Democratic Party now going ‘off the deep end’

NEWS AND OPINION:

The Democratic Party appears to be evolving into something unrecognizable, according to one longtime GOP observer.

“Where are the moderates?” asks Saul Anuzis, former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party and now president of 60Plus, a nonpartisan organization addressing concerns of senior citizens.

“Two moderates out of 50 Democrats in the U.S. Senate, a few more out of over 200 in the House? Today’s Democratic Party is run by a bunch of left-wing progressives who want to flip America on its head and create a socialist state — one that has never survived, thrived or existed in the world,” he notes in a statement shared with Inside the Beltway.

There has been some meaningful conversation about that idea, and from a very knowledgeable source.

“I know that some people in the U.S. associate the Nordic model with some sort of socialism. Therefore, I would like to make one thing clear. Denmark is far from a socialist planned economy. Denmark is a market economy,” Danish Prime Minister Lars Rasmussen told an audience at Harvard University in 2015.

Since then, Mr. Rasmussen’s remarks have been cited by multiple news organizations in recent years — along with Anthony B. Kim, a research fellow and editor of the Heritage Foundation’s “Index of Economic Freedom,” which gauges the positive impact of free and open trade in 186 countries.

Meanwhile, Mr. Anuzis still has much to say on the state of the Democratic Party, moving on to the situation at the White House.

“President Biden, he lied. He said he would govern as a moderate, bring together both sides, and create a bipartisan environment. But he hasn’t. He lied and isn’t even trying. He and his handlers now have created a border crisis, a debt bomb, a disastrous Afghanistan retreat, armed our enemies and continue to put critical race theory, masking our children and weaponizing the Justice Department against parents who speak out at school board meetings,” Mr. Anuzis continued.

“This is not my parents’ Democratic Party. It has gone off the deep end,” he concluded.

COLUMBUS DAY, TRANSFORMED

Columbus Day — or Indigenous Peoples Day, if you prefer — is Monday. Cultural discussions continue over the preservation of the traditional Columbus Day — first celebrated in the U.S. in 1792; the anniversary became a federal holiday in 1937.

A handy count from the History Channel reveals that Alaska, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin now officially recognize Indigenous Americans Day. Hawaii prefers Discoverers Day while South Dakota observes Native Americans Day. The city of Washington, D.C., replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day two years ago; Boston has just followed the same route.

“Observing Indigenous Peoples Day is about replacing the colonial myths passed down from generation to generation with the true history of the land upon which our nation was founded,” said Boston’s acting Mayor Kim Janey after signing the executive order last week.

There is an economics side to this, however.

“The Columbus Day sale — a longtime ritual for car dealers and department stores — is dead. Retailers are moving away from big sales events in general, and are especially eager to distance themselves from the federal holiday,” reported Jennifer A. Kingson, managing editor for business news at Axios.

“For years, states and cities have been renaming Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day, to protest the legacy of colonialism that hangs over Christopher Columbus’ ‘discovery’ of America. The last thing retailers want is to get caught in the culture war.”

“Plus,” she adds, “fewer people get a day off for Columbus Day than in the past.”

A BODACIOUS EVENT

There are always big events in the nation’s capital. Some of them, however, are really big.

The Association of the U.S. Army captures the title of host with the most on Monday with its annual three-day conference which will draw 33,000 people plus 650 exhibitors from 80 countries.

Those exhibitors include Ghost Robotics, Glock, Hacking 4 Allies, Homes of Our Troops, Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control, Oshkosh Defense, Rolls-Royce, Spouses Link, TenCate Advanced Armor, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Foundation and the War Horse Project.

The three-day conference is described as “the largest land power exposition and professional development forum in North America,” and will include a focus on the “Warriors Corner” in programs scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Our people are our greatest strength and are committed to protecting America at home and abroad. The Army Exhibit will showcase the Warriors Corner – a series of presentations on relevant topics from soldiers, civilians, and leaders from around the total Army,” the organizers said in advance notes.

Curious? Some events will be streamed online. Consult AUSA.org under the meetings and events heading for information. The association is a nonprofit educational and professional development association.

DISCONCERTING NEWS

“Americans have lost hope in the nation’s future since last year,” says a new Rasmussen Reports survey, which found that only 33% of U.S. adults now say America’s “best days” are in the future.

“That’s a steep decline from last November, when 47% of likely voters believed the nation’s best days were still ahead,” the poll analysis said.

The survey of 1,000 U.S. adults was conducted Oct. 3-4.

POLL DU JOUR

• 66% of U.S. adults disapprove of the way President Biden is handling immigration; 92% of Republicans, 70% of independents and 39% of Democrats agree

• 63% of U.S. adults disapprove of the way Mr. Biden is handling the Afghanistan situation; 92% of Republicans, 67% of independents and 35% of Democrats agree.

• 55% of U.S. adults disapprove of the way Mr. Biden is handling the economy; 90% of Republicans, 58% of independents and 22% of Democrats agree.

• 53% overall U.S. adults disapprove of the way Mr. Biden is handling infrastructure; 86% of Republicans, 56% of independents and 20% of Democrats agree.

• 53% overall disapprove of the way Mr. Biden is handling climate change; 83% of Republicans, 58% of independents and 23% of Democrats agree.

SOURCE: A CBS News poll of 2,054 U.S. adults conducted Oct. 6-8.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.