Political Expediency is Not Going To Save American Democracy

One of the things I really try to avoid, especially when it comes to politics, is cynicism.  However, as we start into this 2026 midterm election season, things being the way they are, I am struggling to avoid doing so.  It comes from the impression I get that opposition to Trump is considered by some politicians, to be more of an opportunity to feather their own nest, and advance their own political career than it is to save American democracy from the biggest threat it has faced since the Civil War, or Richard Nixon.  

I've committed not to cast ballots for fence-sitters, compromisers, or weak-willed wafflers.  I'm already a third of the way into a notebook I'm keeping with comments made by politicians and potential candidates which try to leave the impression that this is just another midtern election with business as usual.  That's not going to get my vote.  So politicians, especially those running in Illinois, in the Chicago area, beware.  I'm looking for boldness and a willingness to go to the point of taking big risks politically to end the Trump nightmare and who are willing to use the power of Congress to get rid of him and send him packing.  If I don't see that you don't get my vote.  

If--and that is still a very small word for a very big possibility--we do win a majority in the Congress, including the Senate or not, there are those who will restrain their actions against Trump because of the fear of not being re-elected, or not wanting to look too "political," then we will not stop what is happening to our country.  

We could have put a stop to this right after the 2020 election, when we had the majority in both houses, but many of our seasoned, veteran politicians caved.  The biggest obstacle to preserving Democracy at this point is the Supreme Court, who write blank checks to the President to do what he wishes.  Their Presidential Immunity ruling was the biggest load of crap a Supreme Court has ever spewed out, and in our legal system, which is as crooked as it can be, that's saying something. 

More than one progressive Democrat put forth the idea of packing the court, since they had the power to do so.  That would have required breaking the stupid, undemocratic Senate filibuster, which can be a risk after all.  But sometimes, that kind of risk is necessary to protect the freedom that is provided by our democracy.  It just seemed that the President and some of his advisors, including members of the senate, were far too concerned about the appearance of an obvious political move.  

So what?  

Isn't saving the country more important?  Isn't justice more important?  They all said that it was but their actions are what makes me cynical.  They didn't do what they could have done.  

Think about it.  One justice could have ripped down all of the attempted road blocks and delays Trump was relying on to postpone his criminal indictments for January 6th and stealing documents indefinitely, set trial dates, and got those trials moving toward landing him in jail where he belongs.  And the bonus would have been saving Roe, and overturning Citizens United.  That is what Democrats who claim that they believed Trump was the greatest threat to American Democracy since the civil war should have done.  

But we let the foot dragging and delays go on and on, and this ridiculously unqualified court continue to be dominated by stupid conservatives.  

That made me cynical. 

Well, after all, the Democrats had the power.  Observing what Republicans, Trump, and MAGA are doing with the power they have, and a lot that they don't really have if those responsible for making sure they remain within the limits of the Constitution were doing their job, the Democratic party failed miserably to achieve its ends during the first two years of Biden's term, when they had majorities in both houses.  Yeah, there were risks involved.  And there was too much nest-feathering for that power to work to our advantage.  

Hence, this may be why I get this cynical feeling now.  I should be hearing sharper rhetoric from candidates running for office.  And frankly, what I'm hearing doesn't help shake the cynicism.  

There are a few exceptions to this, of course.  There's Zack Shrewsbury, running for Senate against incumbent Shelly Moorre Capito, a do-nothing Republican from West Virginia whose personal interests do not align in any way with the needs or desires of her constituents, many of whom are too uninformed and prejudiced to know that voting for her is voting against every single one of their interests.  And I have the ultimate respect and admiration for Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who does not mince words and who is rising to the top of my list of Presidential hopefuls.  I'd like to see him run for senate first, and knock Fetterman out of his seat, the worthless ass.  

Maybe there is something I'm missing, but the attitude and the political discussion, from Democratic party politicians, doesn't seem to be reachng the level of where the growing protests and marches are going.  Maybe I'm expecting too much, and expecting people to disobey illegal orders, or make it impossible for them to be carried out is more than what is possible in this passive, blissfully ignorant, inattentive, duped country.  

I've been an active enough participant in government to know that my frustration, and my cynicism, are not unwarranted in this particular situation.  When the Republicans have been in the minority, they have shut down the government and have brought progress to a standstill, largely because Democrats wouldn't push past stupid things like the filibuster.  But the only thing we get when Republicans are in charge is the whine that "We aren't the majority so we can't do anything."  I've seen some good examples of when we could have put that stupid filibuster to use, and couldn't get enough Democrats to do it.  

Too much nest feathering, I guess.