If hand-wringing or a sense of outrage over Donald Trump’s actions is all you need, you’re in the wrong place.
Leo Tolstoy asked, “What, then must we do?” I dig for facts, seeking answers to that question for us, today, in 100% reader-supported commentaries and dialogues.
March 18, 2026
Dear Reader,
The Trump presidency is a national nightmare. It is not just a massive transfer of wealth from the less financially endowed to the richest and the humiliation of the United States before the world. It threatens the future of democracy. Worse, between climate denialism and rising belligerence in a nuclear-armed world, it is dangerous to the survival of humanity.
Are you still saying to yourself (or posting on social media), “How could people have possibly voted to put Donald Trump back in office?!!!!”
Or are you leaning toward or wholly embracing an excuse — the belief that Elon Musk stole the election for Trump? If that is true, Democrats can conveniently avoid asking the hard, self-analytical questions about why voters veered to Trump, right?
And are you thinking the Democrats in the House and Senate are weaklings, asking why they don’t DO SOMETHING to oppose Trump –
But you don’t have any idea what that “DO SOMETHING” is?
This commentary is about what to do now. Part of that process is stepping back and honestly assessing what Democrats did to lose the confidence of enough voters to turn the electoral college and Congress Trump’s way.
It is also about doing something — not only Democratic leaders, but you and me, too.
It is about thinking both strategically and with vision about what to do to win the government back – and more importantly, to earn the right to govern.
You probably won’t like what I have to say. But to win back the government, and more importantly, to deserve to govern, Democrats first need to do some intense self-examination and see what others saw in 2024.
So to kick it off, my news and commentary letter starts with a series of posts under this heading:
Click the link above to start reading and to offer your suggestions, counterpoints, and ideas on ways to bring back the six million people who voted for the Democratic ticket in 2020 but did not in 2024 – and to bring others into the tent.
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I hope you will subscribe because we have much to discuss, and these commentaries offer a way forward.