Can We Still Save Our Republic?

Chris Cuomo's comments on his CNN broadcast of Wednesday, December 23 constituted one of the most accurate representations and characterizations of the Trump Presidency that I've heard.  CNN gets blasted by the extremist right for a liberal bias, though no evidence is ever offered to prove the allegations.  Certainly they're not perfect and they make mistakes but an honest evaluation of the facts will show them to be far less biased in any way than the extremist right wing outlets who only exist to promote the propaganda the Trump administration pushes.  You can't participate in this discussion if you hold the opinion that the mainstream media is biased because you won't be equipped with the necessary facts to provide an intelligent response or answer, sorry.  You go provide proof to back up your allegation first, then you can talk.  

The Worst President Ever to Serve in American History

Cuomo labelled Trump as the "worst President in history."  He's right.  We've had four years of actions from a President who cites conspiracy theories as done deals and facts, lies virtually every time he opens his mouth, and seems incapable of supporting his contentions with actual facts.  The ongoing tantrum since election night is evidence that the mainstream media's predictions about what a  Trump administration would be like and how difficult it would be to get anywhere near a peaceful transition of power underlines their accuracy, completely undermines the right wing propaganda and nails what's happening with true accuracy.  I can't explain why it seems that there are so many Republicans who don't have a clue, love the guy and hang on his very word,  They are ignorant and blind, have no concept of how a constitutional Republic works and care about their own political career, power and position far more than they do about serving the people.  Are there Democrats who do the same?  Sure but that's not the point here and it is no justification for anything.  

What were people expecting?  There's no justification to vote to put a despicable, dishonest and corrupt individual in the White House.  That's asking for trouble.  But win at all costs is the order of the day.  Trump is a pathological liar, a man with no moral compass who reveled in publicly humiliating the women he chose to marry and who built most of his fortune with entertainment businesses appealing to a lack of human character.  Evangelical Republicans completely sold out their integrity to support someone after vicious criticism of Bill Clinton for the same kind of character failure.  Trump can help them achieve their own political influence and power and that means more to them than anything God can do for them.  They are apostates as far as genuine faith is concerned. 

Trump has been an utter failure as a leader.  He clearly has no interest in the President's role beyond anything except how it helps him gain personal influence and power and stuff his pockets with cash.  He's ignored and trashed virtually ever constitutional principle when it comes to the balance of power.  He appointed a motley band of convicted crooks and criminals, conspiracy theorists and white supremacists to cabinet positions, all of whom promptly set out to consolidate their own power to support their own interests.  The fallout from the ensuing rivarlies which occurred led to the resignation of over 90 Trump appointees within months of the start of his administration.  Over 150 are gone now, including the level headed balances.  

The corruption and self serving boggles the mind. Beyond that, Donald Trump does not have the temperament, character, stamina or mental capacity to handle the Presidency.  I think he was a nut job before he ever got elected. It's only been the unconscionable protection of this demagogue by hard line partisan Republicans--to whom he is dishing out revenge even as we speak--that kept a legitimate impeachment from moving forward to what it should have done in removing him from office.  So yes, Chris Cuomo, you are absolutely correct.  Donald Trump will go down in history as the worst President in the History of the United States.  The worst.  And we still have 26 days to go in which more damange will inevitably be done.  

Can We Fix the Damage? 

The Trump Presidency is the largest constitutional crisis we have ever faced.  It's bigger than the Whiskey Rebellion, slavery and the Civil War.  It's a bigger crisis because the founding fathers were so incredibly careful in crafting the role of chief executive to prevent it from becoming what it has become under Trump.  It gave carefully proportioned powers to a President based on the fact that most people who would be able to win the trust of the people would have to be trustworthy people.  Up until Trump, with few exceptions, they were men who had character and spoke truth.  Trump is  a pathological liar.  He's too lazy to find evidence to support his contentions, as a result, no word he speaks can be taken seriously.  The result has turned the Presidency upside down and created a very distorted Presidency that no longer fits within the boundaries of the balance of power put in place by the founders and no longer able to function for complete lack of trust. 

We will see, in the coming days, just how strong our constitution is and whether there is enough will left in the rest of our government to get past these moments and restore America's democracy.  And don't you dare argue that we are not a Democracy.  That's proof of your ignorance.  We are a Republic which is a form of Democracy and government by democratic principles.  The authority the Republic possesses comes from the people, which is pure democracy.  

Solutions to the Problem

There is no other Democrat at this partcular point who has more experience and is better suited to putting our government back together than Joe Biden.  He loves this country, has committed himself to serving it, depends on guidance from God and knows the right people to put in the right places.  He's the right guy at the right time.  I would feel more confident if the voters of Georgia, fresh off a wonderful rejection of Trump, would give him a cooperative Senate.  The prospects for that look pretty good at the moment, judging by the efforts Republicans are making to suppress voter turnout and elect a couple of goofy, and corrupt, Trump worshippers.  The Democrats wasted no time adding to their voter registration pool for this special election and Trump's actions are driving sensible, free-thinking Georgians to Ossoff and Warnock in droves.  A favorable Senate that can pass Biden's agenda over the top of what has become a useless GOP will be an asset. 

Reduce the GOP to Minority Party Status by Beating Them Into the Ground in 2022  

Democrats need to start preparing now to beat the GOP into the ground in the mid-terms.  Raise the money, register the voters, a bigger and more overwhelming blue wave needs to knock the GOP out of the government for the foreseeable future.  The GOP has shown itself completely unworthy of the trust of any American.  Vote them out and keep them out until they have demonstrated that they have learned their lesson, say sometime around 2040 or so, if then. 

Expand the Court and Limit the Terms

Expand the Supreme Court to 13 members and let Biden appoint the first four of the new expansion.  Limit the terms of justices from lifetime to 20 years and stagger the terms.  Limit any single President's appointments to just two justices in eight years.  Put a similar calendar into the federal judiciary, limiting terms and appointments.  

A Presidential Qualification Commission Must Approve Party Nominees

Individuals like Trump, with fraud charges, bankruptcies and a train of legal and tax  issues should never be permitted to run for President.  Candidates must be qualified on character by a bi-partisan commission before they can file for party nomination.  The vetting would be backed by the law. The qualifications would include having a working knowledge of how the government works, of the Constitution and of how the executive branch of government functions.  No criminal record, no fraud and every candidate must reveal their last 20 tax returns without exception, otherwise they are not eligible to run.  

Lame Duck Limitations

Presidential powers become limited when there is officially a President Elect following the state certification of vote totals.  At that point, the sitting President is required to concede.   If they fail to do so, they are removed from office and the Speaker of the House fills out the remainder of the term.  I'd suggest that a President who fails to participate in the peaceful transfer of power be arrested and tried for treason but that might look like the kind of political revenge Trump is taking now.  

Following the concession and certification, the lame-duck President gives up command of the military, any veto power or judicial appointments, does not replace personnel who are exiting the administration and is required to attend the inauguration of the President Elect.  The President  Elect, in turn, gets control of the military.  He gets the "football" with the nuclear codes and is briefed by intelligence daily.  The White House must be vacated a month before the new President moves in.  

A Final Requirement

Every American student in any school, public, charter or private, must have both a Social Studies course and a civics course every year from Kindergarten through 12th Grade.  Social Studies would require a full year cycle of American History every other year with a two-year course in high school following a year in middle school.  No American student will be ignorant of their history.  I don't really care about World History, that can be worked in.  Geography is a necessary skill.  But every year, students will also have a course in Civics, focusing on the operation of the American Republic.  It will be interactive and participatory and students may not get a high school diploma unless they pass the course.  

Our schools have been lazy about this.  The time needs to be invested and the kids need to learn this so if it means a longer school day, or additional graduation requirements, so be it.  It wouldn't hurt to require a course in interpreting current events and media interpretation, either, so that liars like Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and Tucker Carlson can't fool the weak minded.  The difference between propaganda and truth should be something a sixth grader can figure out.  Undermining the press because you don't like what it reports is part of the problem.  If more Americans are able to think for themselves , no one will listen to Limbaugh or Hannity.  

The ignorance we are seeing among voters is inexcusable.  No intelligent, informed person should be unable to see what a disaster this President is, and how he has worked to destroy the constitution and constitutional rule of law.  

God bless America.  And we're going to need it.