Well said, Tom
The Left's greatest asset is the way that the Right has come to believe its own propaganda. You'll fiight the straw man and ignore the real challenge until it's too late. That's why so many on the left are inexplicably optimistic.
I just turned 51 last weekend, and I recall that you're not far behind. We've both lived long enough to see the pendulum swing, and to have a feel for why it swings. You know it's coming.