OAKLAND — On April 9, 2019, the Piedmont Area Republican Women Federated (PARW) hosted an evening reception featuring fellow member Harmeet Dhillon, a nationally recognized lawyer, frequent Fox News commentator and current California National Committeewoman of the Republican National Committee.
Although Dhillon’s law firm has focused on federal and state litigation and arbitration, she has developed a niche practice representing clients across California in election and campaign matters, as well as employment and civil rights matters (Meghan Murphy v. Twitter, James Damore v. Google, Berkeley Republicans v. Napolitano, to name a few).
Dhillon began her presentation by stating, “We can argue about President Trump’s style but not about the substance of his accomplishments. GDP is sound with 2.5 million jobs added since Trump took office in 2017. We’ve seen the lowest unemployment rates ever recorded for African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans and the lowest rate for women in over five decades.
“His administration has worked on lowering drug prices and healthcare costs, securing $6 billion for the opioid crisis and improving the Veterans’ Administration and its healthcare system. 94 judges have been confirmed, including two Supreme Court justices. Hundreds of MS-13 gang members involved in drug and human trafficking have been arrested.”
Dhillon continued with a list of accomplishments claimed in the international sector: the defeat of ISIS in the Middle East; North Korea pausing nuclear testing and negotiating toward denuclearization; moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem (which previous U.S. presidents pledged but never fulfilled); U.S. withdrawal from the Iran deal and the Trans-Pacific Partnership; the renegotiation of NAFTA; tariffs on China and negotiations toward a more balanced trade deal; and getting NATO allies to pay their fair share of military spending after decades of minimal contributions.
Dhillon then described the Overton Window, which is the range of ideas tolerated in public discourse. The term is named after Joseph Overton, who claimed that an idea’s political viability depends mainly on whether it falls within the window, rather than on a politician’s individual preferences.
“The Democrats’ Overton Window has shifted dramatically,” said Dhillon. “Several years ago, Democrats were strong on crime and border control, and now it’s about open borders. Democrats once advocated for abortion to be legal but rare, and now it is acceptable at the time of birth and beyond.”
According to Dhillon, there is also a leftward drift in the Overton Window of California Republicans, as evidenced by “New Way California”, a movement espoused by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and others. She views the New Way as a concept of accommodation, a watering down of conservative values and surrender to the opposition.
“California Republicans have three choices,” stated Dhillon. “They can give up and leave for states like Florida, Nevada, Arizona and Texas; or they can support New Way California; or they can fight back and get more involved at the grass-roots level. That means walking precincts, registering voters, making phone calls, becoming spokespersons and donating to conservative candidates and causes.
“As a child, my family and I immigrated from India to the U.S., where I came to appreciate the conservative values of the Republican Party. My husband and I live in San Francisco, and we love the beauty and diversity of the Bay Area and California in general. It’s hard being a conservative in San Francisco. I’m not invited to any social events. But it’s not about popularity; it’s about principle. I’m willing to stay here and stand up for my beliefs and values in the city and state that I love.”
