I haven’t said much about any of the recent political news concerning the debate, the SCOTUS decision, or who should/should not be the nominees this Fall. I’m still super hesitant to say anything, because there is so much noise and anxiety out there right now.

Let me just make several quick points that reflect my values an my sense of where we are:

1. It’s early.
The presidential campaign doesn’t usually start in earnest until after Labor Day. We’ve never had a debate this early, or been talking about an election during the summer like this. Never.
A lot of things can happen between now and November.

2. The courts were never going to save America.
If you’ve been under the delusion that DJT was somehow going to be convicted and therefore either be eliminated from contention or be in prison, you have been deluding yourselves. The courts were never going to save us. Many of the judicial systems assume the VOTERS will decide America’s future.

3. The old adage is still true, and it has been true in every election:
Democrats feel the need to “fall in love” with their candidates.
Republicans always “fall in line.”
It would do us well to all remember this truism.

4. I can’t possibly suggest whether Biden should drop out or not, and if you think there are no risks to either choice, you’re deluded.
If he stays: His mental/physical acuity becomes the issue.
If he goes: Dems are mercilessly accused of flipflopping and being “wishy washy.”

Finally, if you sincerely believe Democrats can renominate somebody else, find a way to coalesce behind them, and avoid the intra-party squabbling that is ALWAYS present in Democratic politics…you are either high or unaware of any of the history of Democratic party politics for the past 100 years.

5. There is only ONE issue that must be front and center this fall.
If any other issues become the crucial issue for a substantial part of the Democratic block, Democrats will lose. If the Israeli/Hamas War, or the dissatisfaction of African American voters, or anything else you can think of, becomes an issue where many voters stay home, Trump will win.
Regardless of who the Democratic nominee is.

No new nominee will fix this specific issue, and we would do well to admit this.
Voters will either show, or they will not.

6. The ONLY issue that should be front and center is: Saving our Constitutional Republic form of government.
The recent SCOTUS decision, and everything DJT has promised to do, indicate that, as I have said over and over these past few years, “Democracy is the on the ballot.”

It’s STILL on the ballot this Fall.

It will continue to be on the ballot the next few election cycles.

Maya Angelou is right…when people tell you who they are, believe them the first time. America knows who Trump is, and yet we apparently do not believe it.

Since 2018, I have said something like the following repeatedly: We will be fighting against the forces unleashed by the 2016 election for the rest of our lives.

Restoring a civil sense of government will likely take as much as a decade. If this was a marathon, we’re in about “mile five” right now.

If you’re tired, I get it.
I’m tired too.

But any assumptions we have that we live in “normal” times are a part of our problem right now. We don’t live in normal times.

Fascistic and facist-adjacent views are on the rise around the global.
And that’s why I’m not even shouting as I say any of this.

The time of shrill shouting is over. The time of cool-headed understanding is now.
Either we will keep the hope of a Democratic Republic form of government by opposing Donald Trump…or we won’t.
Trump will be their nominee.
The courts will not “save” America.

Only our vote this Fall will, or will not save our current form of government. And I say this without a shred of fear mongering. I’m too tired for that. Either it will happen or it won’t happen.

I know if the Democratic coaltion shows up in November, Dems win…regardless of who the nominee is.

But…. I don’t have a clue what will happen this Fall.
And I also know: You don’t know either.