Lyles: Learning the wrong lessons

Experience can be a valuable teacher. Often times the lessons we learn from experience are the most valuable of all. But only if we learn the right things. Unfortunately, too many people too often learn the wrong lessons from their experiences which usually leads to disaster. Sadly, the 2016 presidential elections serve as a profound example of Democrats and the left having learned all the wrong lessons from their painful loss.

During the election I remember reflecting on the similarities in passion that both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders aroused during the campaign. Both turned out large, motivated crowds of people who were mostly concerned about the same things. In simplest terms, their core audiences were mostly middle- of-the-road citizens who felt abandoned by the Washington elites. The populist appeal to return power to the people was the core energizer behind both campaigns.

The difference between the Trump and Sanders campaign could be found in the proposed solutions. Mr. Trump’s answers were largely free-market, enterprise-based solutions that called for getting government out of the way. Mr. Sanders called for socialist answers that relied on larger government and more government control over just about everything. Despite the energy he inspired by calling out the problems, Mr. Sanders lost largely for two reasons. First is that the Democrat primary system was rigged in favor of Hillary Clinton. Second, is that America lacks the appetite for increased socialism.

Democrats and those on the left learned the wrong lesson from the outcome. They looked at the energy Mr. Sanders created and concluded his base was instilled with passion for his entire message. It should be clear now that most on the left were energized by the first half — dissatisfaction with the governing elite ignoring the masses —and not so excited about the second half which called for larger government. They also learned a second very important wrong lesson. They came away thinking the two most energized presidential campaigns gained their energy by running against America. They didn’t. They ran against the governing elites, which is a vastly different proposition.

Because they learned the wrong lessons in 2016, Democrats are going in the wrong direction in 2018 and likely will continue down that path in 2020. This is demonstrated by many Democrats across the board. Andrew Cuomo deserves attention for running against America by saying it “was never that great.” Then there is Elizabeth Warren introducing legislation to nationalize corporations when they reach $1 billion. Or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat socialist who upset Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) in a crowded Democrat primary and can’t even explain what socialism actually is.

They also appear to have “learned” that the truth doesn’t matter. Just look to the recent hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Cavanaugh. Our own illustrious Senator Kamala Harris earned “Four Pinocchios” - from the liberal Washington Post’s fact checker, no less - for her comments about Mr. Kavanaugh sounding a “dog whistle going after birth control.” After Harris’ comments were shown to be deceptive beyond any doubt, Hillary Clinton doubled down and embraced the lie in a tweet. Then there was Cory Booker, grandstanding as Spartacus, having the courage to release confidential information to the public that was neither confidential nor damaging.

The left-wing media has joined the “we live in a post-truth” world. It would be funny if it weren’t so sad that the Washington Post called Mr. Trump “complicit” in causing hurricane Florence and other storms to be as big as they are when it was Category 4. Did he deserve credit for “Divine Collusion” when it faded to Category 1 upon impact?

Lyles, a Poway resident, is a management consultant and best-selling author.