Providers, Protectors, and Parents

|
Posted: Aug 16, 2022 12:01 AM

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.

The coming midterms – less than three months away and counting fast – are going to be about A LOT of issues. Americans have a long list of anxieties, disappointments, and frustrations to consider when they head to the polls this fall. But perhaps beyond all of the individual topics, this election could really be defined and driven by the apprehensions of three key groups of people – the Providers, the Protectors, and the Parents. Think for a moment how counter-productive and misguided policies and reckless rhetoric over the past two years have personally impacted anyone falling into these three categories – regardless of their voting behaviors or party affiliation.  The Providers – those who make the country work and generate what we need and consume. They grow and harvest our food. They explore and drill for energy. They log timber in the forests and dig minerals from the ground. They move goods across the nation – on the roads and rails, on our longest rivers and across our greatest lakes. And they run the small businesses that offer opportunity, purpose and paychecks to tens of millions of citizens. How many skilled laborers have been out of work because a pipeline was canceled or because construction of new energy infrastructure has been stymied? How many farmers and ranchers have lost sleep about fertilizer shortages? How many employers are struggling with unreasonable regulations f …