On Nikki Haley and bringing back the "good old days"

Niki Haley tweeted recently that life was easier when “you were growing up.” Her point was that, if elected, she’d bring back the good old days where life was as simple as “faith, family, and freedom.” I’m not trying to pick on Nikki Haley — I agree with her on many things, such as the need for more personalized healthcare — but life was assuredly not that breezy in the mid-to-late 70s when Governor Haley was growing up. More to the point, though, I don’t believe that type of nostalgia, MAGA-lite message resonates with large audiences or even primary voters for that matter. 

Life may very well have been better when Gov. Haley was born — for some people. Affluent, suburban families, in particular. I’m one of those people, hooray for me. But 40-to-50 years from now, we should want all Americans — not just a select few — to feel that way about the past. The goal of policymaking today should be to ensure that all future generations can look back with honest fondness about their upbringing. 

This requires economic policies that prevent high inflation, spur low unemployment, and keep interest rates down. Like where our country was prior to the pandemic. Regulatory systems that promote innovation and technologies that make our lives easier, safer, and more affordable. An education framework that affords every child and family the opportunity to learn in the environment that best meets their unique needs. Progress on this front is underway, with states like Arizona and West Virginia leading the charge to dismantle the one-size-fits-all education model. And smart on crime strategies that protect public safety by focusing on violent crime while affording second chances to those who’ve paid their debt to society and want to transform their lives. 

That’s part of the policy roadmap that candidates must embrace if they’re interested in giving all Americans in the future a feeling of joy about the past. Of course, you can’t make policy if you aren’t elected and, as a general rule of thumb, you can’t get elected unless you sell your vision. Going back to Governor Haley for a moment; you can’t convince a majority of the country of your vision for the future if you spend too much time trying to invoke the glory days of the past that only a certain portion of Americans experienced. Even under the banner of “Make America Great Again,” Donald Trump offered a forward-looking vision (for example, a new foreign policy doctrine centered around taking on China). Sure, the nostalgia excited some Trump supporters, but most became sold on Trump’s promise of the future. 

Sure, the past was great for me. But I’m not interested in a country where only my peers and I feel good about the way things used to be. I want that feeling for everyone — my neighbors, people in inner cities, traditionally marginalized communities, new immigrants coming here in search of a better life than the one they’re leaving behind. Candidates running for the highest office in all the land should want that, too. It’s a good thing for our country but also good politics. To be perceived as fighting for everyone surely cannot hurt one’s bid for re-election. 

So, candidates, let’s leave the rose-colored nostalgia to Trump and start offering a vision for America that all of us will look back on one day with pride.