VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

In the 2024 presidential election…

Like your life depends upon it…

It does!

There are only 21 days left until election day 2024 and coward Republicans are giving it everything they have got to die, at least, a thousand-and-one times.  They want to show the entire world that Shakespear came up short on his “…cowards die a thousand times” thing.  And they are likely thinking, 21 days is more than enough for us to claim the record: Shakespeare ain’t got nothin’ on us!

Some of these cowards are truly corrupt, some just want to retain their job (a.k.a., in this case, power), some are conflicted and unable to break the cycle of their ambivalence, and all of them are scared sh**less of Trump.  Then, there are those who are simply lovable reprobates.  They have proven that they are not scared sh**less of Trump by virtue of some of the things they have said about him and/or done to prevent him from winning the 2024 election.

Still, they just cannot bring themselves to vote against him due to their loyalty to Party; after all, Trump is a Republican.  Enter Senator Mitt Romney.  Is Senator Romney a lovable reprobate?  If he is, there are at least a few other coward Republicans like him.  Sorry, Mitt Romney supporters – I like Mitt Romney too and believe that he is a good person – but I must list him among the cowards.  I must do this because, unlike Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, no matter the reason, he did not stand on principles and uphold his oath of office; even when democracy is at stake!

I said that there are a few other Republicans like Mitt Romney but there is only one that immediately comes to mind and that is – sorry, fellow Democrats who might think that I have completely lost my mind, former president George W. Bush.  Good Ole “W.”  Fromer president Bush has remained completely silent and off the radar.  With democracy at stake, his voice, and the voices of other Republicans like him, would be of invaluable help in the push to get Kamala Harris and Tim Walz elected and assure that America remains a democracy!

Unfortunately, even though Trump is openly threatening to take retribution against his political enemies, unfriendly news media, and virtually anyone who has criticized him and failed to bend the knee, kiss his…ring and yield to his will, these Republicans have failed to do all that they can do legally and without violence to help assure that he will never be president or hold any public office again!  I specifically say “legally and without violence” because Trump is already widely publicly projecting what his campaign is doing and what he is saying that he will do if elected, onto Democrats.

The race is tight!  To be frank, everyone knows that if the situation were reversed and Donald J. Trump had everything going for him that Vice President Kamala Harris has going for her and Vice President Harris had everything going against her that Trump has going against him, it would be as if the word “tight,” or any synonym did not exist.  For all intent and purposes, the 2024 race for president would already be over before even one ballot was counted.

Why?  We all know that misogyny and racism still exist in America.  And we also know that, just beneath the surface, it is prevalent.  While right now it is bubbling just beneath the surface and remains there because the American people, with the assistance of the American government, have worked and continue to work to keep it there, Trump is stirring it up for his personal benefit.  He is doing this because even though he is benefiting from it as is, his political calculus seems to be that it will work even better for him if it is on the surface and agitated by his harsh rhetoric.

To the lovable reprobates; I get it.  And from what I have observed, there are plenty of other Democrats who get it.  You want to “keep your voice” in the Republican Party.  Hopefully, you mean the new Republican Party that can possibly be built on the foundation of the pre-Trump Republican Party and not Trump’s Party.  Because in Trump’s Party, there is no doubt that you would have no voice.

I would love to see a post-Trump Republican Party, headed by Liz Cheney – since she was the first to stand on her principles, step forward, uphold her oath of office and stand up to Trump and say no – that would do battle with Democrats.  Because, headed by Liz Cheney and filled with the other strong Republican women…and trickle of men that stood with her, Americans could be sure that there would be civil discourse to resolve problems, without violence, that would be based on sound principles and the Constitution.

America needs a healthy two-party system of government.  Of course, the lovable reprobates should have a voice in this new Republican Party and the building of it.  But, because of their wavering resolve “at their times of challenge and controversy,” their voices would be suspect…as one would expect that they should be.

A return to a healthy two-Party system will be great in the future.  However, emphasis must be placed on “in the future.”  Americans must deal with our current situation now!  And right now, America is faced with a binary decision.  In 21 days, the American people must decide whether we want to remain a democracy or become an authoritarian country that is ruled by a dictator.

If we make the decision to elect Trump as president, there will be no future with the possibility to rebuild the Republican Party and a healthy two-Party system.  That system cannot exist in an authoritarian country; at least, it cannot have a meaningful existence.  Accordingly, I remind all Americans again that Donald Trump has said that he wants to be a dictator: We should take him at his word.  Although he has tried to distance himself from it lately, the complete plan as to how he would rule going forward if he is elected is laid out in “Project 2025.”  We have the power to prevent this from happening with our collective vote!

So, always 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, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

In the 2024 presidential election…

Like your life depends upon it…

It does!

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is pathetic!  He is second in line to the presidency in the presidential order of succession and he couldn’t even bring himself to denounce the rhetoric of Donald J. Trump and members of his family who blamed Democrats for the attempted assignation of Trump.  His response to the anchor of This Week, George Stephanopoulos, when asked if he supports the following statement by Eric Trump was contemptable: “They impeached him twice.  They went after his Supreme Court justices.  They weaponized the entire legal system.. And then, guys, they tried to kill him.  They tried to kill him, And it’s because the Democratic Party, they can’t do anything right.”

According to ABC News, here is Speaker Johnson’s response.  “I think what they’re alluding to is what we’ve all been saying.  They have got to turn the rhetoric down.”  [He added, I] “didn’t hear all the comments.”  He Continued, “For years now the leading Democrats in this country, the – the highly – highest elected officials and the current nominee for president have gone out and said that Donald Trump is a threat to democracy. … It’s absolute nonsense.  And they have incited dangerous people to do dangerous things.” …”We need to all look at these things in full context.  What they’re referring to, though, is the absolute open attacks that have been engaged by Democrats against President Trump since the day he came down that golden escalator in 2016.”

The This Week anchor continued to push back, ‘“I don’t know what more context you need, Stephanopoulos responded, reading the quote from Eric Trump.”’  According to ABC News Speaker Johnson then responded, “George, I’m not going to parse the language what people say at rallies.  I could give you pages and pages of crazy comments by the leading Democrats in this country.  That’s not what this is about.  We have talked about the greatest collection of challenges that this country is facing, probably since World War II, maybe the Civil War.”

There were a few more pitiful excuses that Speaker Johnson offered in his response but the gist of what he said is captured in the preceding paragraphs.  To give ABC News full credit, virtually all the information in those paragraphs, beginning with the Eric Trump quote, was taken verbatim from their recent article entitled, “Johnson punts on GOP rhetoric, 2020 election outcome.”  I chose this method of presenting this information to you so that you would get the full impact of how Speaker Johnson, the person who is second in line to the presidency, responded in the event that you did not read this ABC News article.  His response was ludicrous!

If you are not familiar with Speaker Johnson and his record in congress, especially over the past few years, you should become familiar with them.  They will help you to better understand why you should be sure to vote in the 2024 presidential election and encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same.  Democrats need a sweep to be sure that America will remain a Democracy.  Trump does not hide the fact that he admires and respects strongmen around the world and he has said that he wants to be a dictator… but just for one day.  He has talked about suspending the Constitution and, even now, talks about giving police officers “one day, just one day” to be “rough, real rough” with those who he believes have broken the law.  And based on Trump’s record for lying, the “one day” rhetoric is meaningless.  It is pablum and gaslighting of the American people at its worst!

The Republican Party as we know it no longer exists.  It has been taken over root and branch by Donald J. Trump and is now the Trump Republican Party.  There are members in Trump’s Republican Party who pine for the pre-Trump Grand Ole Party and, though they know that it no longer exists, use it as cover for their cowardice as leaders.  They say things like “I want to keep my voice in the Republican Party” – one can only hope that they are referring to the pre-Trump Party, and provide other pitiful excuses even though the American democracy is at stake.

These Republicans are spineless and travel in whichever direction the wind or current carries them.  Being spineless does not necessarily mean that they are bad people.  But it does mean that they should not be leaders!  True leadership roles have no room for those with mollusk characteristics that will allow them the ability to ooze through the slightest crack in the wall then morph into any convenient shape when on the other side of it!  America needs leaders who “in times of challenge and controversy” stand on principles and truth and uphold the Constitution, not those who exhibit mollusk characteristics during these times to manufacture “moments of comfort and convenience for themselves!”

Donald J. Trump, the former The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, has Republicans froze with fear.  A few brave Republicans, a trickle of men but mostly women, have avoided this fear.  They have stepped up, stood up to Trump and said, no more; we will no longer tolerate your lies, hate-mongering and distain for the truth and rule of law.  These Republicans have resolved to work with Democrats to save democracy while looking forward toward the future and the opportunity to forge a healthy Republication Party built on the foundation of the one that they lost to Trump:  To establish a new Republican Party that will foster, once again, a healthy two-Party system.

To those Republicans who are cowards who put forward excuses to not stand up to Donald Trump and failed to stand with these brave Republican women… and trickle of men; shame on you!  Election day 2024 is less than a month away but there is still time for you to step up, uphold your oath of office, and be the leaders that you were elected to be.  So, I leave you with these words of Thomas Payne to encourage you and inspire you to do the right thing.  “Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.”

We, the American people, have the power to remove those from office who are unwilling to undergo the fatigue of supporting freedom; that power is in each person’s vote!  Do not waste your power by not getting out to vote, not picking one of the candidates for president on the ballot, writing in a name for president, or leaving the top of the ticket blank!  Every vote matters!  So always 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, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

In the 2024 presidential election…

Like your life depends upon it…

It does!

If things continue to go for Trump in the U.S. justice system the way that they have gone for him throughout his entire life, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will need to change its mantra.  Or perhaps I should say that it will need to change several of them: Donald J. Trump has never been held to account for any of the wrong things that he has done; not really.  I say that he has not been held to account for “any,” wrong things based on public comments by his niece, Mary Trump.  But speaking specifically about the U.S. justice system, I have watched him avoid accountability for at least eight years now.  And that is why I say that the DOJ will need to change its mantra(s).

I have listened to Attorney General Merrick Garland try to assure the American people that the law applies to everyone in America equally.  I have heard him say things like: 1) No one is above the law, 2) We will apply the law without fear or favor, 3) We will pursue the facts wherever they take us.  Federal judges and other judges in the lower courts have echoed his words. And most of those saying these things are probably serious and mean them.

However, when it comes to how the system actually works and applying those mantras in the real-world U.S. judicial system, it’s not happening.  Their mantras are meaningless because their words are hollow and, therefore, fall short.  This is especially glaring in Donald J. Trump’s case.  That is why the mantras might need to be changed.  Perhaps they could say 1) No one is above the law except Donald J. Trump 2) We will apply the law without fear or favor except if the target of the investigation or defendant is Donald J. Trump and 3) We will pursue the facts wherever they take us except if these facts implicate or involve Donald J. Trump.

Trump Trumps the justice system!  He is the Joker in the deck where Jokers are wild!  So, if things are not going his way, he Trumps the proceedings, switches the suit to the suit that favors the hand he is holding, then moves forward and claims the victory.  Not only does he Trump the justice system, he does the same thing to the judicial system.  It seems that he has the entire judicial system sitting anxiously panting in front of him while eagerly awaiting any command so they can carry it out as quickly and efficiently as possible.  And for those who are not postured to anticipate and grant his wishes, it appears that he has the Supreme Court in line to watch his back and apply its full weight to assure, to the greatest extend possible, that things go his way.  And, of course, the packaging for this whole thing is Republicans in the U.S. Congress that worked tirelessly to put the Supreme Court Justices and other Trump-friendly Federal and lower-level judges in place.

Trump has shown America and the world time-and-time again who he is.  He has shown those who support him who he is and they should know that he does not care anything about them.  “I am the chosen one,” he said.  And as the “chosen one” he expects all his supporters to be completely loyal to him and protect him at all costs.  If they fail to do this even one time, no matter the situation that they are in, at his discretion, he will completely trash them and possibly completely ruin their lives and careers if they do not kiss his ring and beg for his forgiveness.  Even if he accepts them back into the fold after their kowtowing, his record says that he will still never let them forget that they failed him and will toy with them at his whim.

Subconsciously, I could not help but to contemplate while writing, how this article would impact those reading it.  So, I took a step back and took some time to try to view what I had written thus far from the perspective of those individuals, especially Republicans, because I thought; if the situation were reversed and someone wrote this about a Democrat and implied that a Democratic congress was somehow corrupt, as a Democrat, would I be upset?  Would I shutdown, stop reading, begin thinking about how biased the author is and move on to something else without giving reasonable consideration to what they had written?  And my thoughts were, probably yes…if I were not the kind of guy who strives to keep abreast on issues and whose experience has taught him to dig deeper and try to see things from the perspective of those that I disagree with.

So that is what I am asking those of you who disagree with what I have written so far to do.  Find a way to get through this article, you might learn something.  I know that I have learned and become more willing to seek common ground after earnestly listening to points of view that I did not want to hear and/or reading opinions of those whom I consider to be inherent adversaries.  And by “seriously” listening, I mean not just hearing the noise of their words while contemplating the cons that I would respond with.  I mean truly listening and hearing what they were saying, processing those things while placing myself in their shoes, and trying to see things from their perspective.  In this case, of course, that concept would need to be applied from the standpoint of written words.

So, here is my question to you and why I ask It followed by my rationale for why I ask it and urge you to support Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for President and Vice President, respectively, in the 2024 presidential election.  First, my question: Why would you vote for Trump if you know his record; and if you do not know it, don’t you think that you should know it to make an informed decision to vote for or against him?  I ask this question because of Trump’s personal record throughout his adult life including his record as a politician.  It is rife with vile things.  Things that involve personal characteristics and faults that are reasonably unacceptable to society – especially if that person is a politician, let alone one who is running to be President of the United States of America.

I know Trump’s record well and find it impossible for me to vote for him or anyone like him to be President of the United States of America; a position that demands the ability to accept responsibility, admit to mistakes, a belief in the rule of law, truth, justice, fairness, love of one’s fellow man, empathy, compassion, love of democracy, the peaceful transfer of power after losing an election, and much more.  Trump’s record is the antithesis of all these things.  That is why you should vote for Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz in the 2024 presidential election to be President and Vice President of the United States of America.

Finally, I will take the liberty to paraphrase former Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake; Republicans, if you vote for Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz in the 2024 presidential election, you are not a Democrat, you are a patriot!  So always 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, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

In the 2024 presidential election…

Like your life depends upon it…

It does!

What on God’s green earth is happing to America in this 2024 presidential election?!  Exactly who is the devil stirring up and why are they spewing such hateful venom?  Sure, the devil is going to take his pound of flesh in everything that goes on in this world whether it is politics or anything else that is happening in it; and he does not discriminate.  It does not matter to him whether you are a Democrat, Republican, Independent, man, women, boy or girl.  It does not matter your hue; Black, White, brown, red, yellow or whatever.  It does not matter whether you are Jew or gentile; Agnostic, Atheist, Buddhist, Catholic, or Christan.

This is not meant to imply that God is siding with Democrats and not Republicans or Vice President Kamala Harris and not Donald J. Trump, who claims to be “the chosen one;” I do not presume to know the slightest thing about such a complex subject.  It is too lofty for me.  But I do know that He is not siding with the devil no matter who is involved!  And I broach the subject simply because evangelicals have somehow become all but inextricably entangled in 2024 presidential race politics and so many in their congregations are saying that God is using Trump to accomplish His divine purposes.  I will not even venture to express an opinion on whether they are right or wrong to help inform you one way or the other because, again, this subject is too lofty for me.

Still, I will talk about Trump, the electoral college, this tight 2024 presidential race, the coward Republicans, and the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), which is bending over backwards and twisting itself into a political pretzel to help Trump out. I will talk about this to encourage those who still believe that the situation America is in is just politics as usual and we are in no real danger, to reconsider and reassess their conclusions.   It is important that all Americans take a real close look at America’s situation because its very democracy is at stake.  Under the existing circumstances, Party affiliation should be the least of our concerns and our country must be our primary concern.

There is much to fear in what is happening in America right now but it does not mean that we should be so froze by that fear that it prevents us from functioning mentally.  We must not allow it to prevent us from preforming our civic duty, especially when that is what is required to save America; to save our democracy!  Leaders of both major political parties have made serious choices that will bring about major changes in how our country will be run going forward.  In some cases, the choices one party has made are diametrically opposed to those of the other: and they are tectonic!  On one side of the choices argument is those who want America to remain a democracy and on the other is Trump and the Trump-led Republicans who want to remain in power at all costs even if those costs include the American democracy!

Trump has already said that he will be a dictator on day one, that if he is elected people will never need to vote again, and that he does not need any more votes in this 2024 presidential election.  Even though Trump is already a felon and is awaiting sentencing in the Hush Money Case against him in New York, is faced with myriad other legal woes, including 34 felony counts still being litigated, the Classified Documents Case against him in Florida, the Election Interference case against him in Washington, the Attorney General Letitia James Civil Case against him in New York, the Anti-Racketeering Case against him in Georgia, the race between him and Vice President Kamala Harris is still very close.

Elected Republicans in many states throughout the country are fighting to make it harder for legitimate voters to vote.  Those they appointed to fill key positions to support the elections process are trying to force last minute changes to this process in some states to favor Trump during the state election process and/or clog the system to the point that the states vote count might not reach the electoral college in time to be counted.  Although the Georgia Attorney General advised the Election Board not to do this because it is highly likely to be found to be illegal, they made the changes anyway.  Though Georgia Governor Briam Kemp agrees with him, neither he nor the attorney general have acted to do anything about it.  Under these circumstances, combined with Trump’s statement that he does not need any more votes, it is reasonable for voters to surmise that he intends to win by unfairly manipulating the electoral college votes count.

Based on Trump’s rhetoric during the 2020 presidential race about letting the election of the president go to the Congress for a decision and/or letting that decision be finally decided by the Supreme Court, it seems reasonable to surmise that Congress and the Supreme Court is his backup plan in the event that the unfairly manipulated electoral college plan does not work.  Since most of the elected Republicans who are not determined to remain in power at all costs are cowards, a few brave Republicans have spoken up, to surmise that Trump intends to win based on means other than fairly securing the requisite number of votes required to become president is only reinforced.

The American people deserve better!  We deserve better than someone who is constantly playing the part of the victim, verbally denigrating America, her institutions, and those who, at great sacrifice, protect America and her people with honor from enemies foreign and domestic.  We deserve better than someone who looks upon these great patriots as losers and suckers and refers to himself, obviously only for political purposes, to American women as their protector and to American men and women who support him as their retribution against other Americans.

We deserve better than someone who says they will suspend the Constitution, jail their political enemies, and suggests jailing those who dare to criticize SCOTUS justices.  And finally, we deserve a president who will pull Americans together instead of dividing us by continuously spewing words of hate, prejudice, and despair.  We need a president who is looking forward to the future and not backwards toward the past.  Based on these criteria there is only one choice; Americans need “Kamala Harris-for the people.”

Vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 presidential election; every vote is crucial.  In the words of Georgia’s Republican former Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan when addressing other Republicans, “Let me be clear to my Republican friends at home: If you vote for Kamala Harris in 2024, you’re not a Democrat, you’re a patriot.”  Come on Republicans, you know what is the right thing to do… just do it!

So always 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, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

In the 2024 presidential election…

Like your life depends upon it…

It does!

SCOTUS shrugged: or did it?  Did the Supreme Court Of The United States shrug under the weight of Trump, his sycophants, and his “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement when, in essence, presented with the question; will the American people be willing to sacrifice whatever is necessary and fight for as long as it takes to preserve the American democracy?  Or did they, after being bolstered by the seating of the three new hand-picked Trump justices to the SCOTUS, just say no?  It seems fair to refer to these justices this way based on how Trump has bragged on them and referred to them as “my judges” and how the SCOTUS has made tectonic anti- stare decisis decisions, along partisan lines, since their appointment which seem to be based on nothing other than the supermajority established by their appointment.

Did the Supreme Court Justices make these decisions based on their personal feelings as to how they feel the country should be run rather than on the existing law of the land?  If not, why else would they make these kinds of decisions lightly without seriously considering, respecting, and honoring stare decisis; something that each of them emphatically claimed to deem of extreme importance in any decision to change proven, longstanding laws?  The SCOTUS has made no effort to help the American people to understand why they have made these decisions.  Instead, they have continued to make head scratching decisions that have raised the eyebrows of legal experts and the American people at large.  Yet, in their arrogance, they say that no other branch of government has the right or power to monitor them and continue to insist on monitoring themselves as regards their ethics and decisions.

As of the posting of this article, the 2024 presidential election is only 65 days away.  According to the polls, Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump are running neck-and-neck.  It is mindboggling that this is the case since Trump has so many things going against him.  He continues to fight to prevent any of the cases against him from going to trial before the election.  And so far, he is winning.  Much of his success can be attributed to the SCOTUS, whose supermajority seems to be pulling for him to be reelected, for slow-walking his appeal before ruling in his favor on “presidential immunity.”  Trump’s campaign is a mess, his running mate – J. D. Vance keeps digging the hole that he is already in deeper with his constant gaffs, and Trump, well, he continues to be Trump.  He is still lying, saying outlandish things, and he is even still breaking the law; e.g., his photo op at Arlington cemetery’s Section 60.

None of this outlandish talk and conduct should come as a surprise to the American people because of what Trump and all his sycophants have become; they’re just weird.  And this would be funny if the stakes were not so high.  Our democracy is at stake!  So, we all must stay focused and remember that their being weird does not make them any less dangerous!  As Kamala Harris – for the people says at many of her rallies, “we still have a lot of hard work to do!  But hard work is good work!”  And as working-class people, we know what hard work is.  And each of us takes pride in doing that work because we know who we are and we know that together with all middleclass people we are the backbone of America!

So, forget about what the polls are saying, whether they reflect positively or negatively for us and let’s get to work, work hard, and continue to work hard until we put Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz in the White House…and keep Trump out of serving in the government in any capacity in perpetuity; especially the White House.  The way to do this is with our vote.  So, always 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, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

In the 2024 presidential election…

Like your life depends upon it…

It does!

The Democratic National Convention, which was a resounding success, is over; Kamala Harris – for the people, and Tim Walz have accepted the nomination of the American people to be their nominees for president and vice president of the United States of America and Kamala Harris – for the people, has called us, the American people, to action.  So, in the words of former President Barrack Obama at the close of his convention speech, “lets get to work!  I’m starting by writing and posting this article to encourage E  V  E  R  Y  O  N  E to get out and vote in the 2024 presidential election; you must vote, before the polls close, by TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2024.

Just a few short weeks ago Democrats were deeply depressed because the Party seemed to be completely lost and in total shambles after President Joe Biden crashed and burned during his debate with the former The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America.  The former occupier of the Oval Office and all Republicans could not hide their glee after the debate.

The press had all but called the election, before ballots had even begun to be cast, for the former The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America.  They scourged President Biden and demeaned him with negative comments about his debate performance and declared Trump the winner while they winked at his total disregard for the truth in the comments he made, parried questions the hosts asked him and, instead, pivoted to subjects that he preferred to address.

The former The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, with his chin raised high, could not resist projecting an air of superiority; his self-proclaimed air of superiority that he feels is his birthright: not just an air of superiority over President Biden in this debate, but over everyone in every way.  After all, according to him, he is the chosen one.  Trump believes that his supporters should shield him from all harm and accusations leveled against him.  Unfortunately, and without doubt, President Biden had committed a major blunder that had gifted Trump and the Republican Party with a major campaign boost; as if they needed it.

The Democratic Party was in total disarray and the only way back from this debacle would be for a politician at the pinnacle of power to willingly cede that power to another politician which was completely unthinkable.  Democrats had good reason to be depressed and their Party leaders desperately searching for a positive way forward.  Democrats were in an untenable situation and Trump and the Republican Party knew it.  That is why they were so giddy after the Biden-Trump debate.  But in their giddiness, they failed to account for the Democratic Party’s secret weapon: love of country more than love of the job; love of principle more than an insatiable desire to cling to power.  These things were personified in the very man that the press skewered because he lost the debate; President Joe Biden.

And as if he knew this and sensed that to cede his power was exactly what he must do, President Biden did the unthinkable, he ceded his power to Vice President Kamala Harris.  The former The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and this new Trump-led Republican Party were taken totally by surprise because they had long ago abandoned all principles that they once held and, ostensibly, love of country more than love of power.  Now the Republican Party was completely discombobulated because their plan A, which was to wage a personal attack on President Biden in every way possible and malign all his policies, was suddenly obliterated and there was no plan B.

THANK YOU PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN.  WE LOVE YOU, JOE.  Thank you for your integrity and for being the decent and caring man that you have always been: thank you for standing on principle and placing country above your personal political ambition.  These Republicans were completely incapable of anticipating this move because they no longer espoused principles or honor; the only thing they have left now, so far, is power and their sheer determination to cling to it.  And when Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are elected president and vice president – then hopefully, they, like their leader who has experienced it already, will be removed from public office and never allowed the honor to serve again.  America deserves better!

What a difference three weeks make; 504 little hours!  In this short period of time Democrats went from complete despair to euphoria and a packed, energized Democratic National Convention while Republicans went from overwhelming giddiness to complete despair.  The script was totally flipped.  But Democrats cannot afford to rest on our laurels.  Speakers at the convention emphasized that this will still be a tight race and each of us must do their part to help assure that Democrats win this election so that democracy will be preserved.  And because democracy is on the ballot, that means that everything that it provides is on the ballot.

With this in mind, everyone should, no, must vote.  In the words spoken by former First Lady Michelle Obama at the convention, “do something”!  That means we should not only vote but we should encourage others to vote.  We should not wait to “get the call” from the campaign to make our contribution, whatever that might be, to help save democracy but we should do it of our own volition because America’s current situation demands it.  So always 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, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line

In my July 10, 2024 post  of this article to this website, I said that Justice Scalia “quoted from this toothless SCOTUS Code of Ethics to refuse to recuse from cases associated with the January 6, 2021 insurrection even though, according to him, his wife flew an upside-down American flag at one of their homes and an ‘Appeal to Heaven’ flag at another.”  The name “Scalia” was in error.  The name should have been “Alito.”  I apologize for the mistake.  This error was corrected concurrent with this apology.

Eulus Dennis

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

In the 2024 presidential election…

Like your life depends upon it…

It does!

The conservative supermajority in the Supreme Court has lost their minds.  One would think that after witnessing the chaos that they brought upon the country after they overturned Roe v. Wade that it would have given them pause about what they had done and motivated them to correct their course: but it did not.  Instead, because it appeared to them that they had gotten away with it, they continued to do asinine things, like overturning Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. and make asinine rulings, like in Trump v. United States.  It seems that they did this with the thought in mind that they would grab unfathomable power for themselves but let the lower courts figure out what they meant in their gobbledygook rulings and how to apply the gobbledygook to cases that come before them.

The SCOTUS even tried to take some of the heat off their backs caused by the scandalous behavior of some of its justices by using this gobbledygook to mitigate what were arguably, in essence, bribes taken by some SCOTUS justices.  E.g., in the case where they overturned the bribery conviction against ex-mayor of Portage Indiana James Snyder, they employed mumbo jumbo about gratuities and whether money or other gratuities are received before or after an action is taken to justify the SCOTUS’ ruling to overturn the Snyder ruling.  Whether intended or not, this ruling could eventually be used to mitigate past and potential future acceptance of “gratuities” by SCOTUS justices if not totally preclude the acceptance of “gratuities” by SCOTUS justices from being viewed as scandalous behavior.

While all of this was going on, Chief Justice John Roberts declined the request by a congressional committee for him to come testify, the SCOTUS created a Code of Ethics that has no enforcement apparatus, Justice Alito quoted from this toothless SCOTUS Code of Ethics to refuse to recuse from cases associated with the January 6, 2021 insurrection even though, according to him, his wife flew an upside-down American flag at one of their homes and an “Appeal to Heaven” flag at another, and now, the SCOTUS is on break until October 2024.  And, in the meantime, Democratic senators have sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking the Department of Justice to initiate a criminal investigation of Justice Clarence Thomas for violating ethics rules and tax laws and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has filed impeachment articles against Justices Thomas and Alito.

This will likely generate a ball of confusion on capitol hill as those who support Justices Thomas and Alito will circle the wagons around them and say that such an investigation and articles of impeachment are politically motivated nonsense.  Then, they will quote from the toothless SCOTUS Code of Ethics to emphasize their point.  My, my.  Whether they investigate Justice Thomas or whether they do not; whether Justice Alito recuses from cases associated with the January 6, 2021 insurrection or whether he does not, whether Chief Justice John Roberts finally agrees to testify before congress or whether he does not, why can’t the SCOTUS just adopt a Code of Ethics in line with those of all the other courts in the land?!  This would not be a magic wand to end the SCOTUS’ problems but it would go a long way toward solving them.  Ultimately – in summary, the job of the SCOTUS is to 1) Interpret and apply the Constitution, 2) Conduct judicial review, 3) Be the final arbiter of the law, and 4) Ensure equal justice under the law for all Americans.  Maybe solving their internal problems would help them to get back to these things.

Even if we consider the SCOTUS’ job based on the few items in the above summary, of course, it is much more complex than this and I am obviously over simplifying, the SCOTUS has suddenly veered far of course.  It has suddenly overturned longstanding (stare decisis?) seminal precedents when nothing on the SCOTUS has changed except the number of conservative justices; they have a supermajority.  No meaningful revelations in these longstanding rulings have occurred.  No genuine epiphany by anyone, relevant to the law, has transpired!  Sadly, the only reasonable conclusion that one can draw from this is that all the talk about the importance and baked-in meaningfulness of stare decisis in already decided cases that the last three justices appointed to the SCOTUS spouted during their confirmation hearings was, like that of the writings of the SCOTUS’ latest rulings, gobbledygook, and mumbo jumbo!

The bottom line is that Democrats need a sweep in the November 2024 presidential election.  They need to win the Presidency, House, and Senate and they need to win them with a significant majority.  And if they win, they must begin reform in the SCOTUS immediately.  They must rescind all the things that those who want to make America something other than a democracy have put into place.  This will begin to reestablish America as that city upon a hill and clear beacon of hope that she has always been and remains.  But because her light has been dimmed by the opaque stain that those who would prefer to have an autocrat or a king have applied to her, the American people must work hard to regain the trust of “all” Americans and democracies around the world.

We can do this!  However, to achieve it, Democrats need all American voters to get out and vote in this election.  I have no doubt that American voters will choose democracy over autocracy or a King.  It is important that you decide between the candidates on the ballot!  Do not write in the name of a candidate because that will be tantamount to sitting out the election!  So always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!  Vote in the 2024 presidential election…  Vote like your life depends upon it…  It does!

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

In the 2024 presidential election…

Like your life depends upon it…

It does!

Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) of America Justices are just politicians in black robes.  And now, the conservative (Republican) justices are fighting to crown Trump King of America.  It is reasonable to believe that these politicians are pulling for him to win the 2024 presidential election because they just ruled in his favor in Trump v. United States: They granted him complete immunity for all acts that he took while he was president.  Oh sure, in the 119 pages of the ruling, written by SCOTUS Chief Justice John Roberts, the Court said a lot of mumbo jumbo about official acts, unofficial acts, absolute immunity, and presumptive immunity but they did not define or in any way clarify what these things were.

Instead, they left that up to Judge Tanya Chutkan who is handling Trump’s trial in a lower court.  And upon appeal, which is more likely than not to happen, after Judge Chutkan makes her ruling, the decision will end up right back in the Supreme Court.  That way, based upon the fact that they ruled as they did in the first place on presidential immunity, it is reasonable to believe that they will define and clarify things in Trump’s favor.  Then in the future, depending on whether there is a Democrat or a Republican president, it is reasonable to assume that they will continue in that vein: They will rule one way if it is a Democrat and another way if it is a Republican.

If Trump wins the 2024 presidential election, this SCOTUS ruling along with the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 (a.k.a. The Presidential Transition Project) document will give Trump all of the authority that he needs to rule like a king, have a roadmap to eradicate democracy as we now know it and implement the changes listed in Project 2025, and continue to avoid being held to account for any wrong that he has done just as he has always done throughout his whole life.  Even if he loses the election and does not become king, he will still likely be cleared of any crimes, civil or criminal, that he committed while he was president if information from “official acts” (a key piece of the SCOTUS mumbo jumbo) was used to indict/convict him.

Further, he is likely to be cleared of any crimes – again, civil or criminal, he committed before he held office if information from “official acts” while he was in office was used to indict/convict him.  So, you see, the chameleon act by the SCOTUS is no longer in play.  It is all in; it is very carefully concealing its hand.  And it is daring the American people to call.  If the American people do call, the outcome of the 2024 presidential election will be the evidence of whether the SCOTUS was bluffing or held a winning hand.  In other words, if President Biden is reelected, the SCOTUS was bluffing; if Trump wins, they had a winning hand.  So, if the American people do not call and the SCOTUS is holding a winning hand, the only difference will be that accepting the outcome might be a little less painful: but the results will be the same.

I cannot overstate how important it is for all American voters to get out and vote in the 2024 presidential election.  You must get out and vote like your life depends on it; because it does!  Do not sit this one out because you do not like either candidate, think that both are too old to be president, or for any other reason.  And when you do get out and vote, do not write in the name of a candidate since you know that this candidate cannot win.  You are not helping the situation and to do that is tantamount to sitting out the election.  Do not make excuses as to why you are not going to vote.  The 2024 presidential election is a binary decision; either you want America to remain a democracy or you do not.  Make a decision, not excuses.  VOTE!  And always 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, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

The debate between President Joe Biden and the former The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America is over.  And I will start by saying President Joe Biden is still the man who should run against Trump in the 2024 presidential election.  In case you might think that how I addressed Trump in the title of this article is harsh, it is no worse than how major newspapers addressed President Biden.  Look at the headlines about President Biden in most of the major newspapers in America and around the world immediately after the debate then see if you still feel the same way.

Just so that you will know, if you did not watch the debate; during most of the debate, one of the hosts addressed both convict Trump and President Biden as President.  No deference, distinction, esteem, dignity, or honor – choose any one of these words that you would like, was granted to President Joe Biden for the distinguished job that he has done as president under extremely polarized partisan political circumstances and that of a convict who has been convicted on 34 felony counts and is awaiting charges in future trials that he has managed to avoid until after the 2024 presidential election.

Journalists who once supported President Biden turned their backs on him and completely slammed him based on one 90-minute broadcast!  They showered him with blistering comments about his debate performance before encouraging him to drop out of the race!  Many Democrats also jumped on the bandwagon.  They said things like, although President Biden has been a good president, perhaps it is time for him to go and that it would be selfish of him not to drop out.  I have always admonished those who read this blog to base their voting decisions on a politician’s record and not on a soundbite.  Perhaps I should add “broadcast” and say that those decisions should be based on a politician’s record and not “a soundbite or one 90-minute broadcast.”  Perhaps the journalist of those major newspapers would benefit from the advice offered in this humble blog.

To contextualize those headlines and comments so that you will better understand just how completely harsh they were, consider this; President Biden was debating a person to whom the word truth is just a conjured-up word that does not actually exist.  The truth is what I say it is could easily be his mantra.  Again, no deference, esteem, honor, dignity, distinction, etc. was granted to President Biden as the President of the United States of America over a convict and serial liar who has been convicted on 34 felony counts and was awaiting a July 11, 2024 sentencing, which has been delayed until September 18, 2024 thanks to “[his] judges” at the Supreme Court.  There was no semblance of respect for the office that President Biden holds in which he has served with dignity and honor over his opponent who, arguably, instigated the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the United States capitol in an effort to remain in power after he lost the 2020 election.  While President Biden debated within the boundaries of truth, Trump, oblivious of those boundaries, spewed pablum – saying whatever came to his mind, mostly lies, to rebut the president and gaslight debate viewers.

Republicans say that Democrats do not fight for what they believe in.  Democrats went a long way in providing some validity to this after the debate.  What do I mean by this?  Donald Trump has said so many derogatory things about women, immigrants, fallen soldiers, and people of color, that I will not even try to list them all.  But to name a few, he said 1) You can grab women by their p***y…” 2) [Mexican immigrants] are bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists, and some, I assume are good people.” 3) Fallen soldiers are “suckers” and “losers.”  4) Regarding people who are crossing America’s southern border: They’re taking Black Jobs.  They’re taking Hispanic jobs. 5) Black people like me because of my mug shot.  Plus, lest American voters should forget, Trump is a convict!  Despite all of this, Republicans have circled the wagons around him.

Now, contrast this with the kind of support that President Biden is receiving from Democrats.  President Biden has done a yeoman’s job since he has been in office of carrying out the Democrats agenda even with a slim majority in the senate and a Republican controlled House.  He has always been looked upon as a patriot and a person of honor.  His dedication to serving America with dignity and honor has never been questioned: His determination to protect America against all enemies foreign and domestic, preserve democracy in America and foster democracy around the world has never been questioned.  Recently, President Biden participated in a debate with Trump and, based on the optics – emphasis on optics because a debate between two people with only one being bound by the parameters of truth is fundamentally not a debate, failed.  No consideration was shown President Biden for having been bound by the parameters of truth while Trump was free to say whatever came to mind without the slightest regard for truth.  What did Democrats do?  Did they circle the wagons around President Biden?  No, they cut bait and ran!

Many Democrats now want to run someone else against Trump; they do not know who and do not seem to be concerned about whether the system within which Democratic nominees must operate is set up to handle this kind of a situation, especially at the last minute.  I started this article by saying that President Biden is still the man who should run against Trump.  I will end it by saying that Democrats need to work with President Biden and figure out a path forward without him withdrawing from the race.  I have said before that the cavalry is not coming to save the American people from Donald J. Trump, this one is on us and we must save ourselves: and we must do it through our vote.  After the Supreme Court’s 7/1/2024 presidential immunity ruling, this is our only option.

So always 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, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

Have our elected officials abandoned and then forgotten us?  I don’t know about you but I sure feel like they have.  Further, have all those people who said all the things that they were well-coached to say to get their potential constituents’ votes when they were trying to get elected been stricken with amnesia?!  Come on!  Remember how they named all these things that we – their constituents, “the American People” overall, and our country need and how much they would value the privilege to work with their friends across the aisle to assure that those needs are met?

Didn’t they project the idea that they wanted to be public servants because they wanted to serve a cause greater than themselves?  Doesn’t it now seem that all those patriotic images that their smooth rhetoric aroused in you when they alluded to a life of public service and a cause greater than themselves have long ago faded?  Doesn’t it now seem like all those words that engendered thoughts of patriotism in you were just a mask to hide their desire for a life of self-service so they could line their pockets and acquire as much power as possible?

Can you recall occasions in these current highly partisan and completely polarized times how when a candidate or elected politician referred to “friends across the aisle,” and they used the adjective “Republican” preceding “friends” if they were a Democrat and “Democrat” preceding “friends” if they were a Republican, that many times when coming from the Republican side of the aisle these words were ladened with vitriol?  That is because now that this is the Trump Republican Party, many Republicans, especially elected Republicans, refuse to use the adjective “Democratic” when referring to Democrats or things that are in any way associated with Democrats out of fear that it might somehow give Democrats a political advantage.

As a result, most Republican candidates running for office have adopted this same approach when referring to Democrats or things associated with Democrats i.e. Democratic Party, Democratic policy, Democratic Dogma, etc.  Instead, they use the words Democrat Party, Democrat policy, Democrat Dogma, etc.  As regards Independents, since you can choose which Party you will caucus with, I assume that as Independents you are not under any pressure to choose one or the other of these adjectives so the decision as to which to use is entirely yours.

As for me and my feelings of being abandoned and then forgotten by elected officials, I feel that way because of: 1) the rude awakening that I have been shocked into.  The rude awakening of witnessing elected politicians that I viewed as principled, strong, and powerful individual men and women who form the collective strong body of our government and way of life, be cowered to the point where they kowtow to a superficial charlatan who is a proven serial liar who has been convicted of 34 felony counts and who is still awaiting trials, which he has cunningly managed to delay, until after the 2024 presidential election in which he is the presumptive Republican nominee.

2) The rude awakening that I have been shocked into.  The rude awakening of witnessing one man, a superficial charlatan who is a proven serial liar who has been convicted of 34 felony counts and who is still awaiting trials, which he has cunningly managed to delay, until after the 2024 presidential election in which he is the presumptive Republican nominee, twist the American judicial system into a Trump-conjured pretzel starting with the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS).

Is the SCOTUS, under the leadership of Chief Justice John Roberts, aiding and abetting Trump in his attempt to avoid being held to account for the crimes he has been convicted of and other crimes that he is accused of committing before the 2024 presidential election?  If it is not, it certainly appears that it is.  The SCOTUS, to which Trump appointed three justices in his one term as The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and to whose conservative justices he on many occasions has referred to as “my judges,” has slow-walked a decision on whether he has complete presidential immunity; immunity against any crimes that he might have committed as The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America.

3) The rude awakening that I have been shocked into.  The rude awakening of witnessing one man, a superficial charlatan who is a proven serial liar who has been convicted of 34 felony counts and who is still awaiting trials, which he has cunningly managed to delay, until after the 2024 presidential election in which he is the presumptive Republican nominee, twist the American judicial system into a Trump-conjured pretzel by working his will upon, in addition to the SCOTUS, four courts where he is to be held to account for crimes that he is accused of committing.  Even in the court that managed to try and convict Trump, he thumbed his nose at the gag order placed on him the entire time during that trial.  Despite the intimidating atmosphere in which they had to work, the jurors in this court did their job and, although not everyone agrees with it, returned a fair verdict.  Trump will be sentenced on July 11, 2024.  It remains to be seen as to what his sentence will be.  Will the judge do his job?  Without doubt, not everyone will agree with the sentence; but it will be fair.  Hopefully the punishment will fit the crimes and Trump’s defiance of the gag order will also be incorporated into the sentence.

4) The rude awakening that I have been shocked into.  The rude awakening of witnessing one man, a superficial charlatan who is a proven serial liar who has been convicted of 34 felony counts and who is still awaiting trials, which he has cunningly managed to delay, until after the 2024 presidential election in which he is the presumptive Republican nominee, twist the American judicial system into a Trump-conjured pretzel by making a mockery of the flowery words “no one is above the law” and “without fear or favor” that are so frequently used by America’s high-level judicial government officials.  These words have been made meaningless by Trump.  Arguably, he has been treated favorably from the beginning and it remains to be seen whether he is above the law.  So, as regards whether the law is being applied to Trump “without fear or favor,” … well, you have witnessed what is going on in Trump’s case; you decide.

And finally, 5).  The rude awakening that I have been shocked into.  The rude awakening of witnessing one man, a superficial charlatan who is a proven serial liar who has been convicted of 34 felony counts and who is still awaiting trials, which he has cunningly managed to delay, until after the 2024 presidential election in which he is the presumptive Republican nominee, twist the American judicial system – and as a result – the American election system into a Trump-conjured pretzel that enabled him to arrange to participate in a debate with the President of the United States of America!  Yes, on June 27, 2024 the President of the United States of America will be debating a convict in an effort to help Americans to decide as to whether he or a convicted felon should be the next president of the United States of America.  Wow, that will be a first!

Whether or not you feel that you have been abandoned and then forgotten by our elected officials, the current situation that America is in demands that you do your civic duty and vote.  No matter how many roadblocks are placed in our path when it is time to vote in the 2024 presidential election, we must overcome them.  Instead of getting angry or booing at the ridiculous things that Trump says and does; in the words of former president Barack Obama, don’t get mad, vote!  Don’t boo, vote!

So always 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, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line