Long ago when I was young, the fundamental building blocks of education were “the three Rs”: reading, writing, and arithmetic.

Today, for the less-than-edifying Left, the basic brickbats of their 2020 campaign against President Trump also comprise three “Rs”: Russia, racism, and recession.

Tragically, among those suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome, the most important “R” is missing. That would be reality. Consequently, the cudgels of their “three Rs” campaign likely won’t prevent another four years of the presidency that has been the bane of their existence. If anything, that campaign is likely to boost his reelection chances next year.

The first of the Left’s three Rs stands for “Russia,” specifically the notion that President Trump is a compromised Putin stooge who, along with his campaign, conspired with the Russian government to steal the 2016 presidential election.

Having run with this seditious myth for more than two years, until Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report and his own congressional appearance wrecked the narrative, the Left quickly dumped the trope down the memory hole. Of course, for the more gullible Russia-gate dead-enders, the Left will tweak it every now and again to spur campaign contributions and voter turnout. For those who produced, perpetuated, and pimped this big lie—and who may well find themselves in legal jeopardy—the Left will only trot out the Russian-collusion scam for a broader audience on an as-needed basis, so as to provide a faux, affirmative defense for their potential malfeasance.

Regrettably for the Left, these reappearances of the Russiagate scam necessarily will occur as more revelations about (and the attendant consequences for) those Democrats who abused the police and surveillance powers of the state to spy on their opponent—i.e., the vindicated President Trump, who doubtless will benefit by using every such opportunity poignantly to remind voters why the dishonest Left cannot be trusted with our national security, surveillance, or any other powers of the federal government.

Small wonder the Left was quick to pivot to the second of its three Rs: racism.

Despicably, this is neither a new nor an unexpected trope of the Left, which has inveterately trashed Republican presidents, nominees, and just about every apparently effective GOP candidate and officeholder as racist. Upping the ante today, though, the Left is committed anew to Hillary Clinton’s smear of Trump supporters as “deplorable” and “irredeemable,” openly insisting that all Trump supporters are racists in thought and deed. Moreover, as the 1619 Project of the New York Times evinces, the Left is also commencing to “reframe”—i.e., distort beyond all recognition—U.S. history so that, regardless of their political affiliation, those who support American exceptionalism or the traditional notion that America is an inherently decent nation, are said to be supporters or abettors of white supremacy.

Yet the vast majority of Americans love their country and believe in the innate decency of their fellow citizens. Therefore, as a political strategy, for the Left to claim patriotism is racism is bat dung nuts; and amounts to but another way these radicals will pave the way to their own electoral Hell—four more years of Orange Man Bad.

Perhaps this helps explain the Left hedging its bets with the third of its three Rs: recession. Yep, that’s right: in the midst of a booming economy, the Left is also pinning its hopes for electoral salvation on some kind of economic calamity.

Having risibly tried to hijack the credit for the robust Trump economy in claiming it was a legacy of President Obama, the Left now gravely intones about “bond yield curves” and speaks of impending recession. That this American economic recession has not yet materialized or even loomed on the economic horizon is of no concern to the Left. In fact, if the recession was truly pending, the Left already would be decrying it as a “Great Recession!” And, if the recession were actually occurring, the Left would already be decrying it as “the worst downturn since the Great Depression!”

The reason is simple: the Left’s argument is aimed at consumer confidence which, if shaken enough, will spur a recession and slow the “Green Wave” of prosperity buoying President Trump’s 2020 chances.

But such an argument possesses the intrinsic tactical weakness inherent in so much of the Left’s messaging, because it asks a question that, to the vast majority of Americans’ minds, is merely rhetorical: “Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?”

Voters whose prosperity and economic opportunities have increased will believe their own eyes; and, prodded by the Left’s economic messaging, will recall the anile Obama economy and reward the president who made their prosperity possible.

As we brace ourselves to do our civic duties and go forth as happy warriors, we will take our case for keeping America great to the voters secure in our principles, policies, and faith in our fellow sovereign citizens; all the while amused and aware that come November 2020, the Left’s plan of harping on the three Rs of Russia, racism, and recession will spawn a fourth R: Trump’s reelection.

Content created by the Center for American Greatness, Inc. is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a significant audience. For licensing opportunities for our original content, please contact licensing@centerforamericangreatness.com.