L&T Publisher Earl Watt
While many political pundits claimed that Kamala Harris won the debate between her and Donald Trump, I said there was one line that would be remembered like a boxer’s punch that opens up a cut in a fight. That cut continued to bleed throughout the rest of the campaign, and Trump went on to win in an Electoral college landslide while also winning the popular vote.
That same shot that delivered Trump the presidency will be used in upcoming midterms against those who are taking shots at Elon Musk and his job of leading the Department of Government Efficiency.
While Trump and Harris were exchanging barbs, Harris appeared to be running against Trump as if Trump were the current office holder. She spoke about a future “unburdened by what has been,” and other lofty visions.
The problem was she was the sitting vice president, and she and President Joe Biden had all the power to enact the vision they had for the future.
Trump took shots from Harris throughout the debate, but he won the election with one simple phrase — “If she could do all these things, then why hasn’t she done it?”
Ouch.
Let that sink in. She was running as a newcomer, a someone who would change America, but the problem was she was offering to change America form the direction she had been a part of creating for the past four years.
She was basically telling the voters to choose a new direction, and they listened to her and voted for Trump.
That same line will be used during the midterms, but I believe it will be even more devastating.
Many Democratic office holders are making the case that Elon Musk was not elected by the people and is therefore acting in some illegal capacity.
Of course, he isn’t.
Presidents have long had non-appointed advisors. Heck, Biden had his son Hunter sitting in on activities in the White House.
These objections to Musk suggesting cuts continue to grow. Democrats believe they are making a good case for this billionaire making cuts, that somehow him being successful disqualifies him from advising the president on government waste, fraud and abuse.
Musk is, of course, the wealthiest man on the planet, and he created his wealth by being one of the most innovative in history.
If he were alive during the Colonial era, he would have been Ben Franklin.
Franklin was wealthy from the number of innovations he created, from well known devices like bifocals, lightning rods and the Franklin stove to others lesser known creations including the urinary catheter and swim fins.
Musk, like Franklin, also involved himself in politics, and if George Washington did not want to be president, chances are Franklin would have been the next choice.
Having Musk review the government to enhance its efficiencies is good old-fashioned common sense, and politicians my entire lifetime have been promising to cut government waste.
And here is what you will be hearing that will destroy the argument of all these politicians whining about Musk — “Why didn’t you do it? Why didn’t you cut the waste, fraud and abuse?”
Who cares if it is the world’s richest man or a savvy janitor who sees waste happening? Who cares if it is a school teacher or an engineer? We all should be looking out for waste in society and in government, and when we find it we are doing the public a favor by pointing it out.
Most importantly, our elected officials are trusted with making government efficient and effective. We send them to Washington, Topeka, and even to local offices believing they will examine how to serve the public interest and do so with a commitment to the resources entrusted to them by the people.
Elected officials had a chance to make the cuts, to root out the waste and the fraud, and they didn’t do it. Trump may have brought Musk in, but their failures made it necessary.
