(PJ Media) Every year since college, my best friend Dan and I have compiled our best observations on a wide range of topics that reflect on the year that has just expired.
We follow the well-established template of The McLaughlin Groupprogram. We lost the venerable John McLaughlin in 2016 after decades of shaping how political analysis and debate programs should be done.
2022 saw our continued societal slide into insanity, so those who might wish for some return to pre-COVID normal will continue to wallow in disappointment. Here now, my submission for a nutty year that was.
Biggest Winner of the Year
The Free State of Florida. No other state came close to Florida’s record of fighting back against the incalculable overreach of the federal government and woke culture wars. The voters rewarded the proactive, always-on-offense actions of the governor with record-shattering electoral results, including supermajorities of Republicans in both houses of the legislature and 20-point reelection wins for Sen. Marco Rubio, Attorney General Ashley Moody, and virtually every other statewide Republican on the ballot. Florida is no longer a swing state, thanks to the strong leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis.
Biggest Loser of the Year
The Republican National Committee (RNC). In a year defined by some of the worst executive leadership ever seen in the United States and the foreign policy and economic woes to match, anything less than gaining control of the House and the Senate in the midterm elections qualifies as an unmitigated disaster.
Best Politician of the Year
Kyrsten Sinema and Tulsi Gabbard (tie). Both left the Democratic Party, switching to non-affiliated. Both remain stalwart liberals, but both left the party in order to punish those who wailed and screeched as they failed to toe the radical line. While there’s enough room to doubt their true intentions, they both nonetheless called much-needed attention to a party that has gone completely out of control. Sinema’s defection particularly hurts as she will serve as a roadblock in the Senate unless she gets her way — which is, of course, why she did what she did.
Worst Politician of the Year
Karin Jean-Pierre. She’s earned the well-deserved nickname “Cringe Jean-Pierre” over her complete unwillingness to prepare properly to do her job. Before 2022, nobody could have imagined someone performing worse as press secretary. She gives diversity hires a bad name every time she steps to the podium. It takes real talent to steal this award from her boss, but man, she’s really, really, really bad at her job.
Most Defining Moment of the Year
The Twitter Files. We knew they were doing it. They knew we knew they were doing it. They did it anyway, with a middle finger in our faces for our troubles. Now we know the extent to which the federal law enforcement apparatus stuck its nose in, violating several constitutional rights for American citizens in the process. The Twitter Files demonstrate how out of control the federal bureaucracies are and that dismantling them may be the only solution.
Best Spin of the Year
“Recently I tested positive for COVID-19. Thankfully, my symptoms are mild, and I am working remotely. I am grateful that I received the vaccine and booster to avoid serious illness. I will return to work when it is safe to do so. I urge every American to get their COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.” —Every. Single. Bought-and-paid-for. Politician.
Nobody ever thought to ask why they got sick even though they were quadruple-boosted?
Most Boring Politician of the Year
California Governor Gavin Newsom, who hilariously ran ads in Florida trying to convince people his state did better in personal liberty. Really. Meanwhile, I think his state is still counting votes from November…
Most Charismatic Politician of the Year
Ron DeSantis. This guy has mastered the art of getting out in front of the press narrative and driving it in the direction he dictates instead of letting the gatekeepers filter him.
Bummest Rap of the Year
Ordinary Americans, who have had their government weaponized against them for the crime of living their lives and expressing their opinions.
Fairest Rap of the Year
Americans will continue to lose faith in elections until certain states can learn to count their votes on Election Day. Florida, with around 18 million registered voters, finished counting all the votes five hours after the polls closed. Arizona, with around 4 million registered voters, took over a month and has been subject to a litany of lawsuits.
Best Comeback
Parents. They weren’t going to let the radical wokesters indoctrinate and sexualize their children without fighting back. In the process, they drove the main narrative of the year and showed activists for normalcy the way to have an impact by getting involved in their local school boards, city council meetings, and state legislatures. After all, that’s their right and responsibility as American citizens. If we’d had more involvement in the process by normal citizens, we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in right now.
Most Original Thinker
The originalist justices on the Supreme Court. A banner year for overturning badly decided cases. A day conservatives may never have thought possible came when the Dobbs case overturned Roe v. Wade, once again leaving the legality of abortion to the states to decide.
