Gary Franks: Is it 1968 all over again, and will the results be the same?

Democrats think this election is about “joy” and “hope.” Wrong. It is about “peace and prosperity.” Democrats avoid talking about either because they have failed to deliver on both. We are financing two wars, and I will be discussing the economy.

Will 2024 mirror 1968? It is on track to do so.

There is so much that the 1968 election has in common with the upcoming 2024 one. What brought down Johnson-Humphrey was the same thing that should bring down Biden-Harris, now Harris-Walz — lies, half-truths and distortions.

We have been here before. Back in the late 1960s, many Americans felt like we were being lied to about the Vietnam War. The feelings proved right just three years later when the so-called “Pentagon Papers” were leaked to The New York Times, revealing the actions of the Johnson administration. We were being told lies, half-truths and distortions to justify continuing a war that our Democratic leaders knew we could not win.

Ultimately, more than 58,000 American soldiers died in Vietnam. John Kerry, also a Yalie and future Senator, presidential candidate and Secretary of State, was one of those Vietnam protesters. Al Gore (former vice president and presidential candidate, and a Harvard grad) served during that war.

Biden-Harris and the Democrats have taken the “lying and hoodwinking machine” well beyond old-fashioned political spin. These are some examples:

• Democrats claim they handled covid-19 better, even though 399,000 died on Trump’s watch and 601,000 died on Biden-Harris’ watch (as reported in May 2022). The bigger number, and who it was under, is clear for all to see. Also, the vaccine became available during the Trump administration.

• Our country was shut down due to covid, with millions of Americans experiencing employment interruptions. Biden-Harris count the “bounce-back” jobs as the ones “Biden-Harris” created. So bogus.

• Biden-Harris for years proclaimed the border with Mexico was secure, yet millions of illegal immigrants have invaded America. The combined additional cost to our cities and to our Medicaid system have been in the billions, at least partially due to the failed efforts of the so-called “border czar” Harris.

Speaking of lies, half-truth and distortions, everything about the economy has been challenged by the facts. Even the recent “jobs creation” report had to be revised after 818,000 jobs that were supposedly “created” actually did not exist.

Bidenomics, which Harris has repeatedly praised, helped cripple our economy due to its excessive spending on climate change initiatives and other priorities. The Democrats love to say that we have the best economy in the world. Yes, we are great! But as of late, our credit rating has been downgraded while several other countries have a better credit rating than ours.

Here are other troubling economic findings:

• Bankruptcies are up by 16% from the prior year.

• Credit card usage is at record levels.

• Americans’ saving levels have declined.

• Inflation: the recent 3% rate is on top of the $120 for the same items that used to cost $100 when Trump left office. So now add another 3% on the $120 = $123.60.

• Our national debt has grown by trillions. Servicing this debt yearly has reached the trillion dollar mark.

• We are very far from balancing our budget. Our need to borrow yearly due to a budget deficit is not sustainable.

• Our Medicaid spending is rapidly matching our national defense spending.

I would say the non-truths of the Democrats in 2024 would be on par with those of Johnson-Humphrey. Johnson stepped down and Humphrey lost his bid for the presidency in 1968.

Today, half of the scenario has already happened: President Joe Biden has stepped down. We have to wait until November to see if the second shoe falls as well.