I am a proud conservative. Gov. Brian Kemp may be the greatest Republican success story in the country. But I will self-profess. I am not a team guy; I was not a fraternity guy; I will never be a country club guy. I am conservative, but I like people, even Democrats.
What is happening in Washington, D.C., is a mess. The Republican Party is a runaway train. Since the 1990s, the Republican Party has claimed to be the party of fiscal conservatism. That was a lie before President Donald Trump, but it has become a bald-faced one during his second term in office. Gov. Kemp returns rebates to taxpayers. President Trump has chosen to finance his tax cuts on generations that are not even alive yet. Inflation and the cost of living are the two greatest fears to Americans. Nothing in the short term will change that, but Trump is a gifted messenger.
“Trump is for You; Kamala is for they/them.” America bought it. It was the issue that drove Americans back to believing President Trump was the right fit for the presidency. Although I agree with President Trump’s calling card message for the campaign, it is not the real issue facing America. Even though the second term feels like a mess, the Democrats cannot find footing. If Donald Trump has taught us anything, it is that America does not believe in victimhood. So, I am here to give them the strategy.
Democrats should be honest with the American people about tariffs. Free trade has enormous messaging power, but free trade at the expense of decimating our midsized cities and manufacturing? The world is more global than it was 40 years ago. Ross Perot said in the 1992 election cycle that NAFTA would be the end of American manufacturing in this country, and he was right. Democrats, manufacturing towns were your constituents. My grandparents lived off FDR’s New Deal. How has NAFTA worked for Jackson, Mississippi? Dalton, Georgia, is the textile capital of the world. It thrives because of immigrant labor. It voted 72% in favor of Donald Trump.
But here is the hard part for Democrats: Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. They are a burden on this country’s balance sheet. They are the real issue in 2025; they were the real issue in 2020. But saving them is a hero’s calling. Everybody knows they can no longer continue as they once have, but Democrats should be the ones to say it aloud. This country is collectively successful because of the labor pool. You should not be able to sit at home and make more money than somebody who is working. Congress should not be able to finance Social Security through long-term debt. Democrats should also propose a responsible budget and make the Republicans play defense against insolvent math. If the Republicans are the party of fiscal responsibility, take that from them. Stop talking about protecting hardened criminals in El Salvador. It is not a winning message with Main Street.
The United States Department of Defense is the Republican hallmark special interest group, and its military has weakened compared to China. It is not weakened entirely because of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. It is mostly weakened because the military cannot plan for the long-term using congressional budget reconciliation. NVIDIA and Amazon cannot plan for their research and development every nine months. Why should the nuclear-capable United States Navy? Republicans are leading us into budgetary problems, but the Democrats and their outlets would rather triple down on transgender athletes winning girls track state championships in California. Gavin Newsom said months ago that it was deeply unfair, and he has not done anything about it.
The race-baiting politics of the Democrat party alienate so many people like me, who can be persuaded. The Democrats’ desire to take Senate Bill 202 and make it a racial issue was ridiculous. But Dems are right about plenty of things. I think having automatic weapons in civilian hands is nonsensical. A lot of women have no idea they are pregnant at six weeks. I do not believe Amazon and Microsoft should avoid paying federal income taxes. Those issues mean more to me than the dozen transgender athletes in NCAA athletics. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez may have likes and clicks on social media, but they are not mainstream enough for a general election cycle.
There is an opportunity for Democrats to lead this country away from the fiscal cliff, and they should take the opportunity to do that. This conservative is begging them to return to being a serious party.
Ben Burnett is a business owner and former member of the Alpharetta City Council. He is a Republican.
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