The Obama era is done. A peaceful transition of power has taken place. As the kids say, “all good.” Okay, maybe not all good. This time, it’s a bit more complicated. This time, the country walked back “hope and change” and chose instead broken eggs and hurt feelings. In blue America, continuing angst will surely follow.
But interwoven with the daily, often ugly conflict is plenty of happy news for America’s deplorables. You know, those of us who prefer Vince Vaughan to Meryl Streep — and Zach Brown to Bon Jovi.
A sampling from the red side:
• Jobs: Carrier, Ford, Fiat Chrysler and Amazon have issued releases proclaiming major job retention/expansion plans, while the financial press is full of stories about increasing business confidence and an expected capital expenditures boom. The specific reasons for the uplifting announcements vary across business sectors, but a common denominator is impossible to miss: a new president who believes “You built that.” President-elect Trump’s vast experience in building his own “that” bolsters the notion he has the backs of America’s job creators. What a refreshing change from Mr. Obama’s worn out class warfare.
• Right to work: Not so long ago, a Wisconsin or Michigan Right-to-Work law was a pipe dream. Today, it is the law in both states. In fact, RTW is now the law in 27 states, with Missouri and New Hampshire likely soon to join the stampede. A new iteration in states with union dominated legislatures is the so-called “local option,” which allows individual subdivisions to opt in. Initial court challenges to the local option have been unsuccessful.
• School choice: Few issues get progressive hearts fluttering faster than school choice. Add a voucher component and you have complete meltdown. Such explains the emotional reaction to Betsy DeVos, a leading charter school advocate and Trump’s choice to be secretary of education.
History is not on the unions’ side. Choice means opportunity for many poor parents with kids stuck in underperforming schools. These same parents regularly line up to secure prized slots in charter school lotteries in our most poverty-stricken neighborhoods. And no amount of opposition from the civil rights industry can stop the momentum. Coming next: a Trump inspired federally funded voucher initiative. You can bet the fight will be nasty.
• Political correctness: That the most anti-politically correct candidate in modern history could win 306 electoral votes represents a serious rejection of the progressive narrative. And so it is now socially acceptable to recognize that “hands up, don’t shoot” did not in fact occur; that there is a wide gulf between “ethnic profiling” and “criminal profiling” (former fed Rudy Giuliani did not target Irish social clubs when going after the Mafia); that protected class interests do not trump religious freedom in every setting; that a country without borders cannot long function as a sovereign; and that “Merry Christmas” is (still) a constitutionally acceptable option when greeting a fellow human being in December.
Moreover, the political indoctrination that passes for instruction on so many of our college campuses is now receiving more analysis — and rebuke. Thanks (in part) goes to the thousands of wannabe community activists who have assumed the role of college administrator/professor in order to influence impressionable young minds. Their well-publicized “cry-ins,” “sympathy cookies” and post-election “safe zones” revealed an intellectual immaturity and naiveté that garnered national headlines. And to think that their great-grandparents sacrificed everything to fight and win the second World War — without one safe zone!
• The media: Antagonism between the “mainstream” media and GOP presidents is not new. But today’s media paradigm is unique. Policy by daily tweet is certainly new, as is an unbridled willingness to engage hostile media face-to-face. The new president cares a great deal about the substance of media reports — but has little use for media “feelings.” In other words, he will always respond to opinion masquerading as news, or what he deems to be “fake news.” That his task is often accomplished through incendiary language speaks to the latter. My man-on-the-street quick polls tell me that such vitriol directed toward hostile media types is a big hit – at least in the short term. Suffice it to say that for the next four years our “friends” in the progressive media should prepare for repeated altercations. DJT would have it no other way.
• Supreme Court: Despite a barrage of criticism, Mitch McConnell and a GOP Senate majority did not allow Mr. Obama to fill Justice Scalia’s prized seat. A GOP president and Senate will now ensure a conservative majority on the court and also fill the more than 100 vacancies in the federal circuits. These new judges will not view the judiciary as a super legislature to be engaged in the business of social engineering. This is a very big deal — and a very good result for a country and culture placed at risk by eight years of activist appointees.
Obama’s progressive era lasted eight years. An uncomfortable mix of class warfare, identity politics, federal preemption and leading from behind proved plenty unpopular outside of faculty lounges, sanctuary cities, and the alphabet soup of cable news networks. The new administration seems poised to restore freedom to America’s culture menu. All good…
Gov. Robert Ehrlich is a Washington Examiner columnist, partner at King & Spalding and author of three books, including the recently released Turning Point. He was governor of Maryland from 2003 – 2007.
