No. of Recommendations: 2
That’s kind of my point. The current administration is using the wrong tool for the right thing. That makes a huge difference.
It makes a difference, but I don't think it makes a huge difference.
I think politically, the GOP is correct in their belief that a lot of folks are deeply frustrated with municipal leaders' failure to address their concerns about public disorder. I don't think they care very much any more if this is the wrong tool for the right thing. They want the right thing to happen.
Your analogy to the BBB and lower taxes is inapt, I think - that's a right tool for the wrong thing scenario. The tool is legislation passed by Congress to amend the tax code...which is exactly the right mechanism for achieving a change in the tax code. The right tool. But I think a majority of Americans believe that the specific change that was pursued in the BBB - what taxes were lowered and for which groups - is not the right outcome. The wrong thing.
I think you're wrong in thinking that most Americans won't perceive using armed military troops to ensure domestic tranquility as a good thing. I think it will be received very badly by folks on the political left....but once you start getting into left-center and moderate folks, there's probably a lot of political support for a more robust effort to control public disorder. And I think those folks want to avoid a "best is the enemy of the good" continuation of the status quo. More stringent civilian law enforcement would be the best response (in their eyes). But if that's not on offer, and the military is the only tool that is available to the federal government to secure public order in municipalities over the objections of municipal leaders, then they're happy with "good" rather than "best."
We see it across all the law and order issues. Clearing homeless camps isn't the best way to address homelessness, but the public thinks it's good that there's fewer externalities associated with homelessness even in a less-than-ideal way. Returning to the carceral state isn't the best way to address minor crimes, but the public thinks it's good to have minor crimes addressed even by a less-than-ideal way. Etc.
That's why the GOP is itching to have this fight. They're going to frame it as the feckless local progressives being to soft too fix things, while the brave federal leadership is willing to weather the criticism accompanying having pictures of soldiers near the Washington monument in order to actually solve the problem. They view that as a political winner. And I think they're absolutely right.
