Victor Davis Hanson’s recent appearance on Newsmax’s Finnerty was a blunt reminder that the Democratic Party’s playbook is no longer about governing so much as disruption. Hanson called what he sees as an intentional “chaos strategy” — a steady campaign of cultural warfare, institutional takeover, and distraction designed to keep voters off balance while radical policies are pushed through. He urged Republicans to stop answering every provocation and instead force the conversation back to practical matters that affect Americans’ daily lives.
What Hanson described is not mere rhetorical flourish; it’s a diagnosis of a party that prefers spectacle to stewardship. When elected officials and their allies in media and academia make chaos a feature, not a bug, debates about policy are drowned out by manufactured controversies. Conservatives must call out the tactic for what it is and refuse to be baited into endless culture fights at the expense of working families.
The prescription Hanson offered is refreshingly simple: focus on the economy. Republicans win when they talk about paychecks, gas prices, inflation, housing, and the cost of raising a family — the issues that actually move votes. If GOP leaders want to be effective, they must present clear, believable plans that restore prosperity and predictability, not just punchlines and outrage.
That means exposing how liberal policies on energy, regulation, and education have eroded economic security and middle-class stability. It means reminding voters that open borders, unchecked spending, and one-size-fits-all cultural experiments come with a price tag. Conservatives should not shy from highlighting the real-world consequences of progressive experiments — from skyrocketing insurance premiums to schools that prioritize ideology over literacy.
But talk must be backed by policy. Republicans should offer concrete steps: tax relief for families and small businesses, a common-sense energy plan that unleashes American production, sensible regulatory rollback, and fiscal discipline that actually reduces the burden on taxpayers. These are the tangible promises that resonate in kitchen tables and factory floors, and they are the antidote to the Democrats’ chaos — because prosperity is the surest safeguard of liberty.
We should also be frank about the dangers of infighting and performative purity tests inside the GOP. Voters rewarded clear, practical messaging in recent cycles; grandstanding and internecine warfare only hand the media another distraction to amplify. If conservatives want to reclaim governing power they must choose unity of purpose over petty grievances and get to work on results.
Hardworking Americans are not interested in being manipulated by theatrical politics — they want solutions that keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. Hanson’s warning is a patriotic one: reject the chaos, demand competence, and make the economy the centerpiece of the Republican offer. Do that, and the party of low taxes, strong borders, and free speech will not only win headlines, it will win back the country.
