An Historic Election Victory… Now the real work begins
Congratulations Democrats! The midterm elections exceeded everyone’s expectations. We Democrats should pat ourselves on the back for coming together without fighting to achieve these dramatic results. I know a lot of you would like to shove politics into some cozy corner of your mind, relax, and enjoy your life. Me too. That, however, is not the hand we have been dealt. When the celebrations are over, the real work begins.
Our Situation
We Democrats have penchants for playing it safe and squabbling amongst ourselves. If we do either, we will lose our midterm majorities in both houses, botch the opportunity to elect a Democrat President and end our democracy permanently in 2028 (see my shirt design In Memoriam).
Trump’s acceptance of the results of the election has, so far, been too easy. He is, however, not going gentle into that good night. He is, in fact, doubling down. With Stephen Miller, as chief of staff, expect the inhumane attacks on immigrants to intensify. Expect the same intensity from all sectors of the government where Trump has seized control, especially the DOJ (investigations and indictments of Democrats starting with Joe Biden). Expect Supreme Court challenges to anything passed into law. Expect Trump to dismiss any action and proceed despite congressional action. Expect contrivances to stop the transition of power in January. Expect a flurry of executive orders aimed at stifling any attempt to thwart Trump (like the one to stop remodeling in the Oval Office). With Jim Jordan as the leader in the House expect vetoes and filibusters on most legislation counter to Trump’s agenda. Expect all of this to begin while Republicans have majorities in both houses. Expect Fetterman (D-PA) to vote with the Republicans most of the time.
How do we address our situation, avoid infighting, AND not play it safe? Be bold… but selective
The Senate and House of Representatives need to work together for success. We must put our difference aside just like we did for the midterms. Since Senator Schumer, evidently, engineered our historic Senate win, we must let him continue as Leader until he proves he is unwilling to be bold (no matter how much of a putz he is). Equally, since Hakeem Jeffries was handpicked as Speaker by the most successful Speaker of the House in the last 50 years, Nancy Pelosi, we should avoid squabbling over his leadership until it is clear that he is not up to the job.
Further, even if everything breaks our way in the remaining undecided races, the Senate and the House will be several seats short of being filibuster proof and a dozen or more seats short of being able to override a Trump veto. We are certainly going to need Republican votes to pass anything. Actions taken by the Senate and House before January 3 will reveal how many Republicans can be persuaded to vote with the Democrats.
To pass any legislation, we must be selective about what we pursue.
As much as all of us want to see the Trump Administration and Family prosecuted for their crimes, that action will be sold by Trump and loyal Republicans as ‘persecution.’ Besides, affordability was the number one issue in the midterms, not corruption. Affordability is what the crossover vote from MAGA was about. That must be addressed first. If we make life more affordable and sufficiently take credit for it over the next two years, election 2028 will be very blue.
If we cannot contain our need to address corruption, then start with the Epstein files. Force the release of the remaining Epstein files and begin hearings and prosecutions on those. This is a non-partisan issue. To prove our sincerity about fixing what is wrong, start with Democrats in the files.
It is a waste of time to impeach Trump. Even if successful we will still have to deal with a compromised DOJ and other institutions. Besides, if we make J.D. Vance president, it will clear his path to the 2028 Republican nomination and give him time to wipe Trump’s slate clean.
What can we do to lower prices that will get enough votes to override a Trump veto?
There are a couple of things Republicans may care about enough to vote in numbers with the Democrats.
- Reinstate Medicaid funding and Obamacare subsidies. Starting in 2027 $400Billion will be cut over the next 10 years. States will be required to pay for some of that out of their budgets. Both sides want this.
- Defund the war in Iran. Most Republicans do not favor this unnecessary war. Cut the funding and force our military to return home. Thomas Massie (R-KY) is helping by forcing an impeachment vote on Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense. The cost of diesel fuel for long haul semis, gasoline for everyday use, heating oil for winter, fertilizer for crops, and other items will go down along with inflation, as a result.
- Nullify Tariffs. This may be a heavier lift but ending tariffs, particularly on our allies, will force prices down, improve our standing in the world and reduce inflation. Republicans will no longer have Trump and the MAGA base to get them reelected.
- Raise minimum wage. This is another non-partisan issue that should attract enough Republican votes to overcome a filibuster or override a veto.
- Regulate AI and datacenters. More than 70% of Americans are against datacenters. Because constituents, especially, in Red states oppose datacenters, federally regulating AI and datacenters should be easy to get past the President.
If Democrats can accomplish these few things while continuing to curb Trump’s destructive tendencies over the next two years, it will secure election 2028 while maintaining Democrat margins in the House and Senate. It will also divide the Republican Party between those who wish to continue in politics and hardline Trump loyalists… a win-win.
Once we have accomplished this much, we can address rampant corruption.
Let the corruption investigations and prosecutions begin! Once we have increased affordability and reduced inflation, we will have the goodwill of the voters to drive us forward.
Pass ethics laws with real enforceable consequences across the federal government (especially the Executive branch and the Supreme Court). Appoint a watchdog.
End stock trading for federally elected and appointed officials. Make expulsion from office the penalty for violations.
Pass a bipartisan budget that can override a veto.
Tax the rich heavily. This will reduce the federal deficit and mitigate corruption by reducing dark money available to throw at everything they dislike. I do not know about you, but I am tired of playing political Whac-A-Mole. and genuinely believe the Parasitic Rich are the root cause of all of America’s problems.
What can we ordinary citizens do?
This is a strategy that will get the desired results. Attempting to impeach Trump or aggressively investigating and prosecuting people in this administration without first addressing affordability (and compromising with Republicans to get it) will result in failure.
If your Representative or Senator starts pushing one of the above failing agendas, get vocal. Call them. Write them. Hit social media with your complaints. Encourage friends to join in. Keep it up until they hear you. Afterall, we gave them this win and they work for us not the other way round.
Are you tired of playing political Whac-A-Mole and losing…
I enjoyed Whac-A-Mole in the arcade as a child, but I have been playing the political version of this game for 50 years. Oh, sure we take some steps, inching ever so slowly toward true liberty and equal rights, only to have most of our gains taken back or nullified.
I have wondered deeply about this especially since the first coming of the Great Orange Julius. Here is what I figured out.
All those tax breaks for the rich over the years did not trickle down to us. Instead, they rigged the political game to always be in their favor so short-term profits would continue. Part of the rigging was to make sure they were invisible in the process. Now we play political Whac-A-Mole by their rules. This game is rigged so we cannot possibly win.
If we continue to play this game and cannot win, we have two choices:
A: Give up. Live out our lives as Planet Earth burns to the ground killing every living thing on it… or
B: Fix all our problems at their source.
What do you choose? I choose option B. Fix the problems at their source.
The source
The ultra rich have become parasites chasing endless riches by feeding on us. They have spent and do spend enormous amounts of money in the pursuit of more. They buy politicians to get legislation that makes their every move legal and to get subsidies paid by our tax money (Elon Musk receives $13B in subsidies every year). They employ expensive legal teams to fight any changes in court until they win or bankrupt the other side (us). They retain the very best PR firms to make them look like the good guys and those opposing them look like villains. They retain the best accounting firms to make sure they continue to pay little or no taxes in support of the public good.
Listen to me carefully! Every significant problem in the world has the same exact cause at its root: The Parasitic Rich
All rich people are not parasites. Some are responsible citizens who pay their employees well, treat them like human beings and live honest lives. The Parasitic Rich, on the other hand, are the kind of people who raise the price of Insulin from $15/dose to $250/dose just because they can.
If you doubt this, challenge me. Name one single major problem we are dealing with not caused by them and I will show you the connection…
How do we fight for what we want?
Do you want to solve this problem? Then instead of continuing to whack and miss, whack and miss, it is time for one WHACK! at the Parasitic Rich and hit them so hard it breaks cycle and sets us free.
What will work is actually very simple (I did not say easy): Cut off the flow of money to The Parasitic Rich!
Are you in?
Want to know more? Follow the QR code.
Want to be part of taking a Whack! at the real problem? Follow the QR code.
We can win this fight. We must win this fight. All our lives depend on it.
Let’s whack them so hard they never forget. Follow the QR code.
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Happy Halloween! (an AI toon)
Here for your enjoyment is another AI political cartoon that speaks for itself. What follows is a narrative that expands on that idea.
Some wealthy people are responsible citizens. The parasitic rich, however, are the scariest thing this Halloween.
Their singular focus is: MORE FOR ME. For them “Too much is never enough.”
They buy elections to make laws that justify their current ‘legal’ behavior.
They have monopolized their grip on food, clothing, housing, drugs, and healthcare to jack up prices at will, while not paying you enough to afford any of those things.
The world is on fire from Climate Change, a conflagration they started and stoke for short term profit.
They think their money will save them.
Now they have created an AI that, by their own admission, may make us extinct in the next few decades.
They will continue lying, cheating, and stealing your money to enrich themselves until the world ends or until we make them stop.
Attacking the real problem
As soon as you rip the labels off all the political parties, it becomes clear that the battle in front of us is not about left or right. It is a class war and we are losing badly. We can fix that, but we must act now to reverse the tide. We need to stop tilting at windmills and strike at the heart of the problem.
Scan the QR code and start fixing our problem: The Parasitic Rich
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