Three of the biggest issues before voters are all breaking Republicans' way, and could propel the party to gains in Congress this fall and into the White House in 2016, a tea party lawyer told
Newsmax TV on Monday.
But to capitalize, the GOP must figure out how to persuasively address Americans' anxieties about the economy, healthcare and immigration, Mark Meckler, president of Citizens for Self-Governance, told "MidPoint" host Ed Berliner.
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Candidates need to be specific, said Meckler.
"Number one has got to be jobs and the economy," he said. "Despite what the incumbents say or despite what the White House says, when you travel the country as I do every day, what you see is people hurting.
"The job market is still stagnant . . . [P]eople are suffering in the housing market, and people are suffering to pay for basic necessities such as groceries and fuel.
"That disconnect between Washington, D.C., and the rest of the country plays very strongly all across the country regardless of what party you're talking about," said Meckler.
He said the second major issue is Obamacare.
While President Barack Obama's national healthcare overhaul has taken a back seat to other stories dominating the news of late, Meckler said voters will remember Obamacare at the ballot box in November, "because it's hitting them in their pocketbooks."
"Remember, if you're a family that's lost your health insurance because of Obamacare, you don't forget that, not easily and, frankly, not ever," he said. "If you're a family whose premiums have increased, as we've seen so many across the country — 10 percent and 75 percent across the country — you're not going to forget that quickly."
Meckler said voters also will be reminded of Obamacare's failings "by millions upon millions of dollars in Republican advertising during the cycle."
The third issue, said Meckler, is the security of the U.S.-Mexico border amid a surge of undocumented migrants from Central America.
Although not as urgent as the economy and healthcare,
border security is climbing the list of voter priorities, Meckler noted.
He said it's not just Republicans who want the latest wave of immigrants who entered the country illegally sent back to their home countries.
"I'm hearing unions call for it and people on the left call for it," said Meckler. "We're, first and foremost, a nation of laws, and if we don't enforce our laws, there's no room to be humanitarians."
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