I’ve pointed out many times on this site, and in other situations, that I’ve always been an “independent” voter.  Yes, of late, I pretty much vote for democrats because I’m so disgusted with where the republican party has evolved over the years, but I’ve never joined the democratic party.  It started with Nixon, got worse under Reagan, GW Bush/Dick Cheney took the “conservatives” farther from “we the people” and closer to the corporate interests who’ve been scheming to destroy as many rights of America’s workers as they can since the infamous “Powell memo” to the Chamber of Commerce in 1972, and now we’ve gone full bore fascism with Trump.  Since I’ve donated (small amounts of) money to various democrats in the last few years, my email inbox is FULL of solicitations from candidates I know not who they are, or in many cases even where they’re from.  The emails always came from democrats until about a year ago.

Someone, no idea who it is, evidently gave my email address to a far right group that is part of the “engine” behind the Trump movement and, like the democrats, they’re sharing it with their brethren.  Now I’m getting bombarded daily by multiple organizations pushing the “White Nationalist” agenda.  One of the sights, “The Mad Patriots,” sends me something virtually EVERY day and occasionally twice in a day.  I don’t open them – I don’t need to because I can tell what’s inside by reading the bylines of the articles.  I can’t remember the other names of the outfits sending me their propaganda, but it’s pretty much all centered on the same prerogative.  It’s the White people against everyone else.  The democrats are the enemies of “White America.”  Honestly, it makes me a bit sick to my stomach that there’s so many “White Nationalist” or “White Supremacist” or now, “alt right” groups still floating around in our nation.  And, each one of these “sites” (groups) are extremely happy with out 45th president.  It matters not to them that the Russians very well may have put him in office.  They are not fans of the FBI, yet I’m sure they’re delighted that the head of the FBI did everything he could to make sure Trump would win, in case the Russian influence wasn’t quite enough.  (Jim Comey, the aforementioned head of the FBI knew about the Russian influence and the degree of it prior to the election, but he said NOTHING because the FBI “doesn’t comment on ongoing investigations!”  Unless, of course, Hillary Clinton is involved)

The people running these particular right wing organizations are TOTALLY happy with our new president and ALL the stuff he’s doing that’s putting MILLIONS of protesters in the streets.  These are the same people who were supporting the “tea party” and “birther” movements along with the policy of obstructing President Obama EVERY step of the way.  It’s interesting to read the bylines on their emails which would suggest that they don’t like the idea of “tit for tat.”  Should the democrats suck up courage and do the same thing back to Trump that they did to Obama, in their mind, that would be “un-American.”  And, of course, they’re totally confident that the democrats won’t have the courage to do so.  Personally, I believe that is why so many Americans have abandoned the democratic party which, at one time, stood as the beacon for the blue collar working class in America.

Well, in my view, it’s time for the democrats to step it up and reclaim the middle class of this nation by FIGHTING the republican agenda and Trump EVERY step of the way.  Take for example Trump’s nomination to the Supreme Court.  Democrats should unite to block the nomination and FORCE the republicans to get rid of, once and for all, the filibuster in the Senate.   Republicans will not be in control forever (hopefully, only two more years – thanks to Trump) and, they are the ones who’ve abused the filibuster to the point where it’s time to get rid of it.  The democrats can force them to “get it over with” on this nomination.  Let the republicans get legislation through and, just as they’ve said about the ACA, I believe anything they propose will collapse, eventually, under its own weight.  “We the people” are likely going to have to endure another MAJOR economic DISASTER to finally get the point across that these people (republicans and their benefactors) have been plundering the Middle Class of America since the 1970’s.

Make no mistake, the soon to be proposed tax cuts will funnel BILLIONS to the so-called 1% (which, of course, includes Trump and virtually EVERY person affiliated with his administration). along with repealing the Affordable Care Act – which presumably will give the top 1 or 2% in America another $360 BILLION over the next ten years.  This kind of crap has been going on since the day Ronald Reagan said, “I’m going to cut your taxes AND balance the budget.”  That’s maybe the greatest LIE in American history – and, republicans are still getting away with it – which demonstrates several things.  First, it shows how they are masters at messaging and propaganda (they always get away with blaming democrats for the ballooning deficits and national debt).  It also shows, as I mentioned above, how weak the democrats are that they would allow this to happen – while we’re all fighting over wedge issues.  The republicans are masters at “playing” the democrats and the media.  (Trump’s ability to manipulate and bully the media is a major factor in why he’s sitting in the White House as I’m writing this)  And, finally, and regrettably – as I’m a retired teacher, it really shows how STUPID the American public is.

Well, I should probably use a different and more kind term than “stupid,” because it’s probably more related to how busy Americans are and how they are relying on a media that is all about ratings and shareholder value as opposed to investigative reporting.  For example, as a teacher, I spent the last 23 years of my working life along side people who all had college degrees and most who had advanced college degrees (ie Masters, PHD).  Over the span of years from when the Supreme Court decided the case until right before this election I asked MANY teachers this question: “Do you know what Citizens United is?”  Not ONE teacher was able to answer me in the affirmative, NOT ONE!  I’m sure I asked the question over 50 times during the 8 year period I’m talking about.  There were rare occasions when a teacher would even want to have a conversation about politics – despite our “mission” to help mold proficient and productive “citizens.”  To me, a productive citizen is one who votes and one who looks beyond the headlines and bylines to find information needed to make an informed decision.  For heaven’s sake – in America, if over 50% of eligible voters participate in an election, that, in itself, is a “victory.”  Yikes!

And, now we’ve got Trump as president and Steve Bannon, a White Supremacist – who, by the way is revered by the right wing organizations I referred to above, as a top advisor to our president and a member of the National Security Counsel.  Things could easily go from bad to worse and in a hurry.   I know teachers who don’t vote and don’t want anything to do with politics.  I know others who vote but have no idea of why they’re voting for anyone – yet when I try to invoke conversation it’s usually squelched by negative complaints and phrases like, “I don’t want to talk about politics.”

I’ve always believed that “we the people” get what we deserve when it comes to elections, both local and national.  But this time feels different.  The reality is that NEITHER candidate for president could have ended up a “popular” choice – due to their high unfavorable ratings – although Hillary Clinton won, what in a normal year would be a landslide with the popular vote – almost 3 MILLION more votes than Trump nationwide – but, NEVER in my wildest dreams did I envision I would be talking about whether or not our president is beholden to the Russians, or the FBI for his victory.  I saw the issue with the voter suppression coming from the “right” for several years before this election and still think it may have been a deciding factor as well, but the more I think about where we’re at as a nation, my mind keeps coming back to the spinelessness of the democrats.

I still remember 2014 when democrats running for congressional seats wanted nothing to do with President Obama – didn’t want him campaigning for them, were unwilling to run on the very successes of their FIGHT against republican obstruction, and basically in my mind didn’t have the courage to STAND UP for their own professed values.  It was like “tell them what they want to hear,”  which is another way of telling voters we think you really are stupid and we’re going to say whatever we think might get your vote.

So, now “we the people” are in a spot where if Trump is going to be “stopped” it will be up to the democrats growing “a pair.”  That, in conjunction with the “liberal media” actually doing investigative reporting might give us a chance to stop this disaster before it does damage that will last a generation or more.  Already, it’s clear that the Supreme Court is going back to the 5 to 4 majority that believes “corporations are people my friends.”  The new appointee, Judge Neil Gorsuch, has a history of calling corporations “people” along with a right wing record that will conceivably make Antonin Scalia look like a moderate.  Democrats will be unable to totally block Gorsuch – unless Mitch McConnell is unwilling to give up his filibuster tool – once it’s gone, it’s gone – but, they can force the issue as I stated above.  They need to send a message to their “liberal” base that they’re willing to FIGHT.  Unfortunately, I have to say I’ll believe it when I see it.  Trump and the people he’s associated with are bound and determined to “Make America White again” and they are bullying their way in that direction.  The right wing websites I mentioned above are not subtle in what they believe and in their support for Trump.  “We the people” need to call it what it is and band together to stop this right wing assault on our nation as soon as possible.  We need to DEMAND democrats actually represent us and if they continue to lack the will for this fight, then it’s time for a THIRD party.

Trump and his surrogates have their “alternate facts” and his supporters buy the LIES hook line and sinker.  Additionally, republicans in Congress are falling all over themselves to defend Trump because they believe he’ll allow them to FINALLY get their draconian legislation through that repeals what’s left of the New Deal (and, of course, Gorsuch’s nomination is worth whatever damage Trump can do to the nation with the “Conservative Christians” because they only care about the abortion issue – and, it’s their hope Roe v Wade will be overturned).  It’s time for all us “minions” out here – including many of the blue collar Americans in the mid west and south to decide if all the great benefits our fathers and grandfathers (mothers and grandmothers as well) FOUGHT for after the great depression are worth us FIGHTING for today?  I’ll say it again, rights and privileges are much easier to lose than to regain!