It’s only the midterm election, that off year election between presidential election years. When the out of power political party has historically regained seats in Congress. But this year is not like the other years. Because this off-year election in the middle of Trump 2.0.
In the confusion that has been Trump 2.0 (Donald Trump’s second term after his 2024 election win), Trump seems to have put into play a few things he learned and a few friends who came to Washington to to help him.
Social media has been innundated with posts encouraging voters to cast their ballots. They warn: “Don’t assume your vote is not needed when all the polls indicate disatisfaction with the Trump Administration. Don’t be lazy, get out and vote or stay home and fill out your ballot and vote early!”*
But why? Are we voting because we are dissatisfied with higher prices for gas, food, healthcare and fuel? Are we voting because a careless President initiated a “Forever War” that he himself campaigned against? And don’t forget the careless violence practiced by ICE. Isn’t that enough? No, not really.
These dissatisfactions would be reason enough in a normal presidency, but people have been warning that Trump and his allies have deeper and more long-lasting goals: changing the nature of American democracy. In the same way that current world leaders like Erdogan, Putin, Orban began as democratically elected leaders who steadily destroyed their countries’ democratic institutions.
The goal is not simply to centralize and to use political and armed forces to stay in power. In Trump 2.0, his advisors appear to have an agenda drawn up by the Heritage Foundation, a think tank. But it would appear that Projecr 2025 has roots in the Southern Manifesto, drawn up some 70 years ago by Southern senators and congressmen in objection to the growing Civil Rights Movement. The Southern Manifesto sought to preserve white supremacy. Project 2025 holds to the same vision, with objections to immigrants, gender and lgbtq+ rights.
To gather and consolidate the power to achieve these backward transformations, Project 2025 proposes a theory of a unitary executive (president) who holds and wields power without Congressional or judicial restraint. The dictatorship is designed to change the nature of American society. To move it backward. To undo the work of the civil rights movement.
In a community so diverse as to provide numerous examples of food, fellowship and (of course) different cultures, one gets accustomed to vibrant colors and different landscapes in life. Personally, to return to a monochromatism of the l950’s would be more than tiresome. It would be suppressive.
Yes, Trump 2.0 is alarming in its steady march toward an authoritarian government that stifles freedom of speech, freedom of movement and freedom of the press. The fact that it disguises and distracts from a world where powerful men comit crimes against children, where armed and unidentified ICE agents kill civilians, where the right to peaceful protest is no longer guaranteed. And against the free press that tries to keep us informed.
Do Congressional Republicans and the members of the judiciary who have supported the policies of Trump 2.0 carry these motivations? It is clear where the MAGA voting base stands. What is undetermined is whether the Congressional Republicans, the state Republicans and the rank and file carry these motivations.
It has never been demonstrated that the Republican Party disagrees with their President.
Do we want to take the chance and find out?
So, why are you waiting? Go vote.
*The images above were taken from posts by The Other 98% (Shea Jordan) and Being Liberal, both on Facebook.