By Tim Baldwin
Trump’s presidency may be under intense scrutiny, but the Democratic Party cannot assume its candidates will be better positioned to retake the federal government in 2020.
The days of Hillary-Clinton-types being poised for the presidency are over. Bernie Sanders seems to get that, as he strongly urges reform within the party. Bernie was the alternate candidate besides Hillary, but while he appealed to many because of his stance against the establishment and corruption that comes with big business-government alliances, pushing a socialist agenda is not likely the way to the White House.
Democrats will have to push a moderate agenda, appeal to the folks who swallowed their personal preferences to give Trump a chance, and show they can do more than accuse Republicans of being racist and sexist.
Trump may be an easy target to discredit, but Trump had few friends in the media and establishment during his campaign and he still won. It will take more than labeling Trump as a tyrant to win upcoming elections. Even if Trump’s presidency is perceived as a failure, this will give other Republicans a good opportunity to fill the vacuum.
At the end of the day, most Americans want to be left alone, keep what they earn, be secure in their property and want an honest government. If Democrats can advance policies like that, they will regain Americans’ vote.
By Joe Carbonari
It can happen here. We can surrender our freedom and do it voluntarily. We can take the easy way out. We can be coopted by our own confusion and let the Trump crew destroy reality. If what serves as the framework of basic “truths” and “facts,” upon which our most consequential private and governmental decisions are made, is determined by what Donald Trump tweets on any given day, we have lost the ball game – we have ceded the field. Without facts and truths, widely shared and agreed upon, a democracy cannot function. We must say no!
We must say no to the distortions, the untruths, and the half-truths that bombard us. We must not surrender the playing field of reality. It is a time for each of us to take a deep breath, face our responsibilities and act for the betterment of us all. The disorder that flows from confusion will be reordered into a more strictly controlled domestic society and a more aggressive one internationally.
There is a Deep State that exists in America. It is comprised of those of us, I believe the majority, who do adhere to the validity of values and to the necessity for a rigorous definition of truth, decency, and goodness. It is our responsibility say no to the untruths and disseminations. To demonstrate, yes, but not to abandon the ship of state. Better to guide as allowed; to limit the damage, and to cooperate where possible. Waiting for the next election is a cop out. It may not come.