Blue State vs. Red State = Federalism at Work

Election shenanigans are for real.  Only a fool would ignore the fact that in many states, there is a loose and wobbly process regarding the collection and tabulation of votes.  How widespread and serious is that problem?  I am not sure.  Any lack of integrity in the voting process is serious; but the source and intent of that lack is the real question.  When you have fifty states and numerous counties/parishes within each state, the problem is very likely widespread; but the real questions relate to the seriousness of the issues within each state.  We all know it is pretty wide…but how deep is it?

 

While each state is bent by the ruling national party in that state, the degrees of the bending vary widely.  In many blue states, the Democrats have ruled for so long that election abnormalities have become institutionalized and accepted.  Election Day in many of these states is now election weeks…or months.  The hands of the Republican Party are certainly not pristine when it comes to election chicanery.  They too have states and communities where they have essentially put their own election system in place with the sole intent of maintaining their control over the process. 

 

This system of national elections in America is both a strength and a weakness.  It is a strength because not only does it recognize the constitutional rights of the states to manage their own elections…it also poses an impossible challenge to any person or entity that might want to interfere with our national elections.  That person or entity with malice on their mind might mess with a few counties/parishes here or there and might even manage to influence a state occasionally.  But the mere fact that there are fifty states representing 3,144 county equivalents means that there is currently no threat out there that can effectively reach them simultaneously with the same process.  The strength is in the diversity and the scope.  It is clearly an over simplication…but if you don’t like the election process in your state, then find another state that is preferable.  There are lots of choices.  

 

The weakness lies in the fact that state governments many times celebrate their constitutional independence in election management by both permitting corruptive influences to enter into the process and also by coming up with simply stupid ideas about how elections should be conducted.  Now whether or not a state election rule is stupid or not is in the eye of the beholder.  But it is difficult to understand how the Open Primaries practiced in some states make any sense.  Why should we allow opposing parties to participate in the primary elections that determine another party’s representative?  There are 18 states that have some form of the open primary system.  This would appear to be a clear and present distortion of the two-party system. 

 

Ranked-Choice Voting and Jungle Primaries seem to be bizarre ideas that are being practiced in a few states.  Perhaps these new election ideas will become accepted and serve to improve the integrity of our federal elections.  Maybe they will be similar to the new influx of highway roundabouts in rural America…whereby they are adamantly opposed at first, but then easily accepted once proven to be effective.  Time will tell.  I have my doubts.

 

While it is important to maintain the strength of our federal elections through constitutional federalism…I see nothing wrong with Congress passing broad federal laws that, while preserving the essential management authorities of the states, will establish a broad set of reasonable steps that will better insure the nationwide integrity of our federal election process.  The SAVE Act https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/22/text is a good step in that direction and seriously needs to be embraced and formed in a bipartisan fashion in order to be broadly accepted. 

 

Voting is a privilege and should be limited to those who earn or are subject to that privilege.  There is simply nothing unreasonable with demanding some form of identification in order to exercise that privilege.  Election days are just that…days on which elections are held.  It is patently absurd for many of our elections to stretch weeks or months past election day with no result being reached.  This in and of itself is an open invitation to corruption.  Absentee ballots are acceptable options for those valid voters who cannot get to the polls for sound reasons; but choosing not to make the effort to get out and vote when you are able is not a sound reason.

 

Congress does NOT need to micro-manage state elections and usurp the federalist model.  But someone…somewhere…somehow sorely needs to restore UNIFORM respect and integrity back into our election systems.  Voter turnout must INCREASE if we are to realize the promises held for us in our Constitution.  Here is a good website to consider that turnout issue on a yearly and state-by-state basis: https://statesunited.org/resources/voter-turnout-since-2000/ .  Ben Franklin famously said about our nation and its Constitution… “It’s a republic, if you can keep it”.  When a minority or a slight majority of our citizens participate in the selection of the leaders who will run our government…that is not an exercise in democracy.  And if that continues, old Ben will be disappointed because we will not keep it.

 

Our Executive and Legislative Branches of government have been choking on many of the big issues facing our nation.  They are political cowards when it comes to making hard choices on national immigration policy and essential social security reform.  Now they are waffling on the SAVE Act.  It is no doubt an imperfect piece of legislation; but it is a good faith effort to address a critical problem facing our country and it should get a chance to do just that.

 

                              ---------------------------------------

 

Perhaps Rand Paul vs. Anthony Fauci should first play out in the Octagon? …and then, following that,  perhaps we could get down to seriously considering the terrible mistakes we made in managing our nation’s response to the COVID epidemic.  I am still raw over the intrusion of government into our personal liberties during this episode and even more infuriated at how accepting our population was of those actions.  Fauci was the driving force behind many of those authoritarian mandates.  The man was clearly a celebrity wannabe who fell in love with his own press and allowed that weakness to pervert the job he was selected to perform.  But Fauci’s proper punishment is the exposure of his egotistical hypocrisy and lack of character.  It is a shame he will take to his grave.  Now is the time for Rand Paul to accept victory, give Fauci immunity in exchange for his Senate testimony, and get on with the critical business of preparing our nation for the next epidemic headed our way.

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/08/02/the-rise-and-fall-of-anthony-fauci/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/07/the-damning-fauci-diaries/

 

Here are the infamous diary excerpts: https://brownstone.org/?pdfemb-data=eyJwZGZJRCI6NzMwMzgsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOlwvXC9tZWRpYS5icm93bnN0b25lLm9yZ1wvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNlwvMDdcL0RpYXJpZXMtb2YtQW50aG9ueS1GYXVjaS0yMDE5LTIwMjItMy5wZGYiLCJiZXlvbmR3b3Jkc0F1ZGlvIjp0cnVlLCJiZXlvbmR3b3Jkc01hcmtlciI6IiIsInRpdGxlIjoiRGlhcmllcy1vZi1BbnRob255LUZhdWNpLTIwMTktMjAyMi0zIiwiaW5kZXgiOjJ9

 

https://thefederalist.com/2026/07/28/10-questions-for-congress-to-ask-fauci-about-his-covid-corruption-and-coverup/

 

https://reason.com/2026/07/29/at-senate-hearing-fauci-takes-the-fifth-to-avoid-accounting-for-inconsistent-statements-about-a-lab-leak/

 

https://thefederalist.com/2026/07/30/anthony-fauci-the-covid-czar-ticked-off-the-wrong-moms/

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2026/07/31/the-media-takes-the-fifth-and-denounces-those-questioning-fauci-as-as-assault-on-science/

 

https://nypost.com/2026/07/26/opinion/miranda-devine-anthony-fauci-was-the-big-head-of-covid-response/

 

The Iran Conflict and Foreign Affairs in General…

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/07/30/the-iran-war-at-the-crossroads/

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/08/06/the-long-view-of-iran/

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/08/07/trump-gives-iran-one-last-chance-tehran-is-the-one-running-out-of-time/

 

https://freebeacon.com/media/public-executions-are-extremely-rare-in-iran-the-new-york-times-claims-inaccurately/

 

https://freebeacon.com/columns/chinas-gambit-in-the-gulf/

 

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/08/russian-invasion-in-the-offing.php#google_vignette

 

https://nypost.com/2026/08/01/opinion/the-uns-latest-embarrassment-shows-the-need-for-punishment/

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/08/01/north-america-first-is-america-first/

 

Politics and the Mid-Term Elections…

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2026/08/03/the-confession-of-joe-biden/#more-247709

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/the-semi-retired-president-and-the-gop-congress/

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/07/28/the-gop-is-fighting-to-hold-the-house-it-just-might-do-it/

 

https://nypost.com/2026/08/05/opinion/miranda-devine-dont-let-abdul-el-sayed-fool-you-he-and-his-dsa-cronies-are-in-prime-position-to-take-over-the-democratic-party/

 

Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) is a pathetic, shallow, destructive infection that has consumed the Democrat Party: https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/08/appellate-court-orders-halt-to-ballroom-construction.php

Education…Education…Education…

 

https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/25/gov-sarah-huckabee-sanders-shows/

 

https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/sustaining-schools-of-civic-thought-and-leadership-excellence-opposition-and-a-new-academic-field/

 

The many faces of the American economy…

 

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/07/whats-affordable-what-isnt.php

 

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/08/disappointing-job-numbers.php

 

https://reason.com/2026/07/25/for-thousands-of-new-york-city-apartment-buildings-the-math-doesnt-math/

 

https://americanmind.org/salvo/what-the-welfare-state-unleashed/

 

A good first step towards governmental fiscal sanity: Shrink the government!

 

https://americanmind.org/memo/floridas-doge-is-delivering/

 

There is no need to create more government in order to achieve less government.  Don’t reinvent the wheel…use the wheels you have.  The Government Accounting Office (GAO) could easily be re-imagined to not only provide non-partisan statistics to our Legislative and Executive branches of government…it could also assume the mantle of providing non-partisan advice on how to make our government more efficient and more effective: https://www.gao.gov/ .

 

How equitable and reliable is our current justice system…

 

https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/03/brett-kavanaughs-would-be-assassin-moved-to-cushy-medical-prison-known-for-transing-on-taxpayer-dime/

 

You think WOKE is passé?  Think again…

 

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/08/calling-the-wnbas-bluff.php#google_vignette

 

Election Integrity Requires that Every Vote Should Count

I am tired of hearing about the 2020 presidential election.  There is no doubt in my mind that the combination of Democrat Party election trickery combined with the COVID election bullshit provisions resulted in some abnormalities and incorrect tallies.  Were the erroneous vote totals sufficient to change the outcome of the race?  Not likely…but possibly.  In any case, that ship has sailed and history has been written.  We should all (looking at you, Donald) get over it.  It is pointless to rehash the outcome; but it is beneficial to analyze the mistakes that were made.

 

For all of their differences, Democrats and Republicans alike (with a few glaring exceptions on each side) typically accept election results and move on to their sausage making.  This is how it should be.  A Representative serves for two years, a President for four, and Senator for six.  In the sands of time, that is not a long period and every moment counts.  Especially when you consider the unique collateral coalitions and majorities that each individual contest contributes to.  The harsh reality is that much like the Genie escaping from the bottle, it is nigh on impossible to rerun an election.  And that, my friends, is the best argument available to do all within our power to make damn certain that election integrity is as good as we can get it.

 

Every invalid vote that ends up getting counted cancels out a valid vote. It might be my vote, it might be your vote…it is undeniably somebody’s vote.  This fact should anger Americans even more than the common focus that is placed on the perverted outcomes.  Our democracy is based on “for the people” election participation and that participation must be robust, efficient, and recognized as honest by all those involved. Without these assurances, we get the low voter turnout that we have been experiencing and our nation ends up being governed by the opinions of the minority, rather than the will of the majority.  So the question is: How can we best insure election integrity?

 

Common sense is taking a beating these days.  There is a lot of bizarre thinking present in our culture and society and rather than confront it openly and honestly, most folks simply frown at it in disgust and refrain from thinking about it or dealing with it.  They think it will not impact them or their families.  They think it will eventually go away.  WRONG!  There is an old saying about the three kinds of people in this world: Those who watch things happen; those who make things happen; and those who wonder what the hell is happening.  In today’s America, most of our people fall in the first and third categories and leave the important decisions to the minority that falls in the second category.  The trouble with that philosophy is that a bunch of those folks in the second category are scoundrels. 

 

In order for our Constitution to be honored and executed properly, election turnout must increase.  In order for election turnout to increase, people must be convinced that their vote matters.  In order for people to be convinced of that, changes need to be made in our election process.  Pretty…damn…simple, ain’t it?

 

A good start to this restoration of election integrity is the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, otherwise known as the SAVE Act.   This piece of legislation has been passed by the House and is now waiting for action in the Senate.  It is not a long and complex document.  It is not written in a foreign language or legalize.  It is fairly brief, to the point, and easily understandable by any regular American.  It represents a reasonable and common sense approach to this critical issue and should be passed by the Senate and then signed by our President so this process can begin.  Read it for yourself and decide:  https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/22/text

 

 

Can there be any doubt that our election process is in need of reform?  With fifty states across our great nation running their own election games, you best believe that if there are problems in one place…there are problems in lots of other places as well.

 

https://newsbusters.org/blogs/cnsnews/craig-bannister/2026/07/21/6600-non-citizens-registered-vote-nj-due-software-error

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/new-jersey-refuses-to-cooperate-with-doj-investigation-into-noncitizen-voting/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/who-let-the-non-citizens-onto-new-jerseys-voter-rolls/

 

https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/07/24/10-states-checked-their-voter-rolls-with-a-dhs-database-to-find-startling-info/

 

The international debate surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI) is running wide open…as it should be.  No doubt, this area of innovation and evolution will have a hugely significant impact on our future, and the future of generations to come.  Like so many innovative breakthroughs in our past, this one comes with such mind-blowing potential that the actual application of it is outrunning the good judgment of how to apply it.  We must never lose sight of the fact that regardless of how wondrous and amazing AI can be…it is nothing more than a tool in the hands of those who wield it.  Simplistically stated, AI is no more or less a device to be utilized than is a crescent wrench, a gun, a computer, or a pencil. 

 

One thing is for certain: America cannot stand by and allow AI technology to be commandeered by other nations on this planet.  Just as the high ground is essential in combat, the importance of dominating space exploration is critical to our future, and the ability to feed ourselves must be preserved and maintained….we cannot simply stand by and let other nations lead the charge into this new AI era.

 

And if, as many say, AI potential rests largely on AI Data Centers…then we had best put our emotions to the side and exercise some clear, practical, and rational thinking when we debate how these Data Centers will fit into our culture, society, and local neighborhoods.

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/07/22/washington-cant-afford-to-let-the-us-lose-the-open-source-ai-war/

 

https://www.grumpy-economist.com/p/ai-regulation

 

https://reason.com/2026/07/22/where-can-the-data-centers-go/

 

https://reason.com/2026/07/24/nashville-considers-using-eminent-domain-to-stop-a-planned-data-center-from-irritating-zoo-animals/

 

Education…Education…Education

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/07/21/nea-same-ol-same-ol/

 

https://thefederalist.com/videos/hemingway-the-teachers-unions-are-one-of-the-most-damaging-institutions-in-america/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/colleges-and-universities-adrift-in-administrative-bloat/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-academic-world-is-like-medieval-feudalism/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/why-not-combine-liberal-arts-and-occupational-education/

 

Can “Critical Mass” be far off in the Iran conflict? 

 

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/07/senator-sheehy-has-a-few-thoughts.php

 

https://freebeacon.com/editorial/37-5-billion-well-spent-to-off-the-ayatollah/

 

https://freebeacon.com/columns/to-win-the-peace-we-must-fund-the-war/

 

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22728/trump-iran-confusion

 

Our Justice System continues to evolve and is struggling to find its way back to conformance with our Constitution.  Just as Election Integrity is essential to our government, so is Law and Order essential to our personal and community safety and well-being.

 

https://lawliberty.org/the-umpires-limits/

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2026/07/23/boasbergs-law-chief-district-court-judge-under-renewed-scrutiny-over-pattern-of-unilateral-actions/#more-247414

 

https://reason.com/2026/07/24/did-decriminalizing-drugs-lead-to-more-deaths-in-washington-and-oregon/

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/07/24/italy-names-the-problem-america-renames-it/

 

If you are concerned about the destructive impact that Diversity/Equity/ and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives have had on our nation, do not delude yourself by recent anti-DEI victories and think that the tide has turned.  DEI continues to exist and flourish throughout our culture and society, in particular in our government and education system.  Be aware and ever-vigilant of this radical thinking and call it out when it shows up in your life.

 

https://nypost.com/2026/07/22/opinion/miranda-devine-the-smithsonian-reeks-of-communist-ideologies-that-our-founding-fathers-would-be-ashamed-of/

 

https://thefederalist.com/2026/07/23/congress-spotlights-american-bar-associations-dance-with-the-dei-devil/

 

The mid-term elections are rapidly approaching and the next presidential election is not far behind it.  The dynamics are swirling about…

 

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/07/the-democrats-most-loyal-voters.php#google_vignette

 

https://freebeacon.com/democrats/jon-ossoff-spends-thousands-on-makeup-services-from-artist-who-worked-on-hollywood-blockbusters-like-the-notebook/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/07/countering-left-wing-terrorism/

 

Four quick hits on the way out…

 

Has the United Nations entity outlived its usefulness in today’s world?

 

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22692/united-nations-alibis

 

For all of the torment and chaos that we see across our planet, there is always some good news out there.  We just have to look for it…

 

https://reason.com/2026/07/22/global-hunger-falls-from-35-percent-in-1970-to-7-8-percent/

 

Congress…must…address…National Immigration Reform…

 

https://americanmind.org/salvo/battle-over-the-demos/

 

We are so prone to manipulation by the media that surrounds us that we sometimes lose sight of the truths that our own realities might reveal to us.  I had such a moment a few weeks back.  I live on a farm and my driveway and farm roads are gravel.  Periodically, I have to get fresh rock spread in order to keep the surfaces in good shape.  After having four loads of rock spread the other day, I was discussing the bill with the hauler, who happened to be a friend and old schoolmate.  I looked over the sizeable bill and asked him “does anyone ever complain about the price of rock?”  He hesitated and looked down at his shoes, realizing that the cost of rock had indeed gone up and it was a large expense for folks.  I quickly added “No…I’m not complaining.  I realize your costs have gone up too and you have to pay the bills.”  I then made the point to him that it was not that many years ago that it would have taken the sale proceeds of four calves to pay this bill.  Today, the sale of one calf will more than cover it.

 

That reality goes to illustrate the difficult challenges faced by American agriculture, which is the only business I know of where your inputs are purchased at retail prices, but your products are sold at wholesale prices.  Sure, cattle farmers are doing well these days with high-priced calves.  But not long ago, it was difficult to sell a calf and get back the money you had in it.  Over time, any type of business enterprise hopes that the good times can somehow offset the bad times and create some type of long-term profit and stability.  It also goes to show that the price we pay in stores for products is not an arbitrary figure simply snatched out the air; it is based on the hard costs of what it takes to put that product before us.

 

We all get caught up in certain items that increase in price dramatically and tend to forget those other items that are remarkably affordable.  The price of beef in the store comes straight back to the price I get for my calves when they go off to market.  The price I pay for gravel goes straight back to the cost of excavating and delivering that gravel to my farm.  Everything else we consume adheres to the same rule of cost and benefit.  Our economy is a complex and layered system, but is…at its heart…not really that hard to understand.  The costs to obtain a product, be it food or fiber, raw or finished…is directly attributable to the cost involved in creating that product. 

 

Our government oftentimes fools itself into thinking that it can control macro/micro economics (they simply are not that smart and powerful).  Additionally we, as citizens, oftentimes forget that not only do businesses have to price their products at a level that permits them to survive financially, but we also have the individual options to choose what we buy and who we buy it from. 

 

We in America are truly blessed to have the choices that are available to us as consumers, the depth and breadth of those choices, and the system of American capitalism that creates those choices for us.  In this day when so many are looking affectionately at socialism…we should carefully consider what we stand to lose if we ever go in that direction.

 

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/07/whats-affordable-what-isnt.php#google_vignette

As the World Turns………..

In my part of Kentucky, summertime is hitting its stride.  The temps are climbing into the mid-to-upper 90’s, the humidity is thick, and the storms come in fits and starts.  All that being said….the springtime drought that we experienced has been all but forgotten with the wealth of moisture that has fallen since.  The fall hay cuttings will offset the spring cutting shortfalls, cattle prices remain high, and crops/pasture continue to ripen and flourish.  God is good.

 

I am not a fan of soccer.  To me, it is the ultimate participatory sport.  However, just like many of the things I write about on this blog, I am clearly in the minority here.  The world came to America for the FIFA World Cup and much to their surprise…they found an open, welcoming, and vibrant people and nation.  The America they discovered was not the America they had been told about.  Once again...God is good.  We are all so very blessed to live in such a country.

 

The Iran conflict drags on and Iran’s violations on the MOU have hopefully used up the last ounce of tolerance from the Trump Administration.  As I have stated before…turn the military loose to hit the remaining strategic and military targets and come back home.  Turn this boiling pot of turmoil over to the Middle Eastern nations and NATO.  It is in THEIR backyard and it is about THEIR strategic interests.

 

The mid-terms are rapidly approaching and the volume surrounding them is increasing on a daily basis.  The stakes are enormously high for our nation.  In my humble opinion, you can throw the historical results from past mid-terms out the window, you can ignore the talking bubbleheads of the mainstream media, and you can either stay home and complain…or get out and vote for a candidate that has some semblance of common sense and competence.  Folks…we had better get this one right.  The consequences are heavy.

 

The DSA (Democratic Socialists of America) are enjoying what I hope turns out to be their 15 minutes of fame on the national political stage.  Unlike Bernie, AOC, and many other liberal-progressive Democrats, the prominent DSA figures don’t make much of an effort to hide their agenda.  Here is their website: https://www.dsausa.org/ .  Read it and be advised.  Just as the Republicans have learned to deal with their fringe elements of radical MAGA and Tea Party fanatics, so too will the Democrats figure out some way to manage their radical elements.  I truly believe that the media coverage of the DSA far outweighs any substantive influence they will have on national policy. 

 

Now local policy is a different animal altogether.  Blue states and blue cities that have elected progressive Democrats are paying a serious price for their misjudgments.  Some of these irresponsible voters are realizing their errors and will return to more reasonable candidates. Like most radical endeavors do, the DSA is overreaching and we are starting to see the beginnings of significant pushback to their idiotic agenda.  Even Bernie and AOC are showing some reticence in their DSA enthusiasm.  Their non-constitutional ideals will remain in the Democrat Party, but I fervently hope that they will be tamped down to a murmur, rather than a shout.  Time will tell.

 

I truly believe that our nation is continuing in the throes of transitioning to a new reality following the COVID epidemic.  That event changed our country, culture, and society in ways that will remain with us for generations.  That effect, combined with the roiling political environment we now live in, is taking us through a period of change that is entirely unpredictable and tumultuous.  I remain confident that if we as a people will continue to adhere to our Constitution and its principles, we will come through these perilous times intact and stronger than ever.  The Constitution is a marvelous document and it remains the salvation of our nation and government…in a civic sense.  Our ultimate salvation remains in the hands of our Lord.

 

 

What the Democrat progressives and DSA elements offer…

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2026/07/20/democrats-dismiss-our-constitutional-traditions-as-nostalgia/

 

https://newsbusters.org/blogs/cnsnews/craig-bannister/2026/07/17/trans-liberatory-and-socialist-feminist-agenda-announced

 

https://jonathanturley.org/2026/07/19/the-dsa-and-the-myth-of-scandinavian-socialism/#more-247326

 

https://freebeacon.com/california/jennifer-siebel-newsoms-radical-gender-documentaries-force-student-viewers-to-reveal-if-theyre-gay-and-id-fags-films-are-funded-and-promoted-by-newsom-donors-appointees/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/yes-tim-walz-deporting-child-rapists-makes-us-safer/

 

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/07/on-left-wing-terrorism-2.php

 

What gives me hope for the future…

 

https://amgreatness.com/2026/07/14/the-world-made-anew/

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtkMmdd-I8g

 

A little over 5 years ago, I posted this piece about socialism.  It is interesting to see how things have developed since that date.  Socialism is a poisonous fruit that grows on the vine and can look so enticing.  If we pick it and consume it, it will destroy us.  If we simply ignore it…it will die on the vine and wither.

 

https://centerlineright.blogspot.com/2021/02/socialism-vs-capitalism.html

 

As I have repeatedly written before…wrap it up and bring our soldiers back home…

 

https://freebeacon.com/columns/how-trump-can-avoid-the-vietnam-trap/

 

There is a lifetime between now and the next presidential election; but things will heat up significantly once the mid-term elections are concluded.  At this point in time, I must say that J.D. Vance is not ready for prime time.  He has served in his VP role respectfully; but to me…he shows no indication of maturing sufficiently to assume the top job.

 

https://nypost.com/2026/07/18/opinion/michael-goodwin-vances-statements-on-israel-consipiracy-theories-should-bar-him-from-being-gop-nominee-in-2028/

 

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-jd-vance-experience/

 

As he is oftentimes wont to do…Trump has desensitized the public to the critical issue of election integrity.  He talks too much about it, he personalizes it, and he fails to seriously approach it in substantial and legislative fashion.  The SAVE Act is a good start, but put 2020 in the closet.  Donald…stop looking backwards and start looking forward!  I am no fan of the mainstream media, but I do not fault them for not covering the President’s recent prime-time address regarding election integrity.

 

https://reason.com/2026/07/17/election-vulnerability/

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-china-u-s-voter-registration-files-state-by-state/

 

https://thefederalist.com/2026/07/17/after-birthplace-citizenship-ruling-china-wont-need-hackers-to-meddle-in-us-elections/

 

Our Congress is in a bad place.  There is an ocean of separation between our two national parties and it is filled with venom, spite, and a total lack of ethics or statesmanship.  We can only hope that with no incumbency element in the next presidential election, perhaps we will soon see new leadership in both parties that will begin to return us to some sense of normalcy and competence in our Legislative Branch of government.

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/whats-wrong-with-congress/