Looking ahead for this nation and world is…unsettling, at best. It is now a bit over six months to the mid-term elections. Six months is a lifetime in politics; but the tea leaves are beginning coalesce and give us an idea of how those elections might turn out.
Even
though it has been essentially crowded out of the headlines, the Russia/Ukraine
war continues unabated. The daily
carnage has apparently reached a level of normality for the mainstream media
that makes it unworthy of headlines…but the evil abides with us. The Iran conflict is headed somewhere…just
hard to say where. The ever-changing
updates from the White House are leaving everyone guessing as to who is doing
what to whom, who is running the show in Iran, and precisely what is the end
game of the Trump Administration in this battle of will, rockets, planes, ships,
bombs, and bluster. Canada, France, and
China appear to be closer together than America, NATO, and the North American
continent. The USA is shooting manned
spaceships to the moon and we are hearing about military weapons that
heretofore have only been mentioned in science fiction. Hardly a day goes by without some new AI-created
marvel being unveiled. Our Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) has been unfunded for weeks now, but no one seems to
notice anymore. The Democrat Party’s
rhetoric is getting cruder and this coarsening of the legislative process has spurred
our infantile President to lower himself to their level in words, deeds, and
thoughts. The Supreme Court of the
United States is torn apart by partisan rancor and rife with unethical leaks
that are destroying its credibility. Our
national economy, like the international economy, is struggling with the ever-present
uncertainty that continually ebbs and flows.
And in the midst of all this chaos and turmoil…the band plays on.
Even
now, given all the above-mentioned madness that surrounds our country and the
world, there appears to be an underlying sense of muted optimism that is unspoken.
It feels to me like a pent-up urge to build something, expand something,
buy something, make a career change, or set up a new business. Democrats don’t address it because anything
positive in nature might possibly benefit Donald Trump. Republicans don’t talk about it because they
are dysfunctional, at war with each other, fearful of being labeled “Trump Toadies”, and essentially content
to play political defense rather than partisan offense. What does all of this tell us about the
upcoming midterms? There are a few
scenarios and each has a reasonable chance of occurring. Let us consider a couple of them.
Best
case for Trump and the Republicans. The Iran conflict wraps up in the next month with
the crippled and neutered Iranian radical leadership still in charge…but
powerless in military capability, impotent in an economic sense, and reeling
from a stinging defeat with civil unrest boiling. American forces come home, the straits are
once again open to free shipping, Israel is content with the lessened threat
they must daily face, and far more extensive and costly conflict is ultimately
avoided. Trump realizes that stirring up
a hot mess in Cuba prior to the mid-terms does not make a lot of political
sense and somehow manages to stifle that ambition until next year. The economy begins to bloom with optimistic attitudes
based on positive activity; interest rates remain flat or possibly drop a bit;
unemployment remains stable or decreases; inflation is steady with a tilt
towards decline; and the non-stop riffing that seems to flow from the Trump
Administration is strangely muted, thus permitting people to judge current
events for themselves. Given this big exhale
of relief by the American populace…the Republicans hold the Senate, maintain their
slim majority in the House, disjointed Congressional legislative efforts
continue in fits and starts, and the government finds an acceptable rhythm that
gives the impression of competence and proper function. President Trump is content to build ballrooms
and paint swimming pools, while Republicans tout a robust economy with great
potential. With Republicans in control
of the White House and Congress, we barrel into a free-wheeling political
circus over the next two years where both national political parties will
choose their future leader and their future policy direction.
Best
case for the Democrats.
Trump’s “on again, off again”
series of Iranian cease fires and negotiations continue into the summer with a simmering
aspect that looks promising, but offers no tangible evidence of real…and final…success. If it comes to an end at all, it will be
wholly unsatisfying and anti-climatic, leaving more questions than answers. No sooner is the US presence removed from the
Middle East than the new talk about regime change in Cuba is fired up and this
becomes Trump’s quest du jour.
Republican disunity in Congress fails to fund DHS, the legislative
process stalls, and the carnival atmosphere surrounding the Legislative and
Executive branches continues unabated. The
mainstream media is obsessed with international relations and the degrees to
which our alliances are improved or damaged…with most emphasis being placed on
the damage. Without any relief from
daily conflict and tension, the economy remains unsettled with energy market
uncertainty holding up or even slightly increasing inflation rates. Economic performance is lukewarm at best and
is effectively…and fairly…laid directly at the feet of President Trump. The Republicans manage to hold a slim Senate
majority, but surrender House control to the Democrats with a small, but larger
than current, majority with which to operate.
Divided government is once again the rule of the land, and the House
Democrats are ready to roll…indicting, investigating, impeaching, legislating
dead-end bills with no prospect of Senate passage, and basically bringing any
semblance of routine legislative function to a screeching halt. For the next two years leading up to the
presidential election of 2028, there will be nothing in Congress but the unmitigated
partisan warfare that we have seen glimpses of before, but never with the scope
and intensity that will be forthcoming.
The unquenchable TDS disorder of the Democrats will be all consuming and
the frustration and lame-duck status of our President will lead him into some
of the worst presidential behavior we have seen in decades.
It
is beyond foolish for anyone, especially a uniformed hack like me, to
prognosticate about what the next couple of years hold for this nation and its
government. Goodness knows the
intricacies and complexities of the upcoming political and global dynamics are
entirely impossible to predict with any degree of accuracy; and they hold the
potential for any number of outcomes…none
of them purely good or bad. But
think for yourself. Consider the
political gamesmanship that we experienced in the last two years of the first
Trump Administration, the corruptive abuse of power and rank incompetence we
witnessed during the Biden Administration, and now look at the gaping/raging/incoherent/out of control
partisan divide that currently exists in our country. Is either one of the two scenarios really
that unreasonable or bizarre?
With
either scenario in play, America is in for an extended period of raucous political
theatre. Each national party is going to
struggle through an internal civil war that not only determines their next
presidential nominee; it will also largely determine the very future of their
parties. These two individual struggles
will then setup the penultimate decision facing this nation in the next
presidential election. A lot of dramatic and consequential history
will be made over the next two and half years in our country. We should all choose wisely.
------------------------------------------
The
Iranian conflict is facing an age old dilemma…how do you negotiate with madmen
and what is the fair price of freedom and security?
https://amgreatness.com/2026/04/19/the-geopolitics-of-epic-fury/
https://www.zinebriboua.com/p/the-iran-question-is-all-about-china
https://amgreatness.com/2026/04/23/how-iran-committed-suicide/
An
interesting and consequential aspect of the Iranian conflict is how it will
undoubtedly trigger a reassessment of our global alliances. Who is our friend? Who is our enemy? Who is reliable and valuable? Who is weak and malleable? Most importantly…who
can we trust?
https://amgreatness.com/2026/04/20/sanchez-lenin-and-global-opposition-to-trump/
https://amgreatness.com/2026/04/16/its-time-to-rethink-nato/
An
elephant in the room that no one wants to address is the absolute,
irresponsible, unforgiveable, and profligate spending of federal tax dollars by
our elected officials from both national parties. They spend too much and lie constantly about
it. They are fiddling while Rome is
burning around them. The only difference
between the two is the causes they choose to overspend on.
Education…Education…Education
https://jamesgmartin.center/2026/04/in-praise-of-the-4-4-load/
I
am about to line up a series of links that offer us a glimpse into how
Democrats like to govern. But before I
do that, I want to link this first article to establish the fact that the
Republicans are certainly as capable of government corruption as are the
Democrats. The difference between the
two that I see is the simple fact that the depth, width, frequency, and
competence to execute abuse of federal authority is so much greater in the
Democrat Party than it is in the Republican Party. Both parties have corruptive elements…but in
the Democrat Party, it is far more pervasive and tolerable. You can judge for yourselves.
And
now the Democrats…
Their vision…
https://victorhanson.com/all-the-dream-houses-of-the-left/
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5830141-socialist-mayors-struggle-delivering/
In the realm of justice…
Trump Derangement Syndrome…
How they portray themselves as
moderates when running for office and then once elected, boldly pursue their
progressive goals…
Gerrymandering is messed up. President Trump started this whole deal with
his irresponsible rant about Texas redistricting. As I said before…if you want to fight the
Democrats in the corruption arena, you are going to lose every time. Trump should have kept his mouth shut.
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/florida-pump-the-brakes/
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/04/on-the-virginia-referendum.php
The Democrats have always had a big
advantage because of their dark sources of cash and mainstream media support. Occasionally, the curtain gets pulled back
and we get a glimpse of how we are deceived and manipulated…
https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/04/manufacturing-racism/
https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/todd-blanche-splc-indictment/2026/04/23/id/1253912/
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/04/a-look-back-at-the-splc.php
Here
are four quick hits in closing.
History is controlled by those who
hold the writing instrument…
https://americanmind.org/salvo/who-owns-american-history/
It is always fascinating to see how
the ultimate arbiter of American justice operates behind the scenes…
Peace through strength is
essential…
https://americanmind.org/memo/how-the-u-s-can-restore-its-arsenal/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-rearms-iran-ceasefire-advanced-munitions-supplies/
Behold the sticky wicket that is
gun control…
https://reason.com/2026/04/17/the-gun-debate-hasnt-changed-in-500-years/
