It’s Morning Again In America: 2020 and 1984

 

It was the Summer of 1984. Ronald Reagan was riding high, and the Democrats had drifted to the left as a reaction to his (successful, but polarising) policies. Reagan had been insulted, for four years, as a “cowboy”, and derided as an “actor”. He was the guy who would plunge the world into World War III.

There was a lot of Reagan Derangement Syndrome around. On the other hand, there was a lot of quiet approval. Inflation down, economy up, a new sense of patriotism, a newly regained place in the world. Behind the ferocious controversies (and they were ferocious, though less explicit in language than today), it was plain to see that everything was fine above the fruited plains.

The Democrats reacted, as stated, with a drift to the left, as the reaction to Reagan’s unapologetically pro-American policies caused the leftist activists to increase their power within the party. They picked a clearly leftist candidate, Walter Mondale, to unseat the “cowboy”, the “warmonger”, the “actor”. They also continued their drift towards identity politics, and Mondale picked a woman, with no national recognition but fairly good looks, as veep. The newspapers, even in Italy, were full of the “historic” significance of picking someone with certain anatomic details. That the woman was, clearly, not ready for this kind of prime time, bothered few.

The Democrat convention caused a lot of fanfare. Mondale and Ferraro had a brief, and expected, boost in the polls. Those one or two weeks were, perhaps, the only ones when a detached observer might have given them a small chance to make it. It did not go well for them, though it went wonderfully for the West.

It was impossible not to see that it was morning again in America.

Fast forward to 2020, and you know where I am heading. It is, undoubtedly, morning again in America, and notwithstanding the challenge of a virus born of corruption and tyranny, America is growing strong again on the back of the greatest economic recovery every staged before the virus put a short, and soon to be overcome, pause to the play.

The Dems have veered left, more so than in 1984. They have a clear Derangement Syndrome, more so than in 1984. They play identity politics with a ferocious intent, that boxes them into worshipping more and more limited groups: deviant people of all sorts, lazy asses of all races, and women “of color”. They have, once again, felt obliged to choose a woman for Veep; but this woman is far more controversial than the other one.

Their candidate is much more tired, much less credible, much less equipped to face Trump than Mondale was. If, in 1984, you could say that it was not even close, today you can say that it’s not even on the same planet.

The economy is still reeling from the shock of the Chinese virus, and this is perhaps the greatest difference with 1984; but all too many Blacks, and blue collar workers, and decent people of all sorts, remember how the economy was roaring only months ago, and they can now clearly see the push toward the Trump economy roaring again.

Another difference with 1984 is clear. Like in 1968, riots feature prominently in this election. For those who don’t know, riots help conservative candidates. It is a testament to the incompetence of the Democrat political class that they still don’t get it.

Put all these similarities together and you understand why Trump is cleaning up. He has a laser-focused attitude, a clarity of intent again not seen since the days of Ronald Reagan. He is constantly on the attack. When, yesterday afternoon, I saw his call to boycott Goodyear, I had to make a double take, and I was taken aback by the energy, the audacity, the sheer grit of this guy.

He is winning, and is still on the attack. He will not give quarter. Not until November, not after reelection. Trump is not in the Washington game. He is in for the kill.

Look beyond the momentary disruption given to us by a corrupt tyranny and realise, like millions of voters, that it is morning again in America.