OPINION:
The larger the field of Democratic candidates becomes, the more Americans are treated to promises of free stuff. It’s become a race of giveaways.
Where will it end? Nobody knows. This is one merry-go-round that shows no signs of slowing.
Sen. Bernie Sanders just announced he wants to give away the vote to prison inmates — to the prison inmate of all jail inmates, Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
That’s after announcing “Medicare for All” and tuition-free college — the nice way of telling taxpayers their taxes are about to go up, up, up.
Sen. Kamala Harris wants to give away $500 a month for families, via her LIFT Act, and to “pay” for it by raising taxes on corporations — or, in her words, by putting an end to President Donald Trump’s “giveaways to big corporations and the top 1 percent.” That’s a nice way of telling consumers their prices are about to go up, up, up while their tax dollars, simultaneously, are redistributed to specially selected families.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren wants to give away free health care for all, free child care for parents and caretakers and subsidized housing for lower-income families. Oh, and free college. Oh, and the cancellation of $640 billion in student loans — which goes beyond simply free into full refund land.
Beto O’Rourke wants to give away pretty much all the stuff his fellow Democrats want to give away, plus the border. He wants border reform based on “respect and dignity,” which is leftist-speak for “let ’em all in.”
The list goes on. But the idea doesn’t change. With Democrats, it’s all about the free stuff.
They’re are on a fast-track sprint to see who can offer the most lavish taxpayer gift — and while somewhat humorous, alternately outrageous, the fact is, if ever realized, these giveaways would completely devastate the American economy. Not to mention the American drive and ambition to create and produce. Why work when others will pay the bills?
It’s bad enough Democrats can’t seem to get over the fact Trump didn’t collude and won’t be impeached. But this giveaway message that’s driving the candidates’ campaign walks is getting ridiculous.
It’s a race to the bottom of the political food chain. And it’s pulling America ever farther left — ever farther away from those good old founding principles that fed American exceptionalism in the first place.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley.
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