Rep. Mike Lawler predicts midterms will be decided by voters rejecting far-left ‘politics of envy’

Mike Lawler is betting the midterms will turn on voters rolling their eyes at the far left’s “politics of envy.” That’s not a crazy read of the mood. People don’t love being told their neighbor’s success is the problem, especially when they’re more worried about groceries, rent, and whether the next bill will jump again.

But we also don’t need to dust off every Cold War prop just because we’re heading toward America’s 250th birthday. “Communism” is a word that can still mean something, but if it’s used as a catch-all for every progressive idea, it starts to sound like cable-news filler. Voters are smarter than that.

If Republicans want Lawler’s prediction to come true, they should keep the target on policies that actually hit families: runaway spending, softer-on-crime experiments, and the cultural scolding that shows up in schools and workplaces. Call out the left’s bad incentives, sure. Then offer a plan that feels like a paycheck, not a pamphlet.