As much as Leftists fixate on associating “the Koch Brothers” with campaign bucks, the fact remains that major policy reforms — economic opportunity, educational choice, and fiscal restraint are among the priorities — trump partisan politics and electioneering for the fraternal Classical Liberals.
Inquiring minds want to know: What are Charles Koch and his influential network of allies up to in 2019, as presidential hopefuls start announcing their intentions? The answer remains: policy. Such as: a major new initiative — dubbed Breaking the Cycle of Poverty — that, politically (especially on a local level) shows the potential for significant bipartisan cooperation, not to mention real accomplishment.
It’s a huge challenge, but the Seminar Network is coming off a big and heady win on the FIRST STEP Act (endorsed by NR), the criminal-justice-reform bill signed into law last month with President Trump’s enthusiastic backing and broad, bipartisan legislative support. Successful policy coalitions are still very real, very doable, and inspiring: It’s the Network’s S.O.P., and applying it to busting up the widespread and deep malady of embedded poverty, via local-based efforts, has got to be attractive to any and all but the phoniest of hacks and their front groups.
As for corralling the Network to bankroll presidential races, it’s not going to happen: Time reported earlier this week that Koch et al. will engage in upcoming House, Senate, and gubernatorial races, but not in the 2020 presidential contest, where even big resources aren’t . . . vast resources, and it will take vast resources to make even a marginal impact.
But there are big resources available (Charles Koch was recently recognized for personally contributing more than $1 billion to various charitable endeavors), and directing them toward consequential bang-for-the-buck civic pursuits and reforms — ones that seek to ameliorate pervasive cultural dysfunctions — will comprise the bulk of the Koch Network’s activity and spending.
The government shutdown may rule the headlines and tell a tale that implies policy reform is impossible in the face of partisan division and deadlock. But the truth, or one truth anyway, is that out in the fruited plains and the inner cities, the brothers — for years cartoonishly vilified by the left — are aggressively organizing resources and alliances that defy the implication, and just might kick off huge cultural corrections that have defied many a Beltway policymaker.