It is fantastic that Democrats will have so many new faces entering congress in January 2019; the midterm elections were extraordinary for us and that accomplishment, rightfully, should be celebrated! It is understandable that those fresh young, new faces coming in feel that they have a mandate and want to see changes made in the party but it is imperative that, in their enthusiasm, they do not jump to conclusions and ruin their opportunities to make real change…Democrats have an infamous reputation for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. They must stop their bickering now! Nancy Pelosi must be reelected as Speaker of the House! Why? Because she is experienced and smart and Republican House members under the leadership of the House Minority Leader – with the aid of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, will not be able to outmaneuver her politically.
Ever since Nancy Pelosi became House Speaker she has always delivered for the Democrats. She has demonstrated time and again that she has the will power and determination – cojones? or some other ‘manly’ term in this powerful (mostly white) man’s world of the US House and Senate – to keep party members in line. And in the past whenever she has said that she had the votes to pass legislation her word has proven true. If the House should decide that they want to replace (hopefully) future Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi then that is fine. Leader Pelosi has already indicated that she is amenable to that. But now is not the time to squabble about replacing her because Democrats desperately need her leadership and guidance. No one in the party will be more effective in dealing with Mr. Trump, Senate Majority Leader McConnell and the House Minority Leader. And House Democrats should immediately stop trying to force her into an agreement that delineates exactly when she will yield her power and pass the torch to a younger leader.
At this point, there are so many things that need to be addressed that were overlooked while the Republicans, who cast aside all of their oversight responsibilities and abdicated all of their power to Mr. Trump, were in power. Because they were completely frightened by Mr. Trump and his base – in their desire to be reelected, they let him run rampant and do whatever he wanted to do including siding with President Vladimir Putin against his own intelligence agencies and working with president Putin to sell America and her best interests down the river. Whether wittingly or unwittingly they became pawns in helping president Putin to weaken NATO, America and her allies.
It is frightening to watch Mr. Trump ignore long-held American norms and traditions that were followed by virtually all of the other American presidents who held office. It is even more frightening when we consider what is happening in the south – due in large part to Chief Justice John Roberts’ and other conservative Supreme Court Justices decisions to gut the Voting Rights Act – in places like Georgia and Florida where voting rights are being trampled and to see that this type of governing has spread to places in the Midwest with a prime example being Kansas.
The recent U.S. senate election in Mississippi between sitting Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, who is a proven racist and her challenger Mike Espy, provides a prime example of the direction in which Mr. Trump is working hard to lead America. Mr. Trump threw his full support behind Ms. Hyde-Smith and attended a rally in Mississippi to help get her elected. Ms. Hyde-Smith garnered a large percentage of the votes during the runoff election on her way to victory. It is my opinion that it is fair to use an analogy that compares Mississippi to an addict whether that someone is on legal or illegal drugs. Until that someone is willing to accept that they have a problem, admit that they need help and be open to accepting that help, then no one will be able to help them. In other words, if Mississippi is not amenable to willingly entering the twenty-first century and leaving their past in the past, then America must be extremely cognizant as to how much time and energy she is willing to expend in trying to drag Mississippi, while kicking and screaming, there!
A lot of negative things have happened in America since Mr. Trump was elected. His administration is rife with scandals and many other elected Republican officials in leadership positions around the country are emulating him because, with the example that he is setting, they feel that they can get away with it. Many people in this country are frustrated with our politicians and leaders around the world have lost respect for America. For a perfect example of how much respect that world leaders have lost for America, just reflect on the visual of Saudi Prince MBS and Russia President Vladimir Putin smiling and giving each other a high-five hand shake at the G-20 conference. Then look closely at the still picture of Mr. Trump and President Putin as Mr. Trump passes by him. President Putin’s eyes tell the true story of his disdain for Mr. Trump and America. Look at the expression on his face then look very closely at his eyes. America and the world need a strong and honorable American president: a president whose word carries power and the full support of the American people and an honorable American congress.
Under the leadership of all of the American presidents in history, no country would have so blatantly disrespected America as did Russia and Saudi Arabia at the G-20 conference! America must fix this problem! We can fix it through always fulfilling our civic responsibilities, which includes voting. We can vote in a president who will put America above money and his personal interest. So remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!
Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line