2024: Another winning year for political outsiders

OPINION:

Political outsiders are poised to do well in 2024. Businessman Bernie Moreno won the Republican primary in Ohio this week. He will take on Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who has held elective office for nearly half a century. Mr. Brown was first elected to office in 1975 — back when Mr. Moreno was a kid. Mr. Brown has been part of the problem in Washington for more than 30 years.

Liberals and media outlets spun their excitement over Mr. Moreno’s primary election victory because former President Donald Trump endorsed him. Their rhetoric comes from believing Mr. Moreno is less electable because of the endorsement. They forget that Sen. J.D. Vance was an outsider in 2022 who won the primary with the support of Mr. Trump and went on to victory in the general election.

Ohio has moved from being a battleground state to consistently Republican in the past few years. At a time when voters are fed up with politicians who say the right things during campaigns but fail to deliver once in Washington, being an outsider is a good thing.

When the train derailment occurred in February 2023, Mr. Trump and Mr. Vance arrived in East Palestine, Ohio, with cleaning supplies and bottled water. The former president even took first responders to eat at McDonald’s. Throughout the visit, he kept reminding them all that they had not been forgotten.

These were powerful words as President Biden traveled through Poland and Ukraine at the time. His secretary of transportation, Pete Buttigieg, was nowhere to be found. The people of East Palestine really did feel overlooked by the political powers in Washington.

Mr. Brown is friends with President Biden. They served together in the Senate. He keeps pushing the president further and further to the left.

The Biden-Brown agenda is not working. Massive spending by the federal government and aggressive efforts to hinder domestic energy production are driving up inflation. In turn, that has driven prices up in the past year. Unfortunately, wage increases have not kept pace. People are hurting.

A referendum on higher prices, border security, and public safety is a loser for Mr. Biden and Mr. Brown. They are bad for Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, too.

Ms. Baldwin has been in Washington for 25 years, and she has little or nothing to show for it. Every five years, she rolls out the same old plan to pretend she is doing things for Wisconsin.

In 2024, Ms. Baldwin faces a businessman and entrepreneur. Eric Hovde grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, and graduated from the University of Wisconsin. His economic success allowed him to acquire businesses across the country.

Since he doesn’t need it, Mr. Hovde has promised to return his salary to the taxpayers. He is not beholden to any special interest: His opponent, the incumbent, votes alongside the current president.

How bad is these Democrats’ agenda? The automotive industry in Ohio, Michigan, and parts of Wisconsin is facing something of a bloodbath as environmental standards pushing manufacturers to produce electric vehicles are stacking up at car dealerships as supply far exceeds demand. Typical consumers cannot afford these vehicles, don’t have access to charging stations, and prefer traditional cars and trucks.

Over 5,000 auto dealers signed a letter to the Biden administration earlier this year asking for relief from the mandates. They talk directly to consumers. As usual, Mr. Trump picked up on a trend not yet discovered by most corporate media.

Six of the 10 wealthiest counties in the country are around the nation’s capital. It should not be a surprise that longtime politicians such as Mr. Biden, Mr. Brown and Ms. Baldwin, who listen to Washington insiders, might be out of touch with most Americans.

Reporters constantly ask me how Mr. Trump can possibly win the 2024 election. The answer is simple: It is the forgotten men and women of America. For too many years, they have heard from sweet-talking politicians who promised them the world and failed to really try, let alone deliver, when they got to Washington. Mr. Trump will occasionally say things that they would phrase differently, but they feel he isn’t beholden to anyone. That is why he and many of his allies from the world of business are likely to win this November.

The career politicians in Washington screwed up the government. That is why outsiders are poised to win in 2024.

• Scott Walker is president of Young America’s Foundation and served as the 45th governor of Wisconsin.