Free Republic

“Who would you rather have running the country? “

I prefer to have someone like our first president, George Washington who respected the constitution, kept the nation out of foreign wars, declined to be king, managed to govern despite partisan polarization in his cabinet and in Congress, demonstrated fiscal responsibility by paying down debts from the Revolutionary War, stepped down after two terms in office and conducted himself as a gentleman throughout his presidency.

The nation today needs someone of character, strategic vision, the ability to prioritize and great communication skills such as Ronald Reagan possessed.

Choosing between an egomaniac 78 year old with declining mental faculties and an imbecile communist is not a choice for a nation in decline. In hindsight neither candidate in 2024 was capable or qualified to lead the nation. Neither came close to a Washington, Jefferson, Adams or Madison.

An inflation rate of 33% with only 4% economic growth and a poverty rate of 28% may be an improvement for Argentina but it is not a victory. The road back to economic stability and true prosperity is a long one, as the Great Depression of the 1930’s demonstrated in the United States.

At 33% inflation with 4.4% annual growth the savings and income of the people is still declining at a precipitous rate. The situation is analogous to traveling down a highway at 65 mph, seeing brake lights ahead, slamming on the brakes to slow down the vehicle. If you don’t hit the brakes soon enough, you will slam into the car ahead at a speed less than 65 mph which will still result in injury or even death.

Unfortunately memories of the Great Depression have faded in the United States. Our lawmakers have abandoned fiscal responsibility, silver coinage, and the gold standard backing our currency. Our politicians will not even conduct an audit of the alleged gold reserves at Fort Knox, much less provide an accounting to the American people. Continuous wars, corporate graft, money laundering to political entities, outright fraud, and the cost of the welfare society is sending us down the road Argentina followed. In addition the financialization of the economy, by destroying the industrial base and turning the economy over to Wall Street speculators, has only accelerated the travel down the road to the next Great Depression in America. The Iran war, which will be funded with more debt, is just another push on the accelerator.

“Transiting in the Strait of Hormuz is closed yet and you must receive permission from Iranian Navy for passing through the Strait.”

Meanwhile Donald Trump keeps saying the Iranian navy was totally destroyed. If so, why aren’t ships freely moving?

Instead of finding new ways to spend money, Trump should resurrect DOGE and work with the GOP leadership to start making some real spending cuts. He wants $500 billion more military spending so he can pursue forever wars, just like his predecessors.

Donald Trump is fiscally irresponsible.

The 30 year old couple trying to save for a home and make ends meet doesn’t know or care about Jimmy Carter and the Shah of Iran. They do care about gasoline prices nearing $5.00 per gallon. They do care about food prices continuing to escalate. The care about insurance cost, local taxes, the poor public schools, rising crime, and having their jobs replaced by AI. Unless Iranian misses hit the homeland, or terrorism becomes common in the homeland, winning the war Trump started with Iran will mean nothing in the fall election. It will be the state of the economy and the quality of candidates that determine the vote.

Dems are going to run on affordability. What is the GOP answer?

Cooper received more votes in NC than Trump in 2016 and 2020. Trump won the state in both years.

In 2024 Cooper was not on the ballot. Trump won the state in the presidential race. Josh Stein, the Democrat candidate for governor slaughtered his GOP opponent Mark Robinson.

Whatley, Trump’s Senate candidate this year, is virtually unknown in the state. Whatley should have spent 2025 cross crossing the state, attending events and gaining name recognition. He didn’t. Don’t blame the voters if they don’t know the GOP candidate. It is the candidate who is responsible for running an effective campaign. Democrats are visible and highly energized.

“She left office but she just won’t leave.”

Always follow the money. People in public office don’t suddenly throw away the equity they have built over decades to do a 180 degree turn unless there is a major incentive to make the move. Usually the incentive is power, money or sex. She lost all of her political power by resigning from Congress. This means money or sex, in her case more likely money. Someone with signifiant influence in social circles, political circles, and the media is ensuring her face remains in the public eye.

Majorie wasn’t smart enough to look back into history and see how poorly Republican turncoats were treated by their new progressive Democrat friends as soon as they had used the turncoat. Senator Arlen Specter is a prime example, he switched parties to the Democrats in 2009 with great fanfare and warmly embraced by the media and his New Democrat colleagues, he was quickly backstabbed by them. The Dems held control of the Senate at the time of his treachery, yet they did not allow him to retain his 30 years of seniority perks. Then in the 2010 primary, instead of supporting Specter for reelection a long time Democrat Joe Sestak ran against him in the Democrat primary. Sestak won the primary but lost the 2010 general election to Pat Toomey. Specter left the Senate when Toomey assumed office in January 2011.

As Specter painfully learned, neither side in politics trusts a turncoat. Marjorie, like Specter, will ultimately be cast aside by her new friends. After the 2026 midterms her public bashing of Trump will be of no use to the Dems. Marjorie’s friends will disappear and that Walmart greeter job will suddenly begin looking very good.

One of the greatest tragedies of governance in the United States during the second half of the 20th century was allowing the destruction of public education by the left. Looking back it is clear the left purposefully infiltrated and took control of public education by the 1980’s, and has succeeded in its efforts to destroy the curriculum, eliminate standards, and lower every student to the lowest common denominator. Most insidious was turning schools into indoctrination centers where students at a young impressionable age were taught to hate their history and love for liberty. In the 21st century this indoctrination has become obscene by promoting a gender identity agenda of mental illness and mutilation of the body.

Wealthy parents soon observed the precipitous decline in eduction standards. They used their money to buy seats for their children in private schools while they continued to elect the leftist politicians who were supporting the destruction of public education. For a time the private schools continued to maintain high standards and provide quality instruction. Ultimately though, those schools were captured by the leftist education establishment and the propaganda/indoctrination mission gained priority over mastery of life skills.

The MAGA movement has yet to address the destruction of the US education system with an aggressive plan to return to the education system its mission of giving students the fundamental skills needed to be successful in life. Unless education returns to a focus on the mastery of fundamental reading, writing, math, and science skills, as well as a celebration of the great things American has achieved since the revolution and an appreciation for our system of governance, the nation is doomed.

Arguably, reform of the education system at home is more critical to the survival of the republic than continuing to spend trillions on wars in the Middle East.

“They care so little for their people that they won’t even let US protect them.”

They care so little for their people they have allowed in millions of immigrants from the Middle East and Africa to replace their native populations. With that immigration has come a loss of individual liberties as the sensitivities and culture of the immigrants overrides that of the indigenous population.

“Forbes is a capitalist magazine concentrating on free enterprise and making money.”

In 2014 Integrated Whale Media, an investment company based in Hong Kong, purchased a majority share of Forbes. The influence of the Chinese government if any, on editorial decisions at Forbes today, is unknown.

“Schumer and Thune seem to be identical twins when it comes to governing. Another reason the way Congre$$ is failing the American people.”

I disagree. Schumer consistently delivers for his team no matter what. Thune rarely delivers and consistently caves under pressure.

The Republicans always cave and lose.

The Democrats always hold tough and win.

Nothing new.

Sometimes it is necessary for the senior partner in a venture to make it clear to the junior partner who is in charge. Those conversations can be quite spirited.

One political party excels at getting the vote in every election including special elections and off cycle elections. The other party doesn’t. The results are predictable.

The Constitution does not give the federal government authority over the construction of homes in the various states. Regulation of housing, if any, is a state and local government prerogative. HUD, FHA and other agencies involved in the housing market are unconstitutional infringements on the 10th Amendment.

If the federal government wishes to do anything to affect the cost of housing, particularly entry level housing, it can expel the estimated 30+ million illegal immigrants currently living in the United States. Doing so will increase the supply of housing. Increased supply will result in lower costs as market forces come into play.

South Carolina is an open primary state. If Graham is in danger during the primary, the Dems will come out in mass to vote for Graham.

“If they gain full control of the Congress and the White House again, it’ll be a packed supreme court, it’ll be 30 or 40 million illegal aliens . . . “

Add District of Columbia and Puerto Rico statehood to the list as well as a net worth tax. Plus think of all the climate change and DEI regulations that will be reinstated.

The Total US debt is approaching $40 trillion. It is not fiscally responsible to borrow more to pay for President Trump’s military action against Iran.

If the President cannot conduct his war within the current military budget, he should go to Congress, ask for a formal declaration of war, then ask for both the funds to prosecute the war and a tax increase to provide the funds. If Congress and the American people agree the war is in the best interest of the country, Congress will authorize the war and the American people will gladly pay additional taxes.

It is long past time for presidents to follow the Constitution. War is too serious and costly to be the decision of one person. The Founders understood this fact and intentionally required Congress to declare war, not the President.

“Adolf wasn’t an imminent threat either.”

On December 11, 1941 Germany formally declared war against the United States. Later that same day, the U.S. Congress met and responded by declaring war against Germany.

At the moment Germany declared war on the U.S. German UBoats were turned loose to attack American shipping. The threat was imminent when the U.S. declared war Germany because Germany had already declared war on the U.S. in addition Germany was in a military alliance with Japan which had already declared war against the U.S. and was engaged in military action against the U.S. in numerous locations.

Note that the U.S. did not engage in military action against Germany until Germany formally declared war against the U.S. and announced its intentions to use its military against the U.S. The wars against both Japan and Germany were initiated and conducted according to the requirement in the Constitution Congress declare war.

If the US was in imminent danger from Iran, why didn’t President Trump follow the Constitution and obtain a formal declaration of war? Now that he has declared war and attacked Iran, why doesn’t the President ask Congress for a declaration of war? He did swear an oath to abide by the Constitution.

Our President deliberately started a major war without consulting any nation affected by the flow of commerce through the region with the exception of Israel. In addition he failed to get the Declaration of War required by the Constitution he swore an oath to defend.

Now he wants the assistance of allies and other nations he ignored and dissed.

It appears he is learning the lesson in personal accountability most of us learned as children. If you break something, you own it. Unfortunately, it is the people of the United States, not Donald Trump, who will own for decades to come the repercussions of the dominoes that will fall from the decision to engage in a full fledge war against Iran.

It may be our allies turn their backs. Hopefully Mr. Trump, his advisors, and the military considered this possibility and have a plan to carry on alone. If not, the cost of error could be extraordinarily high and painful.

if the body bags of American soldiers, sailors, and airmen begin coming back in significant numbers, it may be the American people demanding regime change at home.