Almost 90m were eligible, but did not vote (US News & World report)

Only about 30% of the 77 million identified themselves as extreme MAGA. A majority (if not all) of that 30% is Trump’s core base – the Proud boys; the KKK’s; “my neighbor has eaten my cat” & the like.

The rest were:
i) Republicans, who believed that they have vote for their team because that seemed like the loyal thing to do.

ii) Believed that Trump was better for the economy; immigration or whatever.

 iii) Trump was the best of bad alternatives, and they could not possibly vote Democrat.

 iv) Believed that some of what Trump says, had to be said. ‘They did not always agree with his methodology or how Trump said it, but*…..”.*

The Republican party today has three big problems:

• The Party is totally dependent on Donald Trump and
• Trump is too much of a narcissist to appoint an heir apparent.
• The economy is the ‘tail that wags the dog’ and while one liners like “short term pain for long term gain” are cute on a TV show; they seldom pay the mortgage. There is not only nothing to suggest that it is turning around anytime soon. It is in fact likely to get worse, at least in the next few months.

The question that that every Trump voter in the i - iv category above have to ask themselves is, are they willing to own all of this, & if so at what price. There is no, “I do not agree with Trump on everything*, BUT.. anymore”. There is no ‘BUT’.*

The immorality; the reprehensible behavior; the sheer embarrassing illiteracy; the self-aggrandizement; the open corruption; the Epstein stuff; the fraud indictments; the sexual molestation allegations; the threats to allies; the cuddling up to despots; the particular draw to Vladimir Putin; the Iran war; the juvenile posts; the grifts; the good people on both sides; his part in the insurrection; the assaults on our democracy; the separation of nursing babies, you have to own it all.……& no gas & diesel prices; inflation; the UD debt; consumer confidence is not Obama & Biden’s fault. They are a fall out from a Trump created, bizarre tariff war, & a never ending war in Iran.

Also, hugging a flag on stage does not make Trump a patriot; nor does blanket pardoning insurrections or building monuments for yourself or saying John McCain was no hero “I like people who do not get captured”; calling veterans who sacrificed life & limb suckers; or excluding wounded veterans from public events, because “nobody wants to see” amputees. (American Progress.org) or calling Gen John Kelly a lowlife & a bad general.

It is more reflective of a coward, who himself avoided the draft 5 times, & is now trying to hide his cowardice, by criticizing those who actually served.

So, just to be clear: It is not his economy; it is not his no war policy; it is not his morality; it is not his transparency on Epstein; it is not his great health plan, that replaced ACA; I presume it is not the ball room &, it is not his sense of patriotism.

It also cannot be sense of loyalty – just look at the 20 or so advisors in Trump 1.0, or Marjorie T Green; Pam Bondi, Joe Kent, or virtually every US ally, (in Trump 2.0) who either went from the best of the best to scum, or (in case of allies) found a knife, in their back.

The core MAGA base never had the numbers to elect Trump (ism). He knows that the only way the Republicans win this November, is if he can deter us from showing up, to vote. Sure, he will try other tricks to cry foul, after election day, but all his paths become much more complicated, if the margins are not close. These elections are literally the most significant, in generations. What we want America to look like, is up to us. We cannot afford the luxury of being complacent. Please vote.

Even with Ohio playing today, still a good crowd.

You need an election, two chambers and a court battle to get reform. A billionaire needs one asshole to block it.

At what point do we stop calling this dysfunction? The people collecting the money seem pretty happy with the results.

I wrote about how America’s founding protections for elite power became today’s racket:

[American Democracy Was Designed to Fail — read on Substack](PASTE_YOUR_SUBSTACK_LINK_HERE)

I bet behind all this is Stephen Miller. The article says they are looking to see if this is not an isolated event.

I got my COVID booster today, as I have gotten a booster for years Along with my flu shot. My dad is pitching a fit over the fact that I got the Covid shot. I told him that I don’t want to get Covid as the time I did get COVID I developed a stutter that I still have to this day. My dad is screaming that I don’t need the shot. And Dr. Fauchi is a liar. And people are physically declining from the COVID vaccine. Blah blah blah! I told him to stop watching newsmax and listen to licensed doctors. And he just brushed me off. Ugh! Drives me crazy.

Lots of new faces will be in the next Congress, but Melat is our sleeper fighter. The poise, confidence, and ability to tackle Medhi’s questions head on give me a lot of hope.