I got a lot of angry feedback about my last blog post, which suggested that Democrats and others who despise President Trump need to do a lot more than attend rallies and protests if they really want things to change.
I learned some lessons from that post, namely that I buried the lead of what I was really trying to say.
That post was also way too long, and I learned that you can’t kick readers in the nuts and then ask them to consider the larger picture.
I apologize. So, allow me to try a different tact this week.
Our problems are much greater and complicated than Donald Trump
Although I have never worked professionally on a federal campaign, I do have a pretty good track record when it comes to statewide and municipal campaigns.
So instead of criticizing others, allow me to offer my own unsolicited advice to those who are really concerned about the Trump Administration.
Before we proceed, allow me to ask you a question that I ask of each new client: which is more important to you: your pride or your greed?
Think of that question this way: your “pride” is about how you do things and your ego. Your “greed” is about your objective and what you want.
There is not a right nor wrong answer to that question, but if your pride is more important than your greed you should probably save your time and stop reading here.
I cannot help you if your pride is greater than your greed.
Stop doing this!
If I were king of the DNC
Here is my unsolicited and free advice in five easy steps.
Take a deep breath. Acknowledge the painful loss and allow that disappointment to be the fuel that drives you. Ask yourself and your friends some hard and difficult questions about went wrong.
Protests are fine, but don’t miss the bigger picture. The midterm elections will be here before we know it. Now is the time to develop crisp and clear messaging that focuses on positive messages. Simply bashing Trump on social media or during rallies is not enough. We all learned that lesson the hard way seven months ago.
Do some reconnaissance work. Start watching FOX News. Attend events that you would normally abhor. What are the other guys saying and doing? Go beyond your comfort level and actually listen to what the other guys are saying, no matter how badly you disagree.
We need more voters. The last presidential election was razor-thin. Trump won the popular vote by a margin of only 1.48 percent. We need to peel off the moderate Republicans. Stop catering to the far-left progressives. When it matters, they will line up. Find a candidate (candidates) like Bill Clinton. Someone told me recently that Clinton was his favorite Republican president.
Finally – and most importantly – take the high road. Let your greed trump your pride. Stop ridiculing and name-calling conservatives. Stop making fun of them. Stay on the high road as if your life depends on it, because it does. Do your very best to respectfully engage. Don’t talk to them. Listen. Ask them questions. Find out what’s important to them. Listen. Take notes.
As Ghandi said, you do not help a man see your point of view by giving him a black eye.
I could learn a thing or two from Ghandi. How about you?
For a deeper analysis of what I think went wrong in November, check this piece.
__________________
Randy Seaver is a cranky, nearly insufferable malcontent living in Biddeford. He may be contacted by email: randy@randyseaver.com
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Earlier today — on the occasion of President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday – millions of Americans took to the streets to participate in hundreds of “No Kings” protests and events all across the country.
From where I sit, those protestors were wasting their time and accomplishing little more than barking at the moon – a theatrical circle-jerk of self-righteous indignation.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not a fan of Donald J. Trump – not by a longshot, but I have some very bad news for the Democrats and all the others who can’t stomach the thought of Trump sitting in the Oval Office:
You have much bigger and much more significant problems than Donald Trump.
This may be hard for you to hear, but Trump is not a king nor a dictator. He is the duly elected president of the United States.
And that fact should scare the bejesus out of all of us.
But no matter how shocked we are, no matter how angry or stunned we may feel about this nightmarish Administration, it is time for the Democrats to accept a very harsh – yet simple — reality. Trump won and you lost.
Instead of carrying cardboard signs and shouting at passing traffic from the side of the road, you should be working to fix what went so terribly wrong on November 5, 2024.
You should also be more concerned about a much bigger – much more frightening – threat to our democracy.
Screaming in the rain may have sort of therapeutic benefit, it may make you feel better; it may even help you believe that you are doing your civic duty – but as my therapist always reminds me: feelings are not facts.
Based upon only statistical data regarding life expectancy, Donald Trump is not going to be with us much longer. Today he turns 79. He’s not in the best of shape. The life expectancy for an American man is 77.4 years. Trump is already on borrowed time.
But when Trump finally does shuffle off his mortal coil, will things then go back to normal? Hardly. Why? Because the bigger threat will still be here.
In fact, do you really believe that things were more normal before Trump returned to the White House? Maybe, but that was only because so many of us were not really paying attention.
The boogeyman is real
During his farewell address from the White House in 1961, President Dwight D. Eisenhower – a Republican — warned us all about the potential dangers of a “Military Industrial Complex.”
Eisenhower specifically cautioned us regarding “the acquisition of unwarranted influence” by this complex within the government.
He also said this ‘complex’ could lead to the “disastrous rise of misplaced power” and potentially undermine our cherished democratic processes.
Ironically, Eisenhower’s successor was assassinated only a little more than two years later; and so was his brother a few years later during his own campaign for the presidency and so were civil rights leaders Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcom X . . . but I digress.
For the most part — despite the escalation of the Vietnam War, Watergate and the Iran Contra Affair – Americans basically let their eyes glaze over, rushing to embrace color televisions, cordless phones and so many other trinkets of distraction.
“The eagle has landed,” . . . about nine months ahead of National Guard troops slaughtering four unarmed college students who were protesting on the campus of Kent State University in Ohio.
Tin soldiers and Nixon’s coming . . .
Any of this starting to sound familiar?
Sure, it’s easy and much more convenient to focus our rage and indignation on Donald Trump, but he’s really nothing more than a placeholder, a puppet for a well-oiled machine that has repeatedly proven its effectiveness in eroding our civil liberties.
Trump is little more than a narcissistic, not-very-bright ego maniac. The bad news? He holds the nuclear launch codes.
If nothing else, Donald Trump is the perfect distraction to what is really wrong in our country.
The WSJ also reported that accounts associated with extremist groups are “also sharing detailed information about protest organizers, including names and where protestors work.”
And then? Surprise. Minnesota lawmakers are killed and attacked early Saturday morning because of their political views. Coincidence? Yeah, right?
Sadly, hate groups are nothing new in America. These days, the Klan stays mostly hidden – but not inactive.
While Democrats are growing hoarse, screaming “No Kings,” they seem somewhat reticent to admit that more American voters chose Trump than Harris.
The Democrats also failed to gain back control of the House and lost control of the Senate. Despite the current make-up of the Supreme Court, eroding civil rights, infringements on women’s reproductive rights and the general rise of corporate welfare, the left basically screwed the pooch.
Why?
Well, lots of people much smarter than me have offered their own theories about what went wrong in the last election. But here are some factors that seem painfully obvious (in retrospect).
Democrats lost a big portion of their base leading up to the election. Many people say the party basically abandoned some of its key supporters: from younger men to non-white voters and a middle-class that values labor unions.
Instead, Democrats chased a platform of identity politics and a far-left political ideology that doesn’t match current polling. Their messages were blurred and inconsistent. They simply thought the threat of Trump was enough.
And there were lots of other things, namely the failure of Democratic leaders to acknowledge what everyone else already knew: President Joe Biden was mentally failing. They tried to keep it a secret until it became painfully obvious to millions of television viewers in the first debate of 2024.
Jake Tapper, an award-winning journalist and the lead Washington anchor for CNN, recently co-wrote a book about the Biden cover-up: Original Sin.
In a recent episode of Bill Maher’s Real Time talk show, Tapper said the Democrats lost a lot of trust by covering for Biden.
Does any of this really matter? I don’t know. Can it be fixed? I don’t know. Maybe.
But the fact remains that the bigger threats to our democracy go way beyond Donald Trump. Despite whatever batshit thing he says or does, millions of his supporters joyously cheer him on.
That is what should keep you awake at night. If nothing else, Donald Trump is the perfect distraction to what is really wrong in our country.
Randy Seaver is a cranky, nearly insufferable malcontent living in Biddeford. He may be contacted by email: randy@randyseaver.com
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Okay, so now it’s official. Former Gov. Paul LePage (Maine’s own version of Donald Trump) has finally announced that he will seek the CD2 seat, now occupied by Democrat Jared Golden who won his last election in 2024 with a razor-thin majority.
Will Golden try to hold his seat, or maybe buy a couple new flannel shirts and spread his wings to run for governor; or maybe run against the constantly shifting Republican Susan Collins in the upcoming senate race?
While CD2 does lean much more right than CD1, Republicans are not guaranteed a victory in the mid-terms and Democrats cannot afford to lose a single Congressional race in their attempts to push back against Trump.
Rep Jared Golden, not afraid to stir things up
What am I saying? LePage is closely identified with Trump, a man whose current poll numbers are not even close to strong. Will this help or hurt LePage in his 2026 bid?
Next: What about current Gov. Janet Mills (D)? She is facing term limits. Does she quietly retire and take up teaching crochet lessons in Farmington or does she eye U.S. Senator Susan Collins’ seat?
Mills has been somewhat vague in saying what her next steps will be.
Speaking of Susan Collins, far right Republicans are none too pleased with the current chair of the Appropriations Committee because she has bucked Trump a few times in recent weeks. How many Democrats will hold their nose and vote for her simply because she is a bankable centrist? But is she actually a moderate Republican? She’ll have to be if she wants to win her sixth consecutive senate race.
Senator Susan Collins
Will the Republicans put up a serious primary challenge to the Queen of Caribou? Only if they are insane. Even the strongest MAGA voter knows — deep down — that Collins has consistently rolled over challengers since 1995.
Back to the governor’s race, please tell me that Democrats have higher hopes than Troy Jackson and someone older and more experienced than Shenna Bellows to run for governor. Statewide, both of them would likely be considered as “too left.”
As first reported this morning by the Maine Wire – a politically conservative media outlet — a Waterville public teacher is now facing scrutiny and widespread backlash after making a post on social media that calls for people to physically harm President Donald Trump and his supporters.
Notice how I chose my words carefully. Using the words “ki**” or “assasi**te” in connection to the President of the United States can land you in serious hot water.
I know this lesson better than most everyone else who is commenting on this now viral story that has been picked up by mainstream media outlets across the country.
“The Secret Service has the perfect opportunity, if they choose to step up and take it. You are the ones with power. Coordinate. Take out every single person who supports Trump’s illegal, immoral, unconstitutional acts. Look at the sycophants and give them what they’re asking for,” St. Germain wrote on her Facebook post.
As expected, the vast majority of commenters criticized the teacher, calling into question her mental health and her motives for such a fiery post.
A screenshot of St.Germain’s Facebook comment posted by the Maine Wire
No matter where you land on the political spectrum, you gotta feel sorry for both the school superintendent and principal. Their offices were reportedly flooded with calls from angry and worried parents.
“If I had the skill set required, I would take them out myself,” St. Germain also wrote on her social media post.
According to the Bangor Daily News, the U.S. Secret Service is aware of St. Germain’s post.
A big no-no
There is no doubt that Trump has created controversy and deep resentment because of his controversial policies, inflammatory statements and his confrontational personality, but that doesn’t give anyone the right to encourage a physical attack on him.
Public school teachers like St. Germain are entrusted by taxpayers to use good judgment.
It remains to be seen if St. Germain will face any repercussions from the school department for her inflammatory, thoughtless and emotionally charged public statements.
So, why do I claim to know so much about this story?
For that, we need to get into the “Way Back Time Machine” and set the dial to 1984.
Ronald Reagan had just been reelected for a second term as president of the United States. I was 20 years old, working as a third-shift janitor at McDonald’s. I was an avowed liberal and blamed Reagan and his “trickle-down” economic policies for all of my troubles.
I was actively involved with a group named PAUSICA (Portlanders Against U.S. Involvement in Central America). I was reading books by Angela Davis, the vice -presidential candidate for the Communists USA party. In my spare time, I participated in nightly vigils with other malcontents in Monument Square, protesting a ramp up of nuclear weapons.
For Christ’s sake, I was pretty much a reincarnated version of Lee Harvey Oswald.
One night, while feeling particularly frustrated about Reagan, I made a remark saying someone “should do something about him” and if no one else was willing to, I would take on the task myself. As you can probably imagine, those were not my exact words.
A co-worker apparently called the Portland Police Department to report my comments about the president.
Before we proceed, let’s also remember that I had just been discharged from my third, involuntary psychiatric hospitalization. I was estranged from my family. I had no girlfriend or close friends.
I was a low-wage underachiever. In high school, I had pinned all my hopes to a career in the U.S. Air Force. But that did not go the way I intended. Although I received an honorable discharge, I considered myself a failure; now 20 years old with no future.
As you can imagine, the life I was living set off a lot of red flags for the U.S. Secret Service. For Christ’s sake, I was pretty much a reincarnated version of Lee Harvey Oswald.
The Secret Service asked to meet me at the Federal Building on Forest Avenue. They conducted a rigorous interview, took handwriting samples and a fresh set of finger-prints.
They let me go, but with a stern warning. Do it again, and you’ll find yourself in jail, they told me. I was pretty much scared straight, though I lost my job as a janitor at McDonald’s.
My view of Ms. St. Germain’s public rant?
She needs help. Pronto. I understand that Trump can make people very angry, but you simply can’t call for someone to help him shuffle off his mortal coil, especially if you hold a position of public trust.
We deserve better.
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Last night, I watched President Trump’s address to Congress.
For those of you complaining about the boorish behavior of some Democrats:
1.) You are right. Several members of Congress acted like six-year-olds in a playground.
2.) You have very short memories. Do you not remember Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene screaming at Biden; or when Rep. Joe Wilson (R-South Carolina) shouted “You lie!” during one of President Obama’s State of the Union addresses?
3.) Look up the word hypocrisy. There is no way for you to claim the moral high ground when it comes to foolish behavior during presidential addresses.
I support the idea of greater government efficiency. I support plans to lower tax burdens on working Americans, but Trump’s credibility is overshadowed when he slips into unchecked egomania.
(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Last night, the President of the United States claimed to have one of the biggest “landslides” ever when it came to both the popular and Electoral College totals. That’s just fantasy. In November, Trump won the popular vote by a margin of 1.48 percent.
Hardly historic, in fact, not even close. Check out some other totals: Teddy Roosevelt (18.8 percent) Calvin Coolidge (25.2 percent) FDR (24.6 percent in 1936) LBJ (22.5 percent) Nixon 23.15 percent in 1972. Heck, even Jimmy Carter beat Trump with 2.06 percent.
In fact, Trump had one of the lowest percentages of winning popular votes in history.
Trump’s tendency to inflate or distort his accomplishments is to be expected. All narcissists act that way. But here was the deal breaker for me:
When the President of the United States taunts and makes fun of a U.S. Senator as “Pocahontas.” and Vice President J.D. Vance breaks out in laughter. Decorum? Are you serious? I know fourth graders who exhibit greater maturity.
Mr. President, the United States deserves a leader who is not so insecure that he feels the need to denigrate anyone who has the temerity to disagree with his point of view.
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(Please do not make this political. It’s just one of my favorite memories)
Today – once again – the United States of America held an inaugural ceremony for the next president.
I intended to watch, but time got away from me.
I am a political junkie. Not very astute — but what I lack in brains I make up for it with passion, enthusiasm and interest.
Thinking about today’s inauguration ceremony in Washington, D.C reminded me of where I was on this day in 2009 – some 16 years ago.
And my memories are precious to me, especially since so many of them have been wiped clean by years of frequent ECT (Electro Convulsive Treatment) procedures, but I do vividly remember personally attending an inauguration in our nation’s capital.
The wind was bitterly cold, and the crowds were overwhelming, but I could not help feeling excited by what was happening all around me.
(Photo from The Guardian)
I did not vote for President Barack Obama. I voted for McCain. I was a registered Republican.
So why was I there? Why pay for an expensive hotel room and almost get squashed by a massive crowd of enthusiastic Democrats?
For reasons I still do not understand, I had been invited to attend a reception for the new president at the New Zealand embassy on the eve of the next day’s inauguration ceremonies. I’m not making that up.
I’ve never even been to New Zealand.
What are the odds of a Biddeford kid – a Republican, no less – getting invited to a reception for Barack Obama on the eve of his inauguration? I’ll bet that there are not many people who can say that.
I think it’s because one of Maine’s best-known and respected attorneys knew I was a political junkie and wanted to show me some appreciation, especially since we both had family connections to the town of Rumford.
At that time, I was working for one of Maine’s premier political consulting firms, Barton & Gingold, a company that was sold almost a decade ago.
We were working with several other firms on a major project in northern Maine. The law firm of Preti Flaherty was the lead legal firm on that project. Severin Belliveau was a partner at Preti Flaherty, (formerly Preti, Flaherty, Beliveau and Pachios).
In a 2013 article for Down East Magazine, Edgar Allen Beem described Severin Beliveau as “Maine’s most powerful lobbyist.”
Beem wrote: “Severin Beliveau is a familiar figure in Maine’s corridors of power, an affable gentleman always dressed just a little better than everyone else in expensive grey suits, tassel loafers, and brightly colored ties. When it comes to pressing the flesh and twisting arms, Beliveau has few equals.”
After just a few weeks of working on the project, I mentioned to Severin that I attended high school for two years in Rumford and knew his niece, Margaret Beliveau (an exceptional student).
“I knew there was something I liked about you,” Severin grinned.
Because Severin was once chair of the Maine Democratic Party and was connected to just about everybody in Maine, odds are it was him who put me on the guest list for the embassy reception.
Apparently, it is a tradition for foreign embassies (especially those located on “Embassy Row”) to host a reception for the incoming president.
It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever been a part of.
I obviously asked Laura if she wanted to go with me. “No,” she replied. “But you should go. This is right up your alley.”
I bought a new suit, and there I was — feeling incredibly intimidated at the New Zealand Embassy on a cold January night.
Mr. Obama did not make it to the New Zealand embassy that night. I can only assume he had some other, more pressing engagements.
Still, it was pretty cool to be there even though I knew no one at the event.
I could have easily gone home that night or the next morning. The news was all a flutter about the expected massive crowds that would be attending the inauguration of America’s first Black president.
“This is historic,” I told myself. “To hell with it, I will brace the bitter cold and the massive crowds.”
They say that discretion is the better part of valor, but don’t tell that to an excited political junkie from Biddeford.
Honestly, the crowds were too thick. I could not get close enough to see what was happening, but it was still an exhilarating experience. I was right there when history was being made.
It was very cold, but there was a warmth that permeated from the crowd. I was completely surrounded by people who were basking in this moment, full of optimism about the ‘hope and change’ that was beckoning.
I was in a very distinct minority that morning on the subway headed toward the Capitol Building. Quite suddenly, I got a taste of what it’s like to be surrounded by people who didn’t look like me.
But it didn’t matter. There was no racial tension. Everyone, it seemed, was smiling; joyous, optimistic and filled with hope.
Suddenly, one lady on the train began singing: “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine . . .”
Within seconds, all of the other passengers (including me) joined while laughing. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever been a part of.
So today, many years later, when I kicked myself for missing the inauguration as it was happening. I suddenly felt compelled to sing.
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.
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Why did Donald Trump win another term as America’s president?
There are a lot of theories floating about. The internet is awash with the observations and analyses of much smarter people than me.
Unlike the professional pundits, I have a unique theory about what caused the outcome of this year’s election: Ultimately, we all want to sit at the cool kids’ table.
More about that theory in a moment.
Here are the top-three reasons why I think Trump won and Harris lost.
The Harris campaign was a bit tone deaf and seemed to be playing a constant game of catch-up. The threat of women’s reproductive rights was important, but not the game changer the Democrats were hoping for.
Harris got a late start and inherited every negative that always comes attached to the incumbency. Being the incumbent means that you have to play a good defense as well as a good offense; your challenger pretty much has the advantage of focusing solely on offense.
Trump stuck to an unwavering and unapologetic basic message. He appealed to base fears. Fear is a primal instinct. Fear keeps us alive. When exploited, fear can be a powerful weapon. Even unfounded fears often outweigh rational conversations about things such as the economy or issues tied to immigration. The Harris campaign embraced “joy” and optimism. Even Democrat strategist James Carville will tell you that sunshine and happiness do not win elections.
The Economy: Good or Bad?
The economy always plays an important role in every presidential election. For better or worse, Americans routinely vote with their wallets, and on this critical issue, the Harris campaign was a bit more than tone deaf.
Despite the messaging that the Trump team kept hammering into the conversation, the reality is this: The nation’s economy has been performing well over the last several months of the Biden Administration. Both NASDAQ and the Dow Jones Average broke earnings records. Unemployment numbers hit historic, single-digit lows.
GDP (Gross Domestic Product) increased. The deficit decreased, and retail gasoline prices were lower under the latter part of the Biden Administration than they were during the final months of the GW Bush Administration. In fact. Major oil companies including Exxon/Mobil, Chevron and Shell posted record profits during the last six months of the Biden Administration.
So, with all that information, how could Harris possibly lose because of the economy? Because her campaign was tone deaf.
Last year, Vice President Harris – while stumping for Biden — told a crowd of supporters in Iowa that most Americans are only one paycheck away from being homeless. At the very same time, President Biden was bragging about how strong the economy is. The Democrats were trying to play both sides of the fiddle.
But if all the main factors point to a rather healthy economy, why did Team Harris lose on this issue?
Because too many Americans are worried about the economy and the lingering effects of stubborn inflation. Groceries cost more today than during the last few months of Trump’s first term in office.
The cost of gasoline, heating oil and basic utilities are all higher today than they were under Trump’s final months in office.
Sure, we all know the secret of Trump’s success in driving down prices during the last year of his administration: It’s Covid, stupid!
The global pandemic squashed demand for many items, consequently prices dropped.
On an intellectual level, most of us understand the basic economic concept of supply and demand but what we feel in our hearts is often stronger than what we know in our brains . . . and Trump pounced on that, like a crocodile with a gazelle in its jaws.
Talk to a single mother working in the service sector. Ask her if she is better off today. Tell her about the NASDAQ, the deficit and low unemployment. It’s quite likely she does not have a 401K or savings of any kind. She is worried about the rising cost of daycare. She probably doesn’t care about the GDP or bull markets.
Trump took a page from the Reagan handbook, repeating that famous mantra over and over and over again: Are you better off today than you were four years ago?
Voters see spiking rates of homelessness in their own communities while others are struggling to pay skyrocketing housing prices. Those in the middle class are not immune from economic worries. Soaring college tuition rates are just one more piece of the puzzle.
The Democrats stuck with the “Building Back Better” message while many voters were bracing for the upcoming heating season. During the final weeks of the campaign, Team Harris rolled out their vision for economic assistance targeted at those on the lower end of the economic scale.
But that message was muddled while Trump’s message was clear. “You struggled less when I was president.”
The cool kids’ table
But it wasn’t just the economy nor the tapping into widespread concerns regarding immigration where the Harris campaign was tone deaf.
Democratic mayors in several large cities were begging for federal relief to keep pace with a skyrocketing number of immigrants seeking asylum and residency in the United States.
Again, the Harris campaign underestimated American fears and concerns. Essentially, they stayed silent on this issue until it was too late.
But all of this doesn’t factor as much as my theory about the cool kids’ table.
Yes, the economy, immigration and reproductive rights were all big issues, but it was resentment that secured Trump’s double-digit success.
I have a theory about human nature. Basically, everyone wants to sit at the cool kids’ table in the cafeteria. But here’s the rub, for most of us this is an out-of-reach dream and that lays the foundation for resentment.
Harris didn’t do much to court the center right vote.
While Trump was using the economy and immigration fears to court the center left, Harris spent too much time focused on her base, despite last minute pleas in Pennsylvania (fracking) and Michigan (auto industry).
This next part is going to be especially hard for Democrats to read, but if they want to win big again, they will need to address their own sense of entitlement and their not-so-subtle messages of elitism.
Those center-left and center-right voters in rural America are all too aware about how they are mocked and dismissed by the liberal left. I’m talking about the “fly over states.”
They read what you post on Facebook. The only time their concerns matter is during the final weeks of a national election. They hear the condescending platitudes about how much it must suck to be poor; about how the federal government is here to save them. They’ve heard that same song and dance for generations.
Elitism? Really? Yes.
In fact, just two days after their decisive loss, liberal voters took to social media to blast those who voted for Trump.
One meme that was widely shared claimed that 54 percent of Americans read at or below a sixth-grade level. “That explains a lot right now.”
Others were clearly puzzled and left shaking their heads and began sharing a meme that said most of those who didn’t vote for Harris are in the wrong economic category and should have voted instead for someone who cared for them.
The condescending messages were spreading like wildfire. It never really occurred to the liberal elite that a poor person may actually be more concerned about things other than government assistance.
Nope. Those kids don’t get invited to the weekend party. They hear the laughs and sniggering whispered behind their backs. But they are a lot smarter than so many on the left give them credit for.
Those kids don’t sit at the cool kids’ table. Those kids are angry and feel ignored.
The left was banking on identity politics. How could Black and brown Americans vote for Trump? How could gay people vote for Trump? How could women vote for Trump?
I don’t know the answers to those questions, but I do know that Democrats better spend some time coming with some answers.
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With each passing day, I am becoming further convinced that the United States is inching closer and closer to another civil war.
It just seems inevitable.
But this time around, I don’t think the lines of demarcation will be so neatly drawn or conveniently labeled.
In 1861, it was easy to identify “the enemy.” Geography was the name of the game. North versus South. We even had a rather convenient and mutually acceptable dividing point: the Mason-Dixon Line.
Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol Riots. Photo: Pew Research Center
As you probably recall from your sixth-grade social studies class, the Mason Dixon Line ran between Pennsylvania and Maryland, separating the good guys from the bad guys. Defining who were the good guys was purely subjective, depending solely upon which side of the line you found yourself.
To this day — more than 150 years after the first Civil War started — many southerners still adamantly deny that it was about slavery.
While living in Nashville during the early 1990s, I had a good friend who vigorously tried to convince me (a Yankee) that the war was simply about state’s rights. That the south was simply trying to defend itself from “northern aggression.”
He was right, of course. The southern states wanted the “right” to own slaves. Everything else was (and remains) a smokescreen.
The practice of slavery was essential for the economic survival of the southern states that lagged behind the economic bustle and prosperity of their northern neighbors.
In short, it was about money. But isn’t it always?
While the north was humming along with mills and factories, the south was mainly dependent on an agriculture economy that required lots of manpower.
Today, however, the lines of dissension are much less clear and are muddled across a constantly shifting variety of social and political boundaries. Reproductive rights, gun rights, climate change, LGBTQ+ issues and so much more.
Sure, it’s easy and somewhat convenient to say it’s about Democrats versus Republicans, or about red states versus blue states, but I think it’s a lot more complex than that.
I don’t think it’s going to be that easy to spot the enemy in the next Civil War.
I think in this next civil war – and it is coming – it will be more of a neighbor versus neighbor thing.
A cold wind is blowing
We know that our country is divided. We know that there is an increasingly apparent undercurrent of rage brewing just beneath the surface of our political infrastructure.
We saw a hint of it on January 6, 2021.
But that was just a glimpse. The Democrats seized upon that event, pointing to all that was wrong with Republicans.
Many Republicans downplayed the incident and tried to shift blame onto people like Nancy Pelosi for “allowing it to happen.” They pointed to inner city riots that had happened only months earlier when mostly minority residents were enraged about examples of police brutality.
The Democrats miscalculated the incident. Many of them mistakenly thought that event would “seal the deal” and would be the long awaited and much anticipated death knell of Donald J. Trump’s political career.
The American people would be horrified, the Democrats reasoned. The people would be galvanized by what they witnessed on their flat-screen televisions and smart phones.
It would be sort of like Sept. 11, when most all Americans would rally behind truth, justice and the laws of our democracy. When we would stand united in the face of evil.
On Sept. 11, 2001, we knew – or at least thought we knew –who the enemy was. We swore vengeance.
But this time was different. The Democrats had miscalculated.
Trump and his supporters did not suffer any meaningful blowback from the Jan. 6 incident. In fact — court cases be damned – the Capitol riots only made Trump and his growing legion of supporters stronger.
Sure, a handful of Republicans condemned the incidents of Jan. 6; but they were almost immediately expunged by a political party that was tipping to an extreme and rather rabid position.
The GOP, it seemed, was ready to eat its young. Chaos descended over the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. The extremists were now in charge.
No one was even pretending to be civil.
Democrats, too, dropped the ball, using the Jan. 6 riots as little more than an endless rallying cry for political purposes, a four-year campaign ad to prevent the GOP from ever again occupying the White House.
Meanwhile – beyond the media frenzy, beyond the ensuing federal indictments and beyond all the talking heads and all the noise – some Americans started quietly making plans.
While living in the south, I once made the mistake of joking with one of my work colleagues who was busting my chops about being a Yankee. “Relax,” I told him. “The Civil War is over.”
“No, it ain’t,” he replied with a grin. “It’s just halftime.”
I remember a chill going down my spine when he said that.
He wasn’t joking.
Pawn Takes Queen
You can already see the ads on the internet and on late-night television. Survival kits and emergency meal rations. We laugh at these “preppers.” A bunch of delusional, paranoid conspiracy theorists.
We dismiss them and their concerns. Our arrogance only fuels their not-so-hidden rage about the “elitists.”
But when the shit hits the fan – and it will — what will be your first move?
Will you take sides or will you sit back and hope that other people – the government – can fix it? The good guys will win, right?
But riddle me this: What if the “government” splinters? More aptly, what if the military splinters?
What happens when you see the “troops” marching through your neighborhood and you’re the only one without a gun?
Or . . . what do you do if you’re the only one on your block with a gun? Are you willing to shoot your neighbor? Someone you know? Will you defend your home or surrender and just hope that things work out for the best?
How will you know the good guys from the bad guys? Who decides? Who will you believe? The news?
Who’s to say that our police department will not be fragmented, same for the fire department. The guys and gals who drive the snow plows and the trash trucks?
Speaking of trucks, what about all the cross-country truckers? The airport personnel? The hospital staff? The reporters and media outlets? Second-shift at Wendy’s?
What happens if all these groups are suddenly fractured?
I am not trying to scare you.
But if you’re not scared by now, then my silly blog post is sure as hell not going to motivate you to consider a rather dark reality.
Will the next civil war bring out the best in us or the worst in us?
Me? I’m not preparing for some kind of half-assed Armageddon. I’m not stocking up on guns, ammo, Hot Pockets or even toilet paper. Nope. I’m just gonna sit back and watch. I refuse to let fear control my life.
I will take each day as it comes – on its own terms.
But when the shit gets real — and it will – just remember, I told you so.
History is written by the winners.
Is it over, or was my former co-worker correct?
Is it only half-time?
It’s happened before. It will happen again. It just won’t be so easy to sort the good guys from the bad guys this time.
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1.) He’s batshit crazy, just like me. And I like his style. Look, even paranoid people have enemies;
2.) I am so sick and tired of the two-party system that is always blaming the other guy and pointing fingers.
3.) He’s not Donald Trump.
4.) He’s not Kamala Harris.
5.) I live in southern Maine, thus it doesn’t fucking matter who I vote for. Thanks to the electoral college someone else will make that decision for me.
6.) This way, I will equally piss off my friends on both sides of the aisle.
7.) When the real shit starts to go down after the election, I can proudly say: “Don’t blame me. I voted for Kennedy.”
8.) There are reasons why his father and uncle were both removed from the equation. Do you really think that was a coincidence? Really?
9.) I really do not like either of the mainstream choices, Harris and Trump. Nope. No thank you. Kennedy worked hard to get on the ballot here in Maine. Thus, he is a legitimate choice, unlike Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck.
10.) I know he won’t win. That could never be allowed to happen, but at least I will feel better when I go to bed on Election night. I will have actually voted FOR someone, not against someone.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 25: Democratic Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. listens as he is introduced by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach during the World Values Network’s Presidential candidate series at the Glasshouse on July 25, 2023 in New York City. Kennedy Jr., who is running a longshot primary campaign against President Joe Biden, joined Rabbi Shmuley Boteach to discuss fighting antisemitism and the championing of Israel. Kennedy has faced backlash for his stances on vaccines, most recently for comments he made suggesting that the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease could have been “targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people,” while sparing Jewish and Chinese people. He has denied allegations of racism and antisemitism. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
I was just talking with one of my closest friends about how quickly summer is fading. We talked about time, and the error of counting the days; but we also talked about politics. (It’s expected. We’re both self-described political junkies.)
I commented, “I’m so ready for this election to over. Just 72 days until Nov. 6, the day after the election.”
And he said, “Over?” Nope.”
And then I realized he was right.
On November 6, – – no matter who wins the election — many of my friends will be celebrating and filled with happiness and satisfaction. On the other side of aisle, many of my friends will be feeling somewhat hopeless, disconnected and fearful.
A wise man once told me: “Expectations are pre-mediated resentments.”
What are we expecting from this election? After CNN tallies the results, do we all walk out onto the playing field and shake hands with the opposing team? Hardly.
So, I am now tempering my expectations and reminded of the fact that the Reality Fairy doesn’t carry a wand. She carries a 2 x4.
Thus, here are a few of my expectations about what life will be like on November 6 (the day after the election), regardless of who wins.
1.) We will still fight with one another. People will still weaponize social media in order to push and cement their own political narrative.
2.) Too many of our neighbors will still be living in tents, mostly forgotten.
3.) We will still be easily distracted by celebrity “news” and gossip. We will continue paying some people millions of dollars simply because they are really good at running and catching a leather ball.
4.) Our political leaders will still fight and offer us plenty of finger-pointing, blame and derision, but few — if any — solutions will be built upon innovation and collaboration: bipartisanship.
5.) People will continue using credit cards for the things they really cannot afford, whether it’s a vacation or a new tattoo.
6.) We will not be satisfied with anything. The cost of housing, utilities and food will continue to climb, no matter who sits in the Oval Office.
7.) Global hunger will continue and actually get worse.
8.) The rattling of war sabers will continue in Gaza, Ukraine and so many other places around the globe.
9.) Many other nations (North Korea, Iran, China, Russia and so many others) will still hate us and seek to weaken us.
10.) Poor people will still be poor and rich people will still be rich (That’s actually a constant that dates back more than 200,000 years)
My advice? Don’t count the days. Don’t expect things to be fundamentally different. We are all — all of us — Republicans and Democrats — saddled with the same unfortunate reality: that everyone is human, and thus we are all somewhat flawed.
May God have mercy on our souls.
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LESSONS IN MEDIOCRITY 