Most people know raising children is more important than raising cats

OPINION:

There is so much grist for the mill this week that figuring out where to focus is a challenge.

Let’s start with the new third pillar of the Democratic presidential campaign (after abortion and defending democracy or whatever) — which is the idea that the Republican ticket is “weird” because the nominees talk about essential things such as the slow-motion disaster of collapsing fertility rates. Maybe that is weird, but it is certainly no odder than being in favor of the mutilation of minors, celebrating drag queens hanging around children, or being indifferent to the 10 million foreign nationals who have illegally crossed what used to be the southern border.

So, when Vice President Kamala Harris, who got her start in politics courtesy of famed fixer Willie Brown in California and who is now the first major party nominee never to receive an actual vote in a primary or on a convention floor, starts talking about how weird everyone else is, you might want to take it with a grain of salt.

Part of this attempt to brand the Republicans as weirdos — which is drawn right from Saul Alinsky’s “Rules for Radicals” — includes placing Sen. J.D. Vance under a microscope for noting that having children and durable families is important for both individuals and nations. This remarkably anodyne observation has been at the center of pretty much every tribe, nation and empire in history.

No less a deviant than President John F. Kennedy once said that “children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.”

Until about 10 minutes ago, many Democrats thought the same thing and supported the child tax credit. A brief list of congressional Democrats who favor the credit — which, true to its name, is about encouraging childbirth — includes Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Rep. Katie Porter of California, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon and dozens of others, including Ms. Harris.

There is no similar roster of supporters for a cat tax credit. Even at this late moment in the republic, people understand that raising children is more important than raising cats.

Finally, and perhaps most oddly, sometimes you can’t help some people. Such is the fate of Project 2025, which is and has been an excellent effort, bringing together more than 100 organizations to outline and offer details on a host of important policy issues. The Trump campaign is not responsible for the contents of that work, nor is it under any obligation to accept or reject any of it. The Project 2025 crew has been pretty clear about that, as has former President Donald Trump.

The simplest way to avoid being associated with something is to stop talking about it. In our personal and professional lives, silence is always acceptable and usually best. Mr. Trump and his advisers have made clear what their policy preferences are in the platform; they should spend more time talking about those, especially this plank: “Republicans will promote a culture that values the sanctity of marriage, the blessings of childhood, the foundational role of families, and supports working parents.”

That really does sound weird.

One of the terrible things about politics is that you can never tell when you might need someone’s support. As my mother taught me — and I hope other mothers taught their children — it doesn’t cost anything to be polite, especially to those whose help, skill, wisdom or vote you might need one day. That’s something that the contestants for president and their campaign teams should keep in mind.

• Michael McKenna is an award-winning columnist at The Washington Times. He speaks neither for the cat ladies of America nor for any campaign.