Who’ll lower the political temp, no longer a ‘Golden’ State and other commentary

From the right: Who’ll Lower the Political Temp?

Following another episode of political violence, National Review’s Jim Geraghty cautions that “there is no visible way out of America’s intensifying political divisions and continuing rounds of ideologically motivated violence.” The recent shooting in Dallas presented “another set of facts that turned into a Rorschach test,” where “a whole bunch of people on the left are choosing to believe the perpetrator absolutely must have been affiliated with the right side of the political spectrum.” The problem is that America lacks “leaders right now who can ‘lower the temperature’ or calm the waters.” Besides, “there are few remaining figures who are trusted across the political spectrum” — few prominent Americans who can or want “to calm our intensifying political divisions, paranoia, and rage.”

Eye on Cali: No Longer a ‘Golden’ State

Bed, Bath & Beyond is not an “outlier” in its decision to leave California, contends Ana Kasparian at RealClear Investigations. It’s “another sign of the slow withering” of one of the most “robust economies in the world.” “Hundreds of companies” have left “in response to the rising costs of doing business”: unaffordable housing, the nation’s “most generous minimum wage, sky-high taxes and fees” and onerous regulations. Plus, “business owners say crime is yet another factor leading to closures.” Result? “California has seen a 45% increase in unemployment since August 2022.” It’s “facing one of its toughest economic challenges in many years” — and “in the short term, with liberal majorities in control of state politics, it’s hard to see any viable route to restoring the California Dream.”

Liberal: We Must Address ‘Internal Threats’

“In a world full of bad actors and rogue nations, Americans don’t seem too worked up about external threats,” concludes The Liberal Patriot’s John Halpin. An Echelon Insights poll found “roughly three-quarters” of Americans rate internal, rather than external threats, as the biggest ones facing the United States. Indeed, the “three components of the internal threats cited” — “polarization, corruption, and cultural dysfunction — clearly worry Americans.” To “compete with the likes of China,” our “leadership class in politics, business, education, and the media” should take steps “to ratchet down the polarization, end the corruption, and improve America’s social and political culture.” But that will “require a change in leadership and the values” they bring.

Conservative: Why Voters Don’t Trust Dems

Americans “trust the Republican Party more than Democratic leaders” when it comes to issues like the economy, crime and immigration, reports USA Today’s Nicole Russell, citing a recent poll — and for good reason: “Democratic politicians don’t have a mainstream position on key issues.” “As a second-term president, [Donald] Trump has implemented changes to bolster the nation’s economy.” He deployed the National Guard to DC to bring down crime, and “cracked down on immigration months ago.” Meanwhile, Democrats “have been unable” to “offer fellow Democrats an alternative to Trump.” Their biggest rising star, Zohran Mamdani, is a democratic socialist who wants “to raise taxes on millionaires” and freeze rent. Democrats need “to examine the issues and their leaders,” or they may not “regain voters’ trust in the near future.”

Schools beat: Our Desperate Need for Reform

“Test scores have fallen to historic lows, student mobility has stalled, and the gap between top performers and their peers has widened,” thunders Pedro Rodriguez at the Washington Examiner. Experts warn that “America’s youth face low standards in education, weak discipline, understaffed schools, and limited opportunities.” The result: “ one of the worst school systems in our history.” Ironically, graduation rates are “rising even as test scores fall” — a giveaway that “weak school leadership” is moving students on to the next grade without ensuring they’re “truly prepared for the workforce.” Those administrators typically “resist standardized testing” while promoting ideologies like “diversity, equity, and inclusion rather than academic excellence.” Pray that “the nation can begin to reverse its education crisis.”

— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board