WITH THIS year's election just around the corner, Democratic leaders are already claiming a victory and, according to Fox News, are supposedly choosing which offices to occupy in the Capitol building. But a closer look at the last few years shows why the Democratic party will ultimately fail this November. After all, Democrats would not be elected if they said the Republican party did everything right.
Democrats have focused extensively on character attacks such as the "macaca" incident here in Virginia. Let's be very clear: Should George Allen have used the term "macaca" in reference to a minority student? No. Would Allen have said it if he knew it was a racial slur? Of course not. Yet has this been a focus of the Democratic campaign? Naturally, since they know Jim Webb is wholly unqualified to be a senator. Playing up Webb's military service and calling his 11-month stint as secretary of the navy a critical leadership position may sound nice, but it's really just a cover for lack of experience.
At the same time, Webb's campaign ironically lambastes Allen for bringing up disturbing passages in some of Webb's novels, despite the fact that Webb himself first characterize himself as a novelist. In the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Allen notes that "Webb's writings demean women," and as The Cavalier Daily reported last Monday the novels content allegedly "includes descriptions of pedophilia and incest." Webb's response to this? Again to ridicule Allen's lack of military service rather than address real issues.
This situation is similar to the other ace in the Democratic hand: foreign policy. Democrats have attacked the war in Iraq, for example, yet clearly their description of failure biases their judgment. After all, did we not remove a brutal dictator who killed tens of thousands of his own citizens? Anyone who has opened a history book knows war is not a simple thing and that rebuilding a country is a long and difficult process. The bottom line here is an easy one: would the Iraqi people be better off under Saddam Hussein? Moreover, voters must ask themselves: do the Democrats have a better plan, or are they just looking for something to yell about?
Democrats across the board have also criticized the Republican handling of North Korea -- ironically this time getting upset that the United States is trying to act multilaterally. Yet take a closer look and you will note that North Korea has been and is backed by China, which despite relaxing its hardliner communist stance in the past decade or two, is by no means a democracy. It is only with China in mind that the United States can have a real impact on North Korea.
Finally, what should be the most important issue in this election campaign and what has been the biggest Republican success in recent years is a success which Democratic candidates threaten to undo. Despite wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the threat of terrorism and instability in Asia, the Republican controlled Congress and White House have done the impossible and provided strong economic growth. Unemployment, for instance, recently hit a historic low. As Edward Lazear, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, reported to the Senate Budget Committee, "the economy has been producing roughly 1.5 to 2 million jobs per year for a total of 5.7 million additional payroll jobs since August 2003."
Gross Domestic Product has also grown considerably, primarily due to the 2003 cuts on capital gains and investment taxes. As Lazear notes, "Lower tax rates enable workers to keep more of their earnings, stimulating work effort and labor force participation." In addition, the cuts promote further expansion of the economy. According to the report, private investment decreased "at an average rate of 6.7 percent" in the two years prior to the tax cut, yet in the three years since has increased "at an average rate of 6.1 percent."
Finally, and perhaps most importantly to consumers, the U.S. productivity rate is at a historic high of three percent. This is important because productivity is closely linked to real wages and thus standard of living "and is a key measure of our international competitiveness." These factors have "made our economy the strongest and most robust in the world."
Take a look at the real issues affecting Americans, and it is clear that the past several years of Republican control have been a success. Americans are better off all around and can be confident in a strong economic future if current policies are continued. Though Democratic opponents blindly attack Bush's foreign policy, we nonetheless accomplished what we set out to do in removing a brutal madman. Finally, as the election in Virginia will no doubt show, shadow games and character attacks do not hide a lack of experience and will ultimately alienate voters.
Perhaps the Democrats should not be picking their offices just yet. As President Bush pointed out in regards to 2004 election, Democrats then were doing the same thing, yet "the movers never got the call."
Allan Cruickshanks is a Cavalier Daily associate editor. He can be reached at acruickshanks@cavalierdaily.com.
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