The original of this editorial can be found on the Appeal Democrat's website.
Was the violence on January 6th a righteous response to a stolen election or the result of a lie? This critical analysis of stolen election claims was the product of trying to answer that question. The original text submitted to the Appeal Democrat, along with links to the data sources, is found below the editorial.
Republicans and Democrats need to look in the mirror
Who keeps California from achieving a dream shared by Republicans and Democrats alike?
The American Dream is the dream of a land in which life is better and richer and fuller for everyone. It is a place where opportunity abounds for all. Success is limited only by ability and a willingness to work. It is not constrained by humble beginnings, race or gender.
Republicans struggle to advance the dream because California voters don’t trust us. We haven’t won a statewide election since 2006 and can only muster a small minority in the state legislature. A prime culprit causing the mistrust is clearly visible when we look into the mirror and see the person staring back.
Claiming the 2020 election was stolen is a lie. The January 6th riots resulted from that lie. Pardoning January 6th rioters and calling them political prisoners or hostages is an insult to the law enforcement officers that were overwhelmed that day. It demeans the investigators, prosecutors and judges that brought the perpetrators to justice but was an inevitable part of maintaining the election lie. Lying to judges, calling them Marxists or Communists and calling for their impeachment simply for ruling against the administration undermines our judiciary. Saying that Ukraine, not Putin, is the obstacle to peace is patently false.
Democrats also need to look into the mirror to identify the culprits thwarting their goals. According to Wikipedia’s “Political party strength in California,” Democrats have controlled both our senate and assembly in 49 of the last 51 years. That includes having super majorities since 2019 and holding the governor’s office most of that time and every day since 2011.
California is now farther away from achieving the American Dream than when Democrats first took control a half century ago. We have the third highest cost of living in the nation, the highest home prices and nearly the highest rents. We lead the nation in unemployment, rank 5th in the percent of families living paycheck to paycheck, and 5th in the percent of people that are homeless. Our public education system is failing. Democrat policies are structurally racist and favor wealthier households (mostly Asians and whites) over poorer households (mostly Hispanics and blacks). We rank 46th in income equality. Our insurance industry is in crisis. Our safety net programs spend wildly and are unaccountable and ineffective . Cal PERS and Cal STRS have a combined unfunded pension liability of $268.7 billion ($180 and $88.7 billion respectively). Our proposed state budget has a $17.7 billion deficit. Democrats continue repeating their tired refrain that the “wealthy need to pay their fair share” even as we have the highest personal income tax rates, the highest state sales taxes, and the 5th highest corporate tax rates in the nation. Some are now pushing a wealth tax.
The real battle we fight is not between Republicans and Democrats but between truth and folly.
Republicans’ first step in gaining voters’ trust starts with this - stop lying. Admit that Joe Biden won the 2020 election. We all witnessed the violence on January 6th. Do not refer to the convicts as patriots, political prisoners and hostages. The “Notes For Sentencing” of Taylor Johnatakis highlights but one example of rioters and others downplaying their role. The Capitol Police and others that defended the Capitol and our national leaders were heroes and showed phenomenal restraint. They deserve our praise. Visit www.lloydleighton.com/2020-election.html for a critical look at stolen election claims.
Respect our judicial system. The chief justice of the Supreme Court should not feel compelled to issue a public statement saying that it is inappropriate and undermines judicial independence when litigants call for impeachment of judges over disagreements with their rulings. We have an appeals process for that.
Support for friends and allies needs to be clear. Canada, Greenland, Denmark and other NATO countries are friends and allies. Ukraine is an innocent victim whose increasing freedoms and free market capitalism pose an existential threat to Russia’s communist system. Russia and China are oppressive regimes and a threat to liberty. Putin is weak and vulnerable. China is dangerous and constantly searching for weakness. The world is less safe when U.S. policy appears soft in its support for Ukraine and our allies.
Many believe that Fox News is not conservative. They need to wean themselves off of far-right news organizations and pod casters whose business models are based on stirring up anger and outrage with slanted reporting and misinformation.
Democrats face a more daunting task than Republicans. It starts by acknowledging that limited government and liberty work. Countries with the most liberty also have the most prosperity and the greatest income, wealth, gender and racial equality. The best housing, health care and education systems are there as well. They fostered the free-market capitalism that unleashed a nation of thinkers and doers. Those are the people who created businesses, gave consumers more choices and built an American middle class that was the envy of the world.
Unwinding a half a century of failed laws and policies requires a new breed of leaders with a quantum shift in thinking. It requires lowering the cost of everything by downsizing government and peeling back unnecessary laws and regulations. It requires believing that 39 million Californians have more knowledge and will make better choices of what is in their best self-interest than 90 Democrat legislators and 1 governor.
Trusting free market capitalism requires an understanding of the difference between free market capitalism and corporate capitalism. Food shopping offers a perfect model of how free markets work. There are an abundance of grocery stores to choose from. Pick one. Need protein? There is a wide assortment – beef, chicken, fish, pork, lamb, eggs, beans and more. Prices are clearly marked. Select what fits best into your budget and lifestyle. Pay as you walk out of the store.
Corporate capitalism? Think of our health care system. The prices for services and medications, when you can find them, are misleading. Consumers have little incentive or ability to comparison shop. Government meddling has only made the problem worse. It is a system that is inefficient and expensive.
Support the President where you can. Yes, his bombastic style is difficult to stomach and blurs his true intentions. Greenland and Denmark are one example. Lurking beneath all of the talk is some truth. While you don’t have to support whatever it is that he really wants in Greenland, Greenland will play an ever-increasing role in the security of the U.S., Canada and Europe. It is in everyone’s best interest to find a solution now.
The American Dream is brighter when Republicans and Democrats start focusing on fixing our own flaws. We will still disagree but our differences will be fewer. Finally, tone down the rhetoric and love one another.
Lloyd Leighton
Former chairman of the Sutter County Republican Central Committee
Former National Association of Realtors Federal Political Contact to Congressman Doug LaMalfa
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