On Sunday, I explained how Trump-like politicians are winning all over the globe. As if on cue, the results came in from Australia. It was a stunning upset win for Trump-like Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Australia’s election matched America’s 2016 balloting in every way. It is a warning for Democrats and anyone building a campaign around global warming, the Green New Deal, massive government regulation, higher taxes on “the rich” and open borders.
Same issues. Same leftist media bias. Same results.
Just like America in 2016, members of the leftist party (called the Labor Party in Australia) thought they had it in the bag. The media, political establishment and pollsters predicted an easy victory for the left. Most media polls showed Labor winning by close to double digits.
Just like with Donald Trump in 2016, the polls were all wrong. On Election Day, Morrison and his party (the Liberal-National Coalition) won a stunning victory. Morrison also expanded his party’s lead in Parliament.
What happened? Australia is the canary in the coal mine for Democrats in 2020.
First, the conservative Prime Minister Morrison was called a racist, nationalist, white extremist, “old white guy,” climate change denier and immigrant-hater. Sound familiar?
But Australia’s silent majority voted for him. Just like in America, they whispered. No lawn signs. No bumper stickers. No public endorsements. The people just kept smiling, bit their tongues and voted in private.
Once the curtain is closed, we’re all “forever-Trumpers.” All over the world.
Our side doesn’t talk to pollsters. But never doubt we’re out there, voting for America first, America second, America third, America forever. Except, in this case, substitute the word “Australia” for “America.”
How about the issues? The key issues in Australia look like the key issues here in America. Labor pols campaigned on class envy, “inequality,” punishing success and raising taxes on high achievers. They favored massive carbon taxes and regulations to combat climate change. They proposed closing coal mines and forcing energy costs to skyrocket in order to “save the planet.” They sought to mandate 50% renewable energy by 2030. Australia’s voters rejected it all.
The winning conservative Morrison campaigned with a lump of coal in his hands. He brilliantly explained to voters that no green energy source in the world is as efficient (i.e., cheap) as carbon. He explained how new regulations and green energy standards would kill jobs, crush the economy and damage living standards yet accomplish absolutely nothing because China’s annual emissions dwarf Australia’s.
Immigration was also central to the right’s stunning upset. Labor, just like our Democrats, supported open borders. They want to let everyone in. The conservatives want secure borders.
The silent majority spoke again. Climate change and open borders are massive losers for working-class and middle-class voters.
The Australian people chose growth, plentiful jobs, tax cuts and support for the energy industry. For all intents and purposes, they chose Trump. They just didn’t tell the pollsters.
