To be a political activist these days is to flush from memory any inconvenient realities that subvert your ideological shibboleths. Take the breathless missive sent out last week by Nevada Democrats regarding Gov. Joe Lombardo and the November election.
Gov. Lombardo, a Republican, will face Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat, in the race this fall for the state’s highest office. But casual observers may be deceived into thinking that Donald Trump is on the ballot. State Democrats have made no secret that they’ll relentlessly flog Republican candidates by tying them to the president, whose approval rating is a touch below mediocre.
That’s fair game. Politics is a blood sport, and running for public office isn’t for the faint of heart. But many of these attacks require Democrats to employ selective amnesia — and to expect Nevada voters do the same.
For instance, their Friday news release — headlined “How Much is the Lombardo-Trump Economy Costing Nevadans This Week?” — highlights the struggles that inflation and high gasoline prices are causing Nevada consumers: “Nevada families have had to spend an extra $2,900 on average for things like food, energy and health care because of Lombardo and Trump’s failed leadership.”
This is certainly legitimate fodder in a political campaign, and Mr. Trump and the GOP make a mistake if they downplay the economic concerns of working-class and independent voters. Backing off trade wars and arbitrary tariffs on our allies might be a good place for the White House to start in order to ease the burden.
Revealingly, however, Nevada Democrats prefer to channel Rip Van Winkle when it comes to the Biden years. In fact, state voters might recall that, the last time Democrats controlled Congress and the White House, their unchecked spending sprees supercharged deficits and debt while pushing the annual inflation rate to 9 percent in July 2022, a level not seen in four decades. By comparison, inflation hit 4 percent last month, the highest it has been under Mr. Trump. An unacceptable number, yes. But still well below President Joe Biden’s ignoble accomplishment.
At the same time, the national average price for a gallon of gasoline in July 2022 under the previous administration — which threatened to drive traditional energy producers out of business — hit $5.02. The American conflict with Iran has indeed driven up today’s gasoline prices, but the national average of $4.07 remains nearly 20 percent below peak Biden.
None of this is intended to minimize the economic concerns dogging many Nevadans. But Democratic assaults on Gov. Lombardo for high prices reveal a comical lack of self-awareness — and an utter disregard for the intelligence of voters.
