As the 2024 election results come under scrutiny, the left and its media allies are shocked by the number of urban voters who were once staunch Democrats but have suddenly shifted to Donald Trump. This change helped Mr. Trump win states such as Pennsylvania and Michigan, and significantly reduced Democratic support even in the blue states he won.
These “Trump Democrats” are also the front-line victims of the fallout that elected Democrats have caused in recent years.
The old libertarian, anti-government Republican clichés cannot solve the crime and dysfunction plaguing our cities.
For better or worse, Republicans have abandoned large swaths of the city and are now forced to deal with the consequences of their votes. This approach is understandable. But if the widespread defection of Black and Jewish voters to President Trump is to be seen as a cry for help, perhaps now is the time for conservatives to propose a better alternative: “municipal conservatism.” Probably.
A few days after the election, liberal journalist Josh Barro published an insightful essay in a magazine. atlantic ocean This book was widely circulated among conservatives. Mr. Barro boldly criticized the poor governance of the Democratic Party that drove many traditional Democratic voters to President Trump. “Democrats deserve to lose,” Barro declared, citing the breakdown in order on public transportation, lack of enforcement, open shoplifting, merchandise locked up in cases, expensive but underrun schools, and hotels filled with immigrants. , highlighted issues such as released criminals and defunding the police. .
Despite his excellent analysis, Mr. Barro missed the mark by clinging to the outdated 20th century assumption that Democrats are meant to provide government services to improve the lives of their constituents. “The gap between the Democratic Party's promise to deliver better lives through better government and its inability to actually deliver better government is a national problem,” he wrote.
“Better lives through better government,” or simply “good government,” was the guiding philosophy of the era of Chicago's Richard Daley and New York City's Ed Koch, mayors who truly sought prosperity and order in their cities. It might have been. But today, even the pretense of good government is gone. Many cities are now run by self-proclaimed revolutionaries who identify as Democrats but seek to dismantle the old order.
These “Pol Pot mayors” speak of a new utopian vision, but in reality they are trying to reshape their cities just as Pol Pot depopulated Phnom Penh in an effort to reorganize Cambodian society. is destroying. Crime, civil unrest, and chaotic tyranny are not seen as problems in these struggling blue cities. they are tool.
These cities are local conservatives in the mold of Rudy Giuliani, strong leaders who restore order, even if they are not pure small governmentists in the vein of Edmund Burke or Ludwig von Mises. We urgently need a sect. Although Giuliani's efforts to clean up New York were noteworthy, many conservatives initially dismissed him as too liberal because he did not focus on cutting taxes or restricting government. But New Yorkers weren't looking for that. They wanted effective governance and a return to civil order. Rudy delivered it.
This is not to suggest that 20th century Democratic urban governance is an ideal to emulate or repeat. My point is that Democrats are abandoning their commitment to safe and orderly cities, creating an opportunity for Republicans to propose workable solutions.
There was nothing conservative about Democratic-run cities in the 20th century, with an emphasis on patronage, employment programs, and generous pay and benefits for municipal employees. But because of civil order and reliable police, people tolerated taxes and corruption and continued to vote Democratic. Meanwhile, Republicans have talked about privatizing city services and cutting salaries for city workers, but they consistently lose in the polls.
Many of us conservatives who left the blue cities ridicule city dwellers who didn't vote Republican, but perhaps they're not hearing the right message about making cities livable again. Or maybe it's time for them to heed the message.
The old libertarian, anti-government Republican clichés cannot solve the crime and dysfunction plaguing our cities. Indeed, the left's demand for the abolition of the police can itself be seen as a liberal, anti-government position.
Republicans are pushing an agenda for struggling cities that focuses on providing good urban services, including effective policing, cleanliness, anti-vagance, public safety, reliable public utilities, and family-friendly parks. need to be provided. This agenda must promote a political climate that supports small businesses, primary education, the church, family, and patriotism. Democratic-run cities are becoming increasingly hostile to these fundamental elements of urban civilization, presenting a huge opportunity for Republicans.
Donald Trump has shown that even the most loyal Democratic voters are willing to vote Republican if they promise to alleviate the problems created by Democratic policies. Local conservatism that can restore order to our cities is exactly what voters need right now. Now Republicans need to recruit a modern-day Giuliani to make that case.
