Do suburban voters who are electing Democrats across the nation really want to embrace Hamas and MS-13 while banning plastic straws? Have they suddenly embraced the “abolish ICE” and “abolish prisons” movements? The results from a ballot initiative in Tucson clearly show that when voters are presented with a clear contrast on an important issue of our time, they do not side with the Democrats.

Despite Republicans facing increasing problems in the suburbs, a trend highlighted last night by the GOP slaughter in Virginia’s state and local elections, it’s clear that much of it is a backlash against Trump’s personality, the GOP’s dysfunction and lack of vision, and the absence of a bold contrast highlighting the radical nature of Democrats. It’s not Trump’s perceived policies that are getting rejected.

Despite the backing from the ACLU and other special interest groups, Tucson’s Proposition 205 – the effort to make the city a sanctuary for illegal aliens – went down in flames last night by a margin of 71%-29%.

The promotion of illegal aliens has become a symbol of where the modern Democrat Party is heading. It is considered a contentious “50-50” issue on the national level. Yet when it’s actually put to a vote through a long-form and contentious public debate, the people overwhelmingly side with Trump’s view.

Moreover, Tucson is no 50-50 jurisdiction. It voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton. Yet more than 70 percent of voters, even in a deep blue urban area, don’t want police prevented from inquiring about immigration status so that criminals can be turned over to ICE. This is the same reason why Montgomery County, Maryland, after much scrutiny of its sanctuary policies, is beginning to change its tune and reverse sanctuary policies, despite being a county Hillary won by 55 points.

The moral of the story is that the GOP brand is tarnished for reasons that have nothing to do with the core agenda Democrats are seeking to implement. For example, a radical sheriff and prosecutor who oppose ICE won their respective races in Prince William County, Virginia. But did they really win because of those views? They won despite them because the GOP brand is so damaged.

The bottom line is that on critical issues, especially on issues like immigration and crime, Republicans are not as emphatically to the right as Democrats are to the left. They fail to consistently and uniformly attack leftist positions with high-profile legislative battles that ensure voters know exactly what Democrats have in store for our future. The lack of unity and clarity on the issues ensures that Democrats are not held accountable or even exposed for the scope and danger of their radical views.