xx Houston Chronicle | HoustonChronicle.com and chron.com | Friday, January 29,2016 | B7 OUTLOOK The three-cornered fight to save the GOP Charles Krauthammer says the race to win the Republican presidential nomination is between traditional conservatism and ethnic nationalism.

WA SHINGTON —It’shard to believe ously atemporarycomplete ban on entry thatthe United States, having resisted the into the U.S.,weare assured, except that siren song of socialism during itsentire theban applies “until our country’srep- 20th-centuryheyday(the onlymajor de- resentatives can figure out what is going mocracy to do so), should suddenlysuc- on.” cumbtoits charms ageneration after its Trumphas limited concernfor the cen- intellectual demise.Indeed, the prospect tral tenet of Americanconservatism (and of socialistBernie Sanders, whatever his mostespeciallyofthe tea party move- currentmomentum, winning the Demo- ment) —limited government. Themost cratic nomination remains far-fetched. tellingexample is hiswholehearted sup- TheDemocrats would be risking a port for “eminentdomain,”i.e.the forcible November electoral disaster of historic appropriation by governmentofprivate dimensions.Yet there is no denying how property.Trump called it “wonderful.” farSanders has pulled his party to the left Trumphas not yetcalled Vladimir Pu- —and howhard HillaryClinton, has been tin wonderful but he has taken ashine to Informed voters can racing to catchup. the swaggering mini-czar whoseems to TheRepublicans, on the other hand, runhis trains on time.When informed are dealing with afull-scaleriot.The thatPutin kills opponents and journal- have effect on primary temptation they face is trading in acen- ists, Trump’sinitial reaction was, “Well, turyofconservatism for Trumpism. Ithink thatour countrydoes plenty of The2016 presidential race has turned killing,also,” the kind of moronicmor- Doing homework should accuratelymirror the ethnic/racial com- into an epic contestbetween the ethnon- al equivalencethatconservativeshave position of their districts. ationalistpopulism of Donald Trumpand railed againstfor decades. Although, to resultinelecting leaders In avastmajority of Texas federal and traditional conservatism, thoughintwo be fair,after some prompting,Trump did who better reflect public stateelections, the candidate whowins varieties: the scorched-earth fundamen- come out againstthe killing of journalists. in November is the one whose personal talist versionofTed Cruz, andareform- Cruz is often lumped with Trumpin By Mark P. Jones traits and policy positions are mostclose- istversion represented by Marco Rubio the “anti-establishment” camp. That suit- ly in line with those of the majority who (and severalso-called establishment ed Cruz tacticallyfor awhile,but it’s fairly In the fall, more Metro Houston voters participate in the candidate’s party prima- candidates)—and articulated mostfully meaningless, giventhat“establishment” thaneverwill be paying attention to elec- ry.Insimplestterms, if youplay, youwin. by noncandidate Paul Ryan and acluster can mean anything these days.And given toral politics. Butbythen, the fate of many Forexample,the 2014 Republican state of highlyproductive thinkers and policy the huge gulf between the political philos- races will be sealed —the decision made attorney general primary featured two wonksdubbed “reformicons.” ophies of the twomen. Cruz is agenuine by asmall minority of area residentswho centristconservatives, Dan Branchand Trumpinsists thathe’saconservative, conservative —austere,indeed radical, took the timetoparticipate in the Demo- BarrySmitherman, and one tea party but in his pronouncements and policies, so much so thatheconsiders mainstream cratic andRepublican primaries in March. movementconservative,Ken Paxton. conservatism seems more of arental —a congressional conservativesapostates. Thecivic tragedy doesn’t onlytouch Of the state’s19million voting ageadults three-storypenthouse rental with Cen- And finds Trumpnot conservative at all, presidential races, whichwill always draw and 14 million registered voters, only1.3 tral Park-view, to be sure —than an ideo- as he is nowfuriously,belatedlyinsisting. the biggest media interestand the greatest million castaballot in this primary, with logical home.Trump protests thatRonald My personal preferenceisfor the third number of voters.Lamentably,important Paxton winning 569,034 votes. In the May Reagan, too,migrated from left to right. ideological alternative,the reform con- down-ballot contests are decided by even runoff,Paxton handilydefeated Branch, True,but Reagan’s transformation oc- servatism thatlocates the source of our fewervoters.And the consequences pile 466,407 to 269,098. curred in his 40s —not in his 60s. problems not in heartless billionaires or up fast.Ifyou don’tparticipate in the party Later thatfall, and in 2015 when Paxton In radicallydifferentways, Trumpand crafty foreigners, but in our superannu- primaries, youeffectively forfeit your abil- wasindicted on three chargesoffelony Sandersare addressing the deep anxiety ated, increasingly sclerotic 20th-century itytodeterminewho represents youin securities fraud, it wascommon to hear stemming from the stagnation in wages welfare-state structures. Their desperate Washington,D.C., and Austin. Democrats and establishmentRepubli- and living standards thathassqueezed the need for reform has been overshadowed Online voter registration, as proposed cans lamentthatPaxton hadbeen elect- middle and working classes for agenera- by the newpopulism, but Speaker Paul in the stateLegislature lastyear,wouldbe ed as attorney general. Butthose same tion. Sanders locates the villainyinabil- Ryan is determined to introduce aserious abig help.But after apushagainstthe ini- groups did not turn out in large numbers lionaire class thathas riggedthe economic reform agenda in this year’s Congress — tiative led by HarrisCounty TaxAssessor/ to support Paxton’srivals in the GOP pri- and political system. Trumpblames for- boring stuff likewelfare reform, health Collector Mike Sullivan, that’snot com- mary, whereas the state’stea party move- eigners, mostprominentlythose cunning care reform,tax reform and institutional ing to acomputer nearyou anytime soon. mentconservatives mobilizedtoback the Mexicans, Chinese,Japanese and Saudis congressional reforms. Voter registration cards are available at contest’sone provenconstitutional con- who’ve been taking merciless advantage Paired with apresidentlikeRubio (or mostU.S.postoffices and county offices. servative.And, as the victor in the Repub- of us, in concertwithAmerica’sown lead- ChrisChristie or Carly Fiorina), such an Theregistration form must be sentinby lican primary, Paxton wasavirtual lock ers whoare,alternatively,stupid and in- agenda would give conservatism itsbest Feb. 1. to be thestate’s next attorneygeneral. In competentorbought and corrupt. opportunity since Reagan to become the Now you’re ready to participate.And, the end, the attorney general of 28 million Hence Trump’smostfamous policy country’sgoverning philosophy. yes, it’s going to require some work on the Texans waseffectively chosen by around recommendations: anti-immigrant, in- Unless the GOP takes the populistleap. part of voters to learn candidates’ quali- ahalfmillion Texans, or 2percent of the cluding the forced deportation of 11 mil- In whichcase,aconservativerestoration fications and stands on public policy is- state’sresidents. lion people; anti-trade,witha45 percent will be along time coming. sues. Do they support transparency in In ageneral election,evenifavoter has tariffonChinesegoods and a35percent government? What will they do to ensure neverheard of anyofthe candidates in a tariff on U.S. manufacturing movedto Krauthammer’semailaddress is letters@ the office or agency they will oversee runs race, they at least have the valuable infor- Mexico; and anti-Muslim, mostnotori- charleskrauthammer.com. efficiently? Unlikethe electoral process in mationalcue provided by the candidates’ the fall, candidates’ differentpartisan af- party labels. In aprimary, everyone has filiations will be of no help. Voters will be thesameparty label, and, if voters enter casting ballots either in the Republican or the voting boothuninformed, they runthe Democratic primary. There is no straight riskofnominatingasuboptimalcandidate ticket. via randomvoting or voting based purely TheHouston area is represented by on some vague realorimaginedfamiliari- 11 U.S. House members, 10 statesena- ty with acandidate’s name.Acase in point tors and 37 staterepresentatives. In only wasthe 2012 Democratic Harris County acouple of these 58 races is there really District Attorneyprimaryinvolving two much doubttodayabout whichparty’s candidates, the high-quality and credible candidate will be victorious in November. Zack Fertitta and gadflyLloyd Oliver.Oli- Similarly, Texans will be voting in eight verwon, and in doing so made it difficult statewidecontests in whichthe Republi- formanyHarrisCounty Democrats to rec- cancandidate is the overwhelming favor- ommend that voters castastraightDemo- ite; no Democrathas wonstatewidesince cratic ticketin2012. 1994. Earlyvoting starts Feb. 16 and goes While the number of competitive area through Feb. 26,withElection DayMarch races in November (outsideofcounty- 1. Anyregistered voter can participate in widecontests in Harris County)will be the primaryofeither party.Makesure that minimal, there are ahostofcompetitive this year youare one of those Texanswho Democratic and Republican primaries on is havinganimpactbyparticipating in the Houston-area ballotsthis March, from primaryasaninformedvoter,not one of theRepublicanpresidential primaryto those Texans whoissitting on the side- several U.S. House races to adozen state lines and letting others determine who House contests. Theoutcomes will play speaks forthem in Washington,D.C., and an importantroleindetermining if the Austin. balance of powerinthe U.S. Congress and the Texas Legislature will move to the left Jones is the James A. Baker III Institute or right,ifthe influence of the Houston for Public Policy’s Political Science fellow area in D.C.and Austin will rise or fall and and the JosephD.Jamailchair of Latin if the area’slegislators will more or less American Studies at Rice University. Rampanthuman trafficking hidden in plain sight

Crime isn’t justaproblem fordeveloping world; many in our factoriesand in the darkunderbelly attention to the crime,the causes, the so- of thesex trade.Human slaverydrivesa lutionsand thepeople whoare affected. areenslavedinthe U.S.,asbustofareabrothelshowed $150 billion industrythatcreates many If more of us take noteand spreadthe of oureverydayproducts. word, morepeoplewill take action. To- By MollyGochman action against it,weare complicit. Recently, the Texas attorneygeneral gether,we’ll makemore informed pur- An estimated 36 million people around announced thatthe statewill start anew chases. We’ll recognize the signsand When we hear about humantrafficking, the worldare trapped by debt bondage, lawenforcement unit focused on human reporttrafficking to the NationalHuman manyofusthink about aproblemthatexists forced labor,indentured servitude, trafficking and transnational organized TraffickingHotline at (888)373-7888.We’ll in the developing world—somethingthat commercial sexualexploitationand hu- crime. rallytochange ourlawsand preclude the happens primarilyoutsideofU.S.borders. mantrafficking, according to data from Thestate’s focus on the problem and growth of this trulyheinoushumanrights Butwhile countries such as Syria, Qatar, Australian-based human rightsgroup acrackdown from lawenforcementis violation. Sudan andthe CentralAfrican Republic Walk Free Foundation. They are forced to commendable.Itwill reinforce the efforts Eventually, as compassion and aware- are the worsttransgressorswhen it comes work in farm fields, factories, mines, con- by Houston’s special advisor to the mayor ness spread, fewerpeople will suffer every- to slavelabor,each year thousands of struction sites, restaurants, hotels, retail on human trafficking and by the dozens where. people are trafficked illegallyinthe United stores, brothelsand private homes. The of committed activists and organizations It is time we shed light on those who States —and right in our neighborhoods. threatofviolence shackles these vulnerable like Children at Risk, YMCAInternational have fallen through the metaphorical That became even more clear lastweek, people anywhere slaveowners can getaway andUnited AgainstHuman Trafficking — cracksinour everyday line of sight. when the madam of the Las Palmas II with it. to nameafew. cantina, anotoriousHouston brothel, More than half of these victims are Butthe victims of human trafficking Gochman is an artist and activist who wassentenced to life in prison for her role women and girls. Aquarter of them are are hard to see,because they come from grew up in Houston. In 2014, shecreated in forcing youngwomenand girls into children. asegmentofour societythatismostoften RedSand Project, an international prostitutionthroughaninternational We knowingly and unknowingly sup- invisible—the homeless,foster-care youth participatoryartwork that invites the public sex trafficking ring. portmanyslavery-taintedbusinesses. and runaways.Theyare the poorestand to pour redsand into sidewalk cracks and Therampantcrime of human trafficking We alsouse tens of thousands of human mostvulnerable among us. sharephotos of their work on socialmedia is hidden in plain sight.Ifwedon’t take slaves right here in our yards, in our fields, It’s time thatweall start paying more withthe hashtag #RedSandProject.