The Ultimate Wakeup Call For Democracy

A RECAP

A BIPARTISAN Congress let us down over several administrations, forsaking their oaths of public office to pursue money, power and partisan allegiance over Country and public service. Congress catered to the wealthy and Wall Street, enabling corporate tax breaks and offshore job transfers, while ignoring the education and job retraining that would have provided some domestic compensation. A Republican administration got us into two expensive foreign wars, then handed off that mess and a Wall Street meltdown to Obama, who was a politically green hero, but still fall guy for McConnell and his Republican lackeys. They pledged to, and succeeded in, thwarting most of his attempts to govern. Enough white working-class voters, plus a sufficient number of other disaffected folks, lost faith in traditional government to help them, BECAUSE IT DIDN’T, and they voted Trump to Washington to shake things up.

A BIPARTISAN Congress had failed to serve (education, healthcare, energy, infrastructure, environment, etc.) and the Dems had Hillary as their mainstream candidate in a time of impatient voters hungry for change. Trump couldn’t be vetted politically, was a charismatic master of the media, and had marketing/PR counsel like Bannon, Conway, Manafort, Stone, et.al, who knew how to convert the alienated citizenry. They became a potent voting force…surprising Trump, the media, the pollsters and those of us who thought we and “they” were too sophisticated to be fooled by this reality TV hustler. WE WERE WRONG.

SO, HERE WE ARE

Trump has “vetted” himself in public for four+ years. Last night’s Presidential “debate” was the most recent evidence of his embarrassing lack of any laudable leadership (or human) traits. We didn’t dare want to believe that he could be this bad, that Congress would be incapable of providing checks and balances, and that “We The People” could be so complicit. But he is, they were and we are. Shame on all of us. But, like much of life, we’re being given another “one last chance” to redeem ourselves. We’d better not mess this up!

TO MY REPUBLICAN FRIENDS AND ANY OTHER “UNDECIDEDS”

Trump is now a proven pathological liar, political incompetent, philanderer, psychopath, religious hypocrite, con man, grifter, business fraud and tax cheat with huge debts coming due. Conflicts of interest ripe for exploitation. (And, I don’t mean that in a bad way.) His allegiance has been to himself, his “brand” and his family. In that regard, he’s probably going to prison, his brand is in the toilet, and thankfully, many of his family members soon will be joining him in court. No vetting necessary to confirm these inconvenient facts.

MY QUESTIONS TO REMAINING TRUMP SUPPORTERS

Note: You don’t have to answer this to me, your cousin or your neighbor. Answer this honestly to your friend in your mirror. If the answer’s “Yes,” go ahead and vote for him.

QUESTION (1) Can you honestly say AND PROVE that you and your family are better off after 4 years of Donald Trump?

QUESTION (2) Knowing what you know now ( Covid response, jobs & the economy, race relations, international relations, global warming, etc.), do you honestly believe that Trump/Pence can do a better job over the next four years of serving you, your family and our Country than Biden/Harris?

A PERSONAL CLOSE

In my judgment, Trump is the worst president in modern history, and one of the worst people to ever serve in Washington. By many standards, Biden and Harris are imperfect candidates, but there is no comparison of their relative qualifications to those of the incumbents. If we’re to salvage democracy, we must lead with civility, compassion, integrity, empathy and the calm confidence, but unquestioned strength, of a world leader. Biden and Harris are eminently qualified to lead these efforts. Let’s VOTE them/us the chance.

Under Trump, the United States has dramatically lost its stature in the world community. Improvement in that standing will have to be earned and modeled. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are stepping forward to answer that call to the highest levels of public service. My family and I are eager and proud to support them in this opportunity. I hope you readers will join me in this calling, and will encourage your family and friends to help us reclaim this Country for better. May the Gods of Our Understanding bless us, these candidates and this Country in the next chapters of our journey. I’ve Got Confidence In Us… TOGETHER!