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The Economy Has Gone to the Dogs

Why Democrats Are in Trouble

Goldie Hawn in Seems Like Old Times (1980)

Last week, Rep. Ro Khanna stood on the House floor and read the names of four completely innocent New Yorkers into the Congressional Record as part of the Jeffrey Epstein files scandal. It was a self-inflicted wound. Those men had zero connection to Epstein. They were random faces from an old photo lineup. Khanna had to walk it back after the Guardian called him on it.

Fast forward one week.

A pro-Palestinian activist named Nerdeen Kiswani posts on X: “Finally, NYC is coming to Islam. Dogs definitely have a place in society, just not as indoor pets. Like we’ve said all along, they are unclean.”

Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) fires back: “If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one.”

The Democrat Party immediately loses its collective mind.

Hakeem Jeffries calls Fine a “sick extremist.” Mark Pocan says he “deserves [censure] more” than anyone. Ro Khanna jumps in to lead the charge inside the Progressive Caucus for a formal censure vote on the House floor. Even AOC weighed in calling it one of the most disgusting statements by an American official. Axios is reporting they may force the vote as soon as next week.

Let me be crystal clear: This is what desperation looks like when your best economic attack line has literally gone to the dogs.

I don’t need another poll to tell me how the perception of the economy is doing. I have eyes and common sense. And this ridiculous overreaction is rock-solid proof that the crushing economic anxiety that dominated 2024 and most of 2025 has finally started to recede.

Look at the data that actually matters-the open-ended tracking from RMG Research for Napolitan News, where voters say in their own words what the most important issue is.

In November 2025, the economy was crushing it at 44%. By the latest poll, Feb 9-12, 2026, it’s down to just 23%. Meanwhile, immigration has surged to 20%, with Republicans listing it at 30%. ICE has even emerged as its own category, hitting double digits.

That kind of rapid drop in volunteered economic concern doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when people stop waking up every day worried about groceries, gas, and rent because things are actually getting better.

When the pocketbook pain eases, what does the opposition do? They hunt for new cultural oxygen. They need something to rally the base and dominate the news cycle. So they take a backbench Republican’s completely reasonable reply to an activist who wants to ban dogs from American homes and turn it into a national morality crisis requiring a censure vote.

This won’t work. Americans love dogs. Period.

What Fine posted was non-controversial and true in context. Kiswani wasn’t making some innocent joke about sidewalk poop (her later claim). She was celebrating the Islamification of New York City while repeating a core traditional Islamic view: dogs are unclean (najis). Multiple hadiths state that angels don’t enter houses with dogs, their saliva is impure, and keeping one as a pet deducts from your good deeds unless it’s for hunting or farming.

Dana Loesch nailed it in her thread, linking Kiswani’s history of “Globalize the intifada” chants, her group waving Hamas flags, and her extreme positions. David Strom at HotAir put it perfectly in his column: “Unsurprisingly, we are seeing evidence that Republicans are going to lean into this issue, since Democrats have opened the door so wide that even Republicans can see the political gold within.”

He’s right. Roughly 68 million American households own a dog-over half the country. The pet industry is worth more than $150 billion. For millions of us, our dogs are family. They bring more pure joy than most politicians ever will.

Forcing a “detailed discussion” on whether Americans should accommodate people who move here and then demand we change our dog-loving culture to fit theirs is political suicide heading into the 2026 midterms.

This ties directly into the bigger trend we’re seeing in the polling: immigration and ICE enforcement are rising fast as the new top issues precisely because voters are feeling the cultural changes in their daily lives.

The fact that Democrats are eager to die on this hill-right after Khanna’s own embarrassing Epstein naming fiasco-shows they have no better cards to play on the economy right now. It’s bloody-shirt substitution 101. Bury your mistake by waving a new “bigotry” flag.

Here’s the bottom line for my fellow Americans:

The economy has gone to the dogs-and that’s very bad news for the Democrats.

When voters aren’t screaming about inflation every day, the left has to manufacture outrage over a Congressman choosing his country’s normal way of life over imported sensitivities. They’re picking the side against man’s best friend in favor of activists who chant for global intifada.

Bring it on. Let’s have that detailed discussion.

The American people have already voted with their hearts, their leashes, and their living room couches.

Dogs win. Every single time.

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James K. Bishop

James K. Bishop is a conservative writer and raconteur hailing from Texas, known for his incisive and often provocative takes on political and cultural issues. With a staunch commitment to originalist constitutional principles, he emphasizes limited government, individual liberties, and traditional American values. Active on X under the handle @James_K_Bishop, he frequently engages his audience with sharp critiques of progressive policies, media narratives, and overreaches by the federal government. His style is direct, often laced with humor and wit, which resonates strongly with his conservative followers.