, Putin would not have done this while he was President. The GOP must consistently push on these related issues. Crime in our cities is at an all-time high while, at the same time, attacks on police are driving police force numbers through the floor. Ironically, while Dems cry about the proliferation of gun crimes and demand more gun control. Dems administrations at all levels have an abysmal record of prosecuting those gun crimes. It is almost as if they want the crime. Rather than passing new, albeit useless, gun control measures, the GOP must push for more prosecutions and stiffer penalties for gun crime offenses. Any crime is a matter of the heart, economics, and community. These are the factors that the GOP leadership must work to remedy. The economy, which has many moving parts, must be a priority. Submit better budgets. Push for data-based, efficient, and practical standards for programs. Submit a balanced budget, even though it will not pass, in the current makeup of the CHRISTIAN TIMES MAGAZINE ISSUE 59 | PAGE 30
