What Trump must do to win - News With Views

Donald Trump is at a critical juncture in his campaign. His words and deeds from this point forward will determine as never before whether he will amass enough delegates to win on a first or second vote at the Republican National Convention. To win, Trump must become more specific and bold in addressing the key policy topics of:

(1) restoring economic growth, upward mobility and productivity to America;
(2) reducing the power of the bureaucracy to liberate industry from the control of lobbyists who help establish anti-competitive regulation;
(3) destroying ISIS and related terror groups;
(4) establishing strong border protection;
(5) defending and advancing American interests around the world; and
(6) eliminating Obamacare in favor of a free market in health care and health care insurance.
Donald Trump’s viability as a candidate and appeal to a broader base is dependent on his strength of conviction and his anti-establishment credentials. Voters have formed a movement around him convinced that his blunt talk, strong persona, and status as a Washington outsider will shake things up in Washington and allow for a return to limited government, the rule of law, a strong national defense, and a flourishing free market. He stands to lose support if people come to doubt he can deliver on the details. Consequently, he needs to articulate the details boldly and confirm his commitment to bring about true reform.

In particular, he needs to reemphasize the gist of his tax plan that would lower tax rates and create a more hospitable environment for corporate America to remain in America. He needs to explain how tax relief, combined with regulatory relief, can revitalize the economy such that upward mobility, now stagnant, can be restored, re-establishing the lost American dream.

He needs to call for downsizing the federal bureaucracy by eliminating every regulation that has caused or will cause the loss of American jobs, private property without just compensation, or impose a cost greater than any provable benefit. If a regulation costs American jobs, sacrifices private property, or is more costly than beneficial, it should be eliminated.

He needs to call for a quadrupling of American special forces and a commitment to use whatever force is necessary to ensure the prompt and complete obliteration of ISIS and related terrorist groups and all who support ISIS and related terrorist groups. He should make clear that as President he will engage the American military in a relentless day and night campaign of assault to kill all ISIS operatives and all who support them, assuring a substantial increase in the use of American force to bring about the most expeditious and thorough demise of radical Islamic terrorism.

He has made his position on border security clear, and needs to keep that message among those he communicates in all of the remaining states. It is the centerpiece of his campaign. He needs to tie that message more to the threat of terrorists entering the United States and explain that border security is essential to avoid the planned onslaught of terrorists into the United States via our Southern and Northern borders.

He needs to make clear not only that he will end American support for the disgraceful deal entered into by the United States with Iran but that he will back Israel unwaveringly by supporting economic sanctions and, if necessary, military intervention to prevent Iran from developing and deploying nuclear weapons. He should state clearly that by its words and deeds Iran is an enemy of the United States, condemn Obama for allying the nation with its enemy, and assure that under his administration the United States will oppose every effort by Iran to expand radical Islamic terror around the world. He should state clearly that the hostile acts of North Korea will not be tolerated in his administration and that the United States will impose the most stringent economic sanctions on that country, will expand alliances with South Korea and Japan against North Korean acts of aggression, and will intervene to interdict any launch of a ballistic missile by North Korea if accompanied by a threat from North Korea that it will strike the United States. He should state clearly that neither China nor Russia will be permitted to use acts of intimidation or occupation of foreign states or territories if those actions threaten the security or economic vitality of the United States and its allies but that the United States will respond boldly, will increase the presence of its military forces in Eastern Europe, and will make clear it will oppose any effort to topple a country allied to the United States.

He needs to explain the failings of Obamacare and attack its fundamental premise, that the United States has a rightful power to compel everyone to buy health insurance and to force those who pay to subsidize those who do not. He needs to condemn the Obamacare mandate, pledge to eliminate it as a first act of his administration, and commit to taking steps to establish a market economy in health care and health insurance.

He needs to make these positions known at every opportunity and communicate the message with conviction and rebut all who challenge his position. He has that natural ability. It is a major part of his attraction to voters. Now he is being challenged by those who are alleging that his call to make America great again is vacuous. Proof of the contrary proposition requires that he supply the details mentioned above and defend them vigorously. Doing so will define his candidacy.

A burgeoning majority of Americans find the strength of Donald Trump appealing; they now ask if he can deliver. The Teflon he has enjoyed is wearing thin, as vigorous efforts are undertaken by establishment Republicans and liberal Democrats to make Trump out to be a phony conservative, a man devoid of substance, and a bigot.

In the end, nothing matters more to the American people than that they are assured of safety by replacing a weak President, Obama, with a strong one. Nothing matters more to the American people than that they are assured of restoration of a dynamic free market by replacing the vast regulatory state created by President Obama with a government winnowed down such that a free market may flourish and economic opportunity can be restored. Nothing matters more to the American people than that the United States, now the source of ridicule and comedic relief for our nation’s enemies, may be restored to the position of a super power where its enemies fear it, where its friends embrace it, and where it unyieldingly stands as a bastion of freedom.