The Witness Chronicles, August 19, 2024
This time we are stopping the steal, not Trump
Hey Don, we're watching now
You can't pull your stolen election crap this time around
We know he is going to try, in fact he already is, and this time he has more than a few crackpot lawyers helping. He has the full resources of the once respectable Republican Party, including access to a war chest of millions and an army of lawyers. But those of us who value democracy are ready this time.
Donald Trump is a convicted felon who faces much more serious charges that could send him to prison. He is running, not because he has a vision for the country, but because he thinks he can avoid the law once elected. He is a desperate man at the end of his rope, a dangerous cornered creature.
That is the underlying reality of this election, an election he thought was in the bag after his successful demonization of an aging opponent. But the winds changed and he now faces a Democratic ticket he has no weapons against. He is now the aging opponent.
Not only could he lose the election, his inflammatory flood of lies and fear-mongering now seems like the tired ranting of a half crazed man with no ideas and no vision, a man simply trying to protect his own ass.
The difference this time around is we now know what he and his people are capable of, actions that were once impossible to imagine. And we have a Department of Justice that will not let his army of lawyers bamboozle voters into violent insurrection.
And he faces a unified and organized Democratic Party with dynamic leadership, new ideas, and enough experience to mount a spirited defense of democracy. Not only that but voters now know what he is going to try.
Perhaps the greatest defense we have against another Trump attempt to steal the election is the sheer incompetence of the man, his inability to control himself, and his massive ego, an ego that has seen its world shattered in recent weeks by the ascent of Kamala Harris, a woman of color, and a highly experienced criminal prosecutor.
Her running mate Tim Walz is another type of American Trump does not know, a down to earth midwesterner, a former school teacher and successful football coach combined with a 24 year record of honorable service in the military and years of experience in the House of Representatives. An actual regular guy.
Mini Trump J.D. Vance has already made a fool of himself trying to denigrate the service record of a fellow soldier and every day keeps serving up more and more bizarre ideas about the role of women in our society. His selection as Trump’s running mate was a bungled attempt to reinforce Trump’s whack a doodle base that has backfired badly.
That vaunted base took the hit after his failed insurrection, with over 1000 of them convicted of crimes and sent to prison with more to follow. It is unlikely that he can count on that kind of sacrifice a second time.
Poll after poll show the Trump campaign’s plans for the future are widely unpopular with the American public, yet that campaign continues to barge ahead with their plans to limit freedoms, destroy democracy as we know it, and install a demented man as dictator.
The people behind Trump have no respect for him. At this stage he is simply a front for their plans who is too full of himself to see what is going on around him. A puppet. At least that is what was happening before Joe Biden dropped out of the race and Kamala Harris united the opposition against him.
Suddenly Donald Trump was forced to confront reality and he has not handled it well. Instead of changing with the times, he has doubled down on his own fantasies, including that he cannot and will not lose, despite having lost before.
Because he has no honor and no vision, he will try again what did not work last time. But we are ready and paying attention.
If you are reading this on Medium, I am leaving the platform at the end of August. Here’s why. You can continue to read me by subscribing, free or paid, to my newsletter.
This is from a reader supported newsletter. Please consider helping out by upgrading to a paid subscription or donating a small amount through Buy Me A Coffee, a site for small financial contributions. Thanks, ME
Martin, Voter fraud--including Republican-run polling locations disenfranchising legitimate Democrat voters--is my biggest concern this year.
Things are moving in the right direction for Harris-Walz and our Democracy. BUT I'm encouraging everyone to ACT: 1) Vote, for sure. I know that everyone reading Martin's post will vote, but please make sure others in your circle vote, too. 2) Step up and do something "extra" this year, maybe. For example: Be a poll watcher. Your State Democratic party will give you free training. It is just a one-day commitment (election day). These are just some examples. It's really pretty easy and painless. WE ALL must work together to STOP THE STEAL.
FYI: In 2022, I was a poll watcher and the Republicans running the poll were IDing people! I heard a woman ask for a woman voter's ID. When the voter questioned it, the poll worker said, "Well I don't know you. We need to make sure we know everyone who comes in to vote." THAT IS NOT how it works. If your name is in the registered voter book, if you haven't moved, etc. you DO NOT have to show an ID. If you've moved, and this is the first time voting on a new precinct, you MUST show an ID. But the Registrar indicates which voters must show ID--the poll workers can't ask whomever they "don't know or recognize" to show an ID. We must make sure these procedures are followed correctly--especially in the so-called "swing states" where every vote will matter!
Writing for America, to elect sane, sensible, serious, and smart leaders.
If ever we needed to function at our highest levels, if ever we needed to think clearly, if ever we needed to rely on facts, that time is now.
What I see and hear from our political world are people living only in the emotional reactions of the moment. This is a very bad way to make any important decision. Choosing our leadership across the nation is a very important serious decision.
We can help ourselves make better decisions and to clarify our thoughts by writing. I mean literally writing, in our own hand, in our own words. Writing, as in pen and paper, not typing on a phone or computer.
We can start by writing about what we want for our country. What are our goals for this nation? What is the best way to achieve them? And who are the people most capable of that leadership?
This writing is for you alone. No one ever has to see it. No one is ever going to judge what you say or how you say it. It is for your benefit. This will help you get a grip on your ideas and will help overcome the pain connected with living in emotions. And help you make better decisions when choosing our leaders, both locally and nationally.
Writing for America will help you, and help all of us.
Sample questions
What makes America America?
What does America mean to me?
What do I want for our country?
What do I think is our common good?
How can we achieve it?
In my work, job, or business do I find that most people are honest and trustworthy?
When I look around my community, what do I see?
Doris McTague
612-845-6779
dorismctague3@icloud.com