“Bubba” is my “imaginary” buddy down in the sticks of Dargan who knows a little something about voters. We talk in my mind all the time; he’s my best friend.
And after the recent election, I imagined him and I in two rocking chairs on the front porch eating a few mini “cherry cheesecakes” and having a blackberry libation.
The Dargan Boy was rockin and he asked old Bubba about the recent presidential election. As Bubba picked up his chalice for a sip, he wiped the cheesecake crumbs from his chin.
“Well, Dargan Boy that was a big surprise, wasn’t it? I told you Trump would win a few weeks ago but was a little concerned about the polls, and you know what? I learned something about pollsters.”
Lloyd “Pete” Waters
Pollsters, in the 2024 election, must have got their name from “polecats,” those white and black critters that let people know about their behavior by their nasty smell.
Those pollster predictions sure did stink! Not one of them got it right.
“Why do you think Trump received 312 electoral votes Bubba,” asked the Dargan Boy.
Well, it was quite easy to see Dargan Boy; the voters were upset with the Democrats and their policies. For instance, consider the economy. Voters were concerned about the increasing prices of bread, butter and so many other items; their dollars were becoming more limited.
Do you remember Churchill in 1945 when England held their first election in years? Everyone thought him a shoe in given he was a war hero. But you know who became prime minister? Not Mr. Churchill – Clement Atlee of the Labor Party won in a landslide. Do you know why? He promised a commitment to full employment, affordable housing and social programs.
It was true that these were more difficult years, but people vote when their money is in question and livelihood; the Democrats in this country minimized the importance of inflation and the economy.
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Hitler too rose to power during World War II because of those economic conditions of Germany at the time. And another issue of the Great Depression during World War II became the issue of immigration. Jews attempted to flee Europe and come to America only to be turned away by this country.
Our immigration policy under the Biden and Harris administration was almost non-existent. Millions crossed our borders before any remedy was placed on the table. A bipartisan bill then failed passage.
I’m thinking too that Biden thought the onslaught would benefit his party later.
Voters watched the theatrics in Washington and this was another issue that I believe caused their humiliating defeat, said Bubba; “the tail was wagging the dog.” Even New York Democratic Mayor Adams complained about the influx of arriving immigrants to his city.
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Bubba continued. And when President Biden offered to “forgive” the student loans for some 48 million Americans, many voters could not see the logic in this; and many others saw that this expenditure would affect the taxpayer, which seemed unfair to many Americans. Biden was trying to buy votes.
And when Kamala Harris became the leader of her party, many remembered that she didn’t even stay the course of a primary election because five other candidates were receiving more votes. She was not very popular back then. It was reported too after the election that the Democratic party spent over one billion dollars trying to convince the American public that she was the best candidate; she championed her party’s position on abortion, but this subject fell far below those issues of the economy, inflation and immigration. The voting public disagreed with her party’s priorities and awarded Trump 312 electoral votes.
“Hey Dargan boy, can you pass me a few more of them cheesecakes, and some coffee; the sun on this porch makes this snack all the better.”
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I, too, am enjoying, this little pause in the aftermath of the election, said the Dargan boy. I wonder what the future holds for our country.
“It’s hard to say,” offered Bubba. Politics is a strange profession and changes like the winds of nature, and he continued. “Remember when Nixon was elected and he carried 49 states and received 520 electoral votes to McGovern’s 17?” It was one of the most lopsided elections this country has ever seen. But Nixon would suffer the consequences of some poor decision-making and left office in disgrace. You couldn’t find many people who voted for Nixon after that fiasco.
You think President Trump is apt to make some mistakes Bubba? “Only history will answer that question.” Pass me another cheesecake Dargan Boy! Politics makes me hungry!
Pete Waters is a Sharpsburg resident who writes for The Herald-Mail.
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This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Opinion: ‘Bubba’ knows a little bit about voting
