It took us decades to get into this mess and it will take decades to get out. Victory in one election buys time. Now, 4 more years of Trump, then 8 years of JD then 32 years of leaders to be named might get us there but remember that the craziness of the Left shows no sign of breaking. And frankly, I am concerned about the stamina of the Right. The Bushies still lurk.
Chris, you are not alone. I too voted for Obama twice and then Biden, because you know, Orange Man Bad. But Covid woke me up to the reality of the Left. We just have to correct our mistakes and push forward.
I’ve heard so many say the same. It’s taken a lot to open people’s eyes. The Democratic Party has moved more and more to the far left, especially in recent years. Ever see Elon Musks post with the stick figures? Has 3 lines representing different years, with him in exactly the same spot on each line. What’s moved is the position of the Left, each time stretching farther and farther to the left until his stick figure has “moved” into the Right side. He hasn’t moved, the party moved. Many moderates haven’t changed all that much, the party they voted for has radically changed!
Ditto. Whenever I gnash my teeth at the left, I remember I was once a Democrat and I also didn't see. Until the Obama veil slipped, big time, and my eyes were opened.
Frankly, I was equally saddened by Bush and Cheney and their military forays into Iraq and Afghanistan and the trillions spent, the destruction that ensued, and the thousands killed or injured. Look at the mess this region is in now - there have to be better policies pursued by our nation that don't result in such calamities.
I voted for Obama in '08. Holding my nose, for Romney in 2012. My father, who trained naval aviators on Kaneohe in World War II and briefed the admirals including McCain's dad, told me that no one could go through what McCain did in the Hanoi Hilton for so long and not be cracked in some way. My bad. Obama really was (and is) the Marxist-Jihadist others said he was.
thumbs down the Obamacare REPEAL, you mean. Why would it have been so great to repeal, again? I mean, much of Sasha's arguments here are in favor of the working class, who, uh, benefited from Obamacare.
My Uncle, Captain Walter Eugene WIlber was also a POW in the Hanoi Hilton for over 5 years. He did not approve of McCain's behavior before or after his stay at the camp. We must see people for who they are by their behavior. It does not matter what box you check, right or left, black or white or otherwise. The system is designed to keep people fighting against one another. Is it possible for us to stop playing the game and allowing ourselves to be manipulated? This is what they want............
Don't be too hard on yourself. As one of my best bosses used to say, "That inning's over." Nothing left for it but to learn.
I never voted for Obama, but I voted for Clinton twice, which is bad enough. (Had Jack Kemp been at the top of the ticket in '96 I'd have voted for him.) Gore was my dealbreaker.
The battle will never truly be over until Jesus returns, mainly because of (as Tolkien wrote -- I think in one of his letters) "...man's quick satiety with good."
It’s not called uniparty for nothing. It might take decades for the Restoration unless the problem is addressed at their root cause. “All enemies, foreign and domestic.”
I’m intimately aware of the issues in the health care sector which has degenerated into a fully corporatized captured industry for the benefit of executives, industry and corporations. It has become a vehicle for the promotion of a leftist social revolution at the expense of patients and a dispensary for pharmaceutical companies products ushered into clinical use behind sham science and captured regulatory agencies. Very hard to still be working in it.
Those "free government benefits" that Biden-Harris have provided to these millions of illegal migrants are rapidly depleting the trust funds that provide for them - this is a serious situation, and for many seniors and others dependent upon one or both of these programs, it is outrageous to give these benefits to these illegal migrants who have not paid into them.
I am hoping for eight years or less, like the time span between Lexington/Concord and Yorktown -- sooner if those of us on the right realize that there is no "reaching across the aisle" with revolutionaries.
I feel the same way! I was pulling for Tulsi too but I like JD and the more I get to know him the more I understand why he was selected. I think the left would have tried even harder to get Trump out so Tulsi could lead if he had selected her and won.
ha. I WISH the dems liked Tulsi (and civil liberties) as much as you say. and when she said things against 'the neocons who want forever wars', they said amen.
Agree on Tulsi. Figured Youngkin if not her, but Vance is better. It'll take huge turnout and overwhelming the Demoncat voting machine for Trump to win. If counting stops in the middle of the night, people need to be ready to protest immediately.
Sad thing is, even if Trump wins and republicans maintain the house and take back the senate, there are too many RINO's still embedded in the system to make any substantial, lasting changes. It will take time to purge the traitorous RINO's out of the party machinery and I'm not sure if we have the will and fortitude to see it all the way through. The left won't stop until they are crushed.
IF Trump wins and takes the House and Senate expect the lamestream media to highlight the Bush/Ryan/ Romney/McConnell RINO clique as the TRUE opposition to Trump.
With the embedded RINOs the Democrat party doesn't need to worry - the "resistance" is already inside the tent.
Am reading Unhumans: The Secret History of Communist Revolutions. The first stage is building resentment between groups. I sensed the anti-white bias mainstreaming in the 90s. But had no idea it was based in Marxism. So bizarre there is no gratitude toward the great minds that conceived this country. And no humility. Humility is a hard lesson I hope Americans can relearn.
Good sense tells us JD is the perfect choice for vp. It is obvious, a self made hillbilly that has worked hard, been in the military, has a lovely family and is the right age to carry on. But hate is so rampant I am not encouraged that decency and fairness count anymore to the average voter. It’s all about me and what I can get, for nothing and sadly not about country and the welfare of a fellow man. Satan is lurking.
This is so great, Sasha! You wrote exactly what I think, just with better metaphor and way cooler syntax! :) I truly enjoy all of your pieces because you not only see, but have lived, both sides of the story. This experience makes your writing so rich and meaningful and for that, I am grateful. Thank you!
I am not a “religious” person, but I am working on learning & getting to know Jesus in order to develop a more personal relationship with him. I came across this today in a devotional reading: The power of God’s love within us fuels our love when human love is running on empty.” We love because he first loved us. 1John 4:19.
Amen Dena! Its only the love of God, and His love channeled thru us, that is holding the world together today. It is literally supernatural, and the most powerful force in the universe when embraced. My supernatural, born-again experience happened 49yrs ago this October.
America has been (past tense) a force for good because of our Judeo-Christian belief system. The lack of that love is found in the God-less tyrannical regimes across the world: CCP, Putin, Cuba, N.Korea, Iran, (Obama-Biden?).
Praying for a great revival in the US -- God's love is likely the only thing that will save us from a horrific civil war.
I was born again on Jan 9, 1974 in the top bunk of an economy triple dorm room I shared with 2 roommates at U of MI. I didn't sleep that night. I surrendered my life to Christ. Now I'm almost 70. No regrets in that decision and would not want to face death without Him.
Josh McDowell became a believer when an acquaintance in college told him “it’s not about religion; it’s about a relationship.” He wrote about this in More Than A Carpenter. We are all sinners saved by grace, seeking a closer relationship with Jesus. Thank you Dena, for your truthful words this morning.
....yes Nancy. I was lucky enuff to see Josh McDowell speak when I was in college, 1970s. He was a powerful, gifted communicator....especially to the college crowd embroiled in the cultural/sexual revolution of that time.
The fact that Trump picked another strong populist instead of some establishment hack, sends a clear message to the Deep State. JD is not going to be some silly little ceremonial VP, a fake Border Czar. He’s going to help kick some butt in DC. So what if he makes some verbal missteps? It just proves he’s not some slick Willy spewing the typical verbiage. He’s a real person and a strong man and that’s what we need. He’s also Trump’s best insurance!
Judy, Trump has such strength on the issues, but he is so undisciplined, he's self destructive. Harris and the main slime media are manifestly detestable. If Trump merely forces himself to act like a gentleman and keep the debate on the issues, he'll win. Yet as I write this close to midnight on Saturday evening, he's just finished a speech in which he insulted Harris about her intelligence.
Harris stands for evil while Trump is just a gluttonous slob, but that Trump keeps doing these things makes me doubt strongly that he'll win. It's funny that the Democrats, who defend all manner of wickedness and social destruction, may find themselves spared electorally by a residue of wonderful, old fashioned gentility which still exists in many people.
Trump's doing this kind of thing arouses the same kind of disgust most sane people felt the other day when the sissy boy boxer with the braids beat the young Italian woman in forty - seven seconds. It will be just, I guess, if the most boorish of men does himself in electorally by stirring up a lovely old fashioned sense that a real man just does not treat a woman like that. But the price the country will have to pay! It needn't have been. DeSantis could have won this election. But Trump is the bad boy all the Republican girlies, male as well as female, just couldn't resist.
I wish I could talk to Trump. I'd scream at him to stop making these asshole moves if he wants to win. Someone has to do it.
“Andy crawled to freedom through five hundred yards of sh*t-smelling foulness, I can’t even imagine. Or maybe I just don’t want to. Five hundred yards. That’s the length of five football fields. Just shy of half a mile.” --Morgan Freeman in The Shawshank Redemption
I remember watching this movie with a small group of newly-formed friends during an intensive program. It was precisely during this “crawling” scene that one them looked over to me and very matter-of-factly (but with clear, clean empathy) said, “I could see you doing that.” (She was not wrong. She knew some of my family story.)
You wrote: “Donald Trump said JD Vance cares about family to explain away why he is adamant about supporting mothers with kids. You’d have to grow up the way he did and the way I did to understand why someone would be so protective of the family unit. He did not have it growing up, but it was something he longed for. I know that because I felt the same way.”
I don’t know if Donald Trump or JD Vance are meant to be the cure (by whatever higher power is at work) or if their role is something else or both; but I’m pretty sure one of the ravaging, destroying diseases we face—if we are to be destroyed—will be sourced back to the snuffing out of empathy, starting with family.
Sasha, You are a remarkable writer and visionary. Much of what you write brings a tear to my eye...and not much does that. Your words are poetry with meaning...really special. Thanks for all you do. Glad you made it through the rain...
I like him. Read several interviews and op-eds before The Machine got started on him and was impressed. Why isn’t anyone talking about how YOUNG he is? His Spotify playlist had Of Monsters and Men, The Avett Brothers, I mean, come on! It’s the first Presidential candidate I can actually relate to. That’s so cool to me.
What’s *actually*weird is him being presented as out of touch. The media environment we live in makes me so sad/frustrated.
It struck me watching that video that I couldn’t imagine either Kamala or Trump in that diner with a baby on their hip. I never had a good man in my life that could hold a baby on their hip like that, except for my dad. Dad was a hillbilly from Portsmouth, OH. He would have loved JD.
Thanks Sasha - as always. I look forward to all your posts and especially your podcasts.
I gotta say, I wish that there’d be an acknowledgement that there actually is another legitimate candidate: RFK Jr.
I’d prefer him to Trump/Vance - but maybe I’m wrong.
What I really want to impart is a recommendation to give a listen to Naomi Wolfs latest Outspoken podcast entitled How Not To Win Against The Totalitarians - or something to that effect.
In it she exhorts us not to do what is easiest and most tempting to do which is to mock the farce of the Kamala for Pres campaign - by calling her a “DEI hire”, making fun of her hyena laugh, mocking her word salads, etc.
Wolf urges us - and the Republicans running the Trump/Vance campaign to, instead, concentrate on Harris’ policy failures - which are numerous.
Definitely. Harris is a participant in a dreadful administration, so she has to focus on personality. Trump's message should be 'Peace and Properity' because that's what we had under him.
I agree. The focus is too much on personality and not on policies, competence and achievements. Yet if done in the right way it’s legitimate to criticize the woke ideology that has infected the left and our government. Democrats are running on identity ideology at this point.
RFK Jr., while likable and good on some issues, is deeply problematic on other issues. Trump is generally great on issues (although he obviously has some rough edges on style which appeal to some and not to others). Kamala would be an unmitigated disaster for the USA as her record clearly shows (and all of the recent extravagant media hype cannot conceal that to the wise, but it might be able to conceal that to the unwise, which concerns me).
Yes I am in agreement. Trump and Vance need to consistently take the high road, and not devolve into personal attacks against their opponents or make controversial statements that the media will pounce on. Focus on the issues. Do that, and they’ll have a good chance of winning. It will give them the upper hand over Kamala and the Dems, who only seem to know how to be smug and arrogant towards their opponents, and run strictly on identity politics.
I saw them in an interview, RFK was asked if Trump picked you for VP would you accept. He replied, “I don’t think my marriage would survive”. His wife responded, “That’s right”.
you know he's old though, Trump. Just saw this PBS thing on the women's peace march across the DMZ in 2015. Trump is in it--and looks so much younger and not as well, ...crotchety old man. Like he is now. Like Biden... wonder how close he got to getting the peace treaty phase 1 started, and of course, he wouldn't be interested in doing it this time if he wins.
Who do you think out there could endure what Trump has had to deal with since 2016 including nearly being murdered, what? 2,3 weeks ago? Crotchety old man that he is —without dementia. I actually preferred deSantis as the candidate but make no mistake, no matter who the Republican candidates are, the Dems, media and big tech will crucify them. Funny? Ok.
Yes, that’s correct. He’s still a democrat so it’s a “no” for me. I really liked his book about Fauci. There’s a new book release concerning how horribly the Kennedy men, including RFK, treat women. Should be interesting…
My intention is to point out how it seems most of - including Sasha - are ignoring the fact that there IS a legitimate and excellent third candidate in RFK Jr.
It feels to me like people are just obeying the deep state demonrat run MSM that has smeared and ignored Bobby and is telling us that he doesn’t exist as a viable candidate.
I, for one, would much prefer him to the dangerous farce of Kamala or Trump/Vance.
Vance’s connections to people like Peter Thiel of the deep surveillance state are very worrying.
RFK, Jr. is almost certainly my vote, though he certainly will not win my state of California. I fear and he probably does too, if he really did have a chance to win, the US government, the secret one you speak of, would kill a third Kennedy. What I would like to advocate is: why not release 100 percent of the killing Kennedy records? Presidents from both parties have had the opportunity, in fact, have recently been ordered to do so by congress, yet none has done it.
I do sympathize with your point. I never bought a cellphone and never used one. Ever try to order....AAA, a car service? redeem a booked flight on Frontier Airlines (of Atlanta)? even a plumber? GoFan.com sports tickets are the worst! they are my biggest enemy, as they have me climbing fences to see high school football games in California. ! They don't think I exist!
Thoughtful, heartfelt writing here Sasha. I’ve admired JD Vance ever since reading his book several years ago & eventually the movie. Was hoping Trump would pick him. Like Trump, JD seems to have been specifically chosen for times such as these. You too are having an Esther moment.
Dems are stuck on rhetoric. They ignore policy. They want to vet a person’s life and be a judge on every facet while looking for dirt. It’s disgusting, deranged and hubristic. No one is perfect, except them. Instead of the focus on the person, they should look at competency for the job. If I’m looking to hire, for example, a carpenter, do I want to know every little thing they ever said or did that I could pick apart? No, I want to know their expertise as a carpenter. How will they do the job? what the hell is wrong with these Democrats?
Sasha, I don't know if anyone else has already said this but JD is a Catholic. I believe he converted in 2019.
And your opening paragraphs riveted me. It was like you were speaking with me personally.
I think the lack of empathy you state the left displays is part of their sociopathy. Or possibly psychopathy. Hard to discern unless you can do a in depth psychological interview.
Sometimes in my life, my own empathy made it hard to watch any news. Made it hard to be a nurse. I felt like the character, May in The Secret Life of Bees. But somehow, I found my way to a better place... obviously. Or maybe I'm more of a sociopath now.. hard to say. *chuckle*
I raise my own turkeys and chicken, along with my husband. I taught myself how to do the important and sacred task of killing them using the kosher method. Loss on the homestead occurs routinely but especially when it's butchering time. And I do not use the word sacred lightly. But life has a way of making itself known whether you are prepared for it or not. Like the time the black bear ripped off the back of our turkey coop and yanked out a few of my birds and walked over to the big maple and ate them one spring evening. Or when the adorable little family of skunks ripped the heads of my egg laying birds to drink the blood. Sorry to be so graphic. But when you are faced with your utter failure to protect your food supply, your stewardship is in question. And you have to come to grips with that or you fail. We don't name our livestock, but we feel they deserve the best life they can have and the best death we can give them.
It is the fate of most Christians to be ridiculed and vilified and pushed to the limits. God told us that in various ways, in many, many parts of the bible.
This was such an honest and moving essay for me Sasha. Thank you for sharing.
Every life is different and all of us have made many mistakes but no life is complete without knowing God. God loves us in spite of our waywardness. Read John 3 v 16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Turn to the Saviour with all your sins, and with all your cares.
John 6 v 37 says All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. He will console you, and keep you, and in the next world you will be with Him forever.
Too late for me too Sasha. It’s weird to see it now, but we see it and we can share . That’s something. I’m sure
I admire JD for all the reasons you do. I fear that he will make it harder for Trump to win and for those reasons I’m unhappy. Maybe you are right and it doesn’t matter. I hope so.
For a myriad of reasons I wanted him to pick Tulsi . I don’t know why he didn’t , but here we are are and I’m trying to stay positive. This post helped
Sasha and Regina, it’s not too late. You have turned the corner, are seeing the light. As a believer, I can feel the tug of satan to make me despair. This is a battle. You are in the company of others. Thank you for your frank humility and courage. I speak Jesus over us all as we trudge on.
I don’t think the VP pick, historically, has made that much difference in electability. At least that’s what some of the historians and pollsters I follow state. If Trump had made his choice based on sex or race or what swing state they were from, rather than on CHARACTER, he’d be no better than the rest of the slick politicians in DC!
no, I meant Trump. He could not have done better than her. Can you imagine her on the Stump and on TV--? She's actually a woman of color, who won a dem primary, and who is pro military service so she would demand some international conflict be damn important before supporting sending Baron. She unnerves the blue team state media. But even though she is peace and love and Hawaiian, Trump is not man enough to choose her.
in the 1970s, when television news began to deploy live coverage of events on a spontaeous basis and no longer relied on newsfilm which had to be developed before it could be shown to viewers, something interesting happened. Event coverage, especially public protests, began to be featured more extensively in newscasts. This encouraged protesters and so a sort of feedback loop was established. TV news directors would be tipped off so cameras could be on hand to cover the trouble.
But something else happened as well. More coverage meant more episodes of acting out that more non-participants got to witness first in person then later as evening news coverage. They learned that news coverage was usually edited to emphasize the troublemaking, to put as many in the frame as possible, to otherwise make the event more than it was. A few, clustering in front of the cameras, looked like hundreds. Coverage avoided wide angle shots that would reveal the event to be a handful of shouting nobodies since that wouldn't be as interesting.
But it only takes one episode where you, the news viewer, saw it in real time at the actual place, then later in news coverage to learn the trick. After that, the game was up. The magician is no longer entertaining if you can see the slight of hand. Soon you look for it.
So it is for denegration of anyone the Republicans nominate to anything these days. Decent, well meaning individuals who leave comfortable sinecures to serve in government are edited deceptively. But enough of us, and an ever increasing number, have seen this play out after meeting and speaking with those who endure the trashing. We now know better. Just like the TV news coverage, once you've seen the trick, it no longer holds much interest nor does it enjoy any credibility.
Sasha, if we are going to talk about heroes, you are one of mine. Your beautiful, thoughtful writing and your gracious humility have touched my heart more than once. I know you regret not having taken the “road less traveled” sooner, but you made the turn. The scales have fallen from your eyes, you can see clearly now. I grew up in the rural south and have worked in Appalachia. J.D. Vance is the genuine deal. I pray he does not become corrupted by the system. And I thank God for you Sasha.
I had two favorites for Trump's vice president. The first was Tulsi Gabbard but as she isn't even a Republican, I knew that was a longshot.
My very close second was JD Vance. Why?, Like me he had a hardscrabble upbringing but unlike me, he didn't let It hold him back.
He's also a friend of the working class, my class, not a fake friend to the favored few.
I pray that Donald Trump and JD Vance win. If not, the USA is doomed.
It took us decades to get into this mess and it will take decades to get out. Victory in one election buys time. Now, 4 more years of Trump, then 8 years of JD then 32 years of leaders to be named might get us there but remember that the craziness of the Left shows no sign of breaking. And frankly, I am concerned about the stamina of the Right. The Bushies still lurk.
This mess is mostly my fault. I voted for Obama twice. This November it will be the third time I’m voting against Obama.
Chris, you are not alone. I too voted for Obama twice and then Biden, because you know, Orange Man Bad. But Covid woke me up to the reality of the Left. We just have to correct our mistakes and push forward.
I’ve heard so many say the same. It’s taken a lot to open people’s eyes. The Democratic Party has moved more and more to the far left, especially in recent years. Ever see Elon Musks post with the stick figures? Has 3 lines representing different years, with him in exactly the same spot on each line. What’s moved is the position of the Left, each time stretching farther and farther to the left until his stick figure has “moved” into the Right side. He hasn’t moved, the party moved. Many moderates haven’t changed all that much, the party they voted for has radically changed!
I hope that people can see beyond the brand to what they are attempting to do to the USA.
Ronald Reagan famously said as much when he first ran for governor as a Republican, ‘I didn’t leave the Democrat Party, it left me.
FYI, that clever / iconic stick-figure graphic (reposted by Musk) was created by sub-stacker Colin Wright, check him out.
I found 2 Colin Wrights on substack (go figure?). Is the one you’re talking about the biologist?
Biologist - Reality’s Last Stand
Will do, thanks!
Like W was my fault. Twice. Welcome to the Deplorables. :-D
Exactly! We were all hoodwinked…in BOTH parties! Makes me ill to think I was so gung-ho on Bush Jr after 9/11.
Politics is damn confusing, ain't it?
Yep!!! Me too!
Ditto. Whenever I gnash my teeth at the left, I remember I was once a Democrat and I also didn't see. Until the Obama veil slipped, big time, and my eyes were opened.
Frankly, I was equally saddened by Bush and Cheney and their military forays into Iraq and Afghanistan and the trillions spent, the destruction that ensued, and the thousands killed or injured. Look at the mess this region is in now - there have to be better policies pursued by our nation that don't result in such calamities.
Welcome and thank God you opened your eyes!!!
Don’t feel so bad; many of us made that mistake.
Faced with the choice of Obama and Mittens, I voted None of the Above.
I voted for Obama in '08. Holding my nose, for Romney in 2012. My father, who trained naval aviators on Kaneohe in World War II and briefed the admirals including McCain's dad, told me that no one could go through what McCain did in the Hanoi Hilton for so long and not be cracked in some way. My bad. Obama really was (and is) the Marxist-Jihadist others said he was.
McCain showed his colors finally with the thumbs down on Obamacare. Let there be no doubt about his treachery.
thumbs down the Obamacare REPEAL, you mean. Why would it have been so great to repeal, again? I mean, much of Sasha's arguments here are in favor of the working class, who, uh, benefited from Obamacare.
My Uncle, Captain Walter Eugene WIlber was also a POW in the Hanoi Hilton for over 5 years. He did not approve of McCain's behavior before or after his stay at the camp. We must see people for who they are by their behavior. It does not matter what box you check, right or left, black or white or otherwise. The system is designed to keep people fighting against one another. Is it possible for us to stop playing the game and allowing ourselves to be manipulated? This is what they want............
McCain wasn’t squeaky clean at all. Remember the Keating Five?
Don't be too hard on yourself. As one of my best bosses used to say, "That inning's over." Nothing left for it but to learn.
I never voted for Obama, but I voted for Clinton twice, which is bad enough. (Had Jack Kemp been at the top of the ticket in '96 I'd have voted for him.) Gore was my dealbreaker.
The battle will never truly be over until Jesus returns, mainly because of (as Tolkien wrote -- I think in one of his letters) "...man's quick satiety with good."
It’s not called uniparty for nothing. It might take decades for the Restoration unless the problem is addressed at their root cause. “All enemies, foreign and domestic.”
Even then, decades. It took a long time to get here. The socialists gorge of the fat of the land. We are nearly$40T in debt and the fat is gone. The government accounts for about half of all medical spending. https://www.statnews.com/2023/12/19/us-healthcare-costs-government-covers-41-percent-of-total/. Read and you will see 50%.
I’m intimately aware of the issues in the health care sector which has degenerated into a fully corporatized captured industry for the benefit of executives, industry and corporations. It has become a vehicle for the promotion of a leftist social revolution at the expense of patients and a dispensary for pharmaceutical companies products ushered into clinical use behind sham science and captured regulatory agencies. Very hard to still be working in it.
And THAT us what "obamacare" further crystallized in our society. Socialized medicine with zero savings and zero care, zero choice!
Those "free government benefits" that Biden-Harris have provided to these millions of illegal migrants are rapidly depleting the trust funds that provide for them - this is a serious situation, and for many seniors and others dependent upon one or both of these programs, it is outrageous to give these benefits to these illegal migrants who have not paid into them.
I share your concerns. Pray for eyes to open.
I am hoping for eight years or less, like the time span between Lexington/Concord and Yorktown -- sooner if those of us on the right realize that there is no "reaching across the aisle" with revolutionaries.
Who of us commenting didn’t work hard, struggle, experience heartache, grow up in some sort of family dysfunction, and yet, survived and succeeded?
Life is not some weird ideological construct. More people have died in the pursuit of equity than ever in the pursuit of equality of opportunity.
Division, Exclusion, and Indoctrination must be destroyed, eradicated, and then blown to bits.
I feel the same way! I was pulling for Tulsi too but I like JD and the more I get to know him the more I understand why he was selected. I think the left would have tried even harder to get Trump out so Tulsi could lead if he had selected her and won.
ha. I WISH the dems liked Tulsi (and civil liberties) as much as you say. and when she said things against 'the neocons who want forever wars', they said amen.
Agree on Tulsi. Figured Youngkin if not her, but Vance is better. It'll take huge turnout and overwhelming the Demoncat voting machine for Trump to win. If counting stops in the middle of the night, people need to be ready to protest immediately.
Sad thing is, even if Trump wins and republicans maintain the house and take back the senate, there are too many RINO's still embedded in the system to make any substantial, lasting changes. It will take time to purge the traitorous RINO's out of the party machinery and I'm not sure if we have the will and fortitude to see it all the way through. The left won't stop until they are crushed.
IF Trump wins and takes the House and Senate expect the lamestream media to highlight the Bush/Ryan/ Romney/McConnell RINO clique as the TRUE opposition to Trump.
With the embedded RINOs the Democrat party doesn't need to worry - the "resistance" is already inside the tent.
Am reading Unhumans: The Secret History of Communist Revolutions. The first stage is building resentment between groups. I sensed the anti-white bias mainstreaming in the 90s. But had no idea it was based in Marxism. So bizarre there is no gratitude toward the great minds that conceived this country. And no humility. Humility is a hard lesson I hope Americans can relearn.
Identical thoughts…couldn’t have said it better!
I’m pulling for Tulsi as Secretary of Defense. Minimum secretary of the army
Spot on Daniel, Tulsi and JD were my top two picks, too,
Good sense tells us JD is the perfect choice for vp. It is obvious, a self made hillbilly that has worked hard, been in the military, has a lovely family and is the right age to carry on. But hate is so rampant I am not encouraged that decency and fairness count anymore to the average voter. It’s all about me and what I can get, for nothing and sadly not about country and the welfare of a fellow man. Satan is lurking.
This is so great, Sasha! You wrote exactly what I think, just with better metaphor and way cooler syntax! :) I truly enjoy all of your pieces because you not only see, but have lived, both sides of the story. This experience makes your writing so rich and meaningful and for that, I am grateful. Thank you!
She is absolutely brilliant in her writings ... metaphors galore and very cool syntax!!!
I am not a “religious” person, but I am working on learning & getting to know Jesus in order to develop a more personal relationship with him. I came across this today in a devotional reading: The power of God’s love within us fuels our love when human love is running on empty.” We love because he first loved us. 1John 4:19.
Amen Dena! Its only the love of God, and His love channeled thru us, that is holding the world together today. It is literally supernatural, and the most powerful force in the universe when embraced. My supernatural, born-again experience happened 49yrs ago this October.
America has been (past tense) a force for good because of our Judeo-Christian belief system. The lack of that love is found in the God-less tyrannical regimes across the world: CCP, Putin, Cuba, N.Korea, Iran, (Obama-Biden?).
Praying for a great revival in the US -- God's love is likely the only thing that will save us from a horrific civil war.
I was born again on Jan 9, 1974 in the top bunk of an economy triple dorm room I shared with 2 roommates at U of MI. I didn't sleep that night. I surrendered my life to Christ. Now I'm almost 70. No regrets in that decision and would not want to face death without Him.
gah...awesome PamPoll. Takin' that 'leap of faith' changes lives forever for the better. It's very very real. God bless.
God bless you, sister!
Josh McDowell became a believer when an acquaintance in college told him “it’s not about religion; it’s about a relationship.” He wrote about this in More Than A Carpenter. We are all sinners saved by grace, seeking a closer relationship with Jesus. Thank you Dena, for your truthful words this morning.
....yes Nancy. I was lucky enuff to see Josh McDowell speak when I was in college, 1970s. He was a powerful, gifted communicator....especially to the college crowd embroiled in the cultural/sexual revolution of that time.
Loved that book!
Well put. More than that, he, like Trump, is a threat. The Left will not give up power voluntarily. Time for some loin girding coming up.
The fact that Trump picked another strong populist instead of some establishment hack, sends a clear message to the Deep State. JD is not going to be some silly little ceremonial VP, a fake Border Czar. He’s going to help kick some butt in DC. So what if he makes some verbal missteps? It just proves he’s not some slick Willy spewing the typical verbiage. He’s a real person and a strong man and that’s what we need. He’s also Trump’s best insurance!
Vance is a smart guy with a good heart and some native son stregth. He will learn and move forward.
Agree wholeheartedly.
Judy, Trump has such strength on the issues, but he is so undisciplined, he's self destructive. Harris and the main slime media are manifestly detestable. If Trump merely forces himself to act like a gentleman and keep the debate on the issues, he'll win. Yet as I write this close to midnight on Saturday evening, he's just finished a speech in which he insulted Harris about her intelligence.
Harris stands for evil while Trump is just a gluttonous slob, but that Trump keeps doing these things makes me doubt strongly that he'll win. It's funny that the Democrats, who defend all manner of wickedness and social destruction, may find themselves spared electorally by a residue of wonderful, old fashioned gentility which still exists in many people.
Trump's doing this kind of thing arouses the same kind of disgust most sane people felt the other day when the sissy boy boxer with the braids beat the young Italian woman in forty - seven seconds. It will be just, I guess, if the most boorish of men does himself in electorally by stirring up a lovely old fashioned sense that a real man just does not treat a woman like that. But the price the country will have to pay! It needn't have been. DeSantis could have won this election. But Trump is the bad boy all the Republican girlies, male as well as female, just couldn't resist.
I wish I could talk to Trump. I'd scream at him to stop making these asshole moves if he wants to win. Someone has to do it.
“Andy crawled to freedom through five hundred yards of sh*t-smelling foulness, I can’t even imagine. Or maybe I just don’t want to. Five hundred yards. That’s the length of five football fields. Just shy of half a mile.” --Morgan Freeman in The Shawshank Redemption
I remember watching this movie with a small group of newly-formed friends during an intensive program. It was precisely during this “crawling” scene that one them looked over to me and very matter-of-factly (but with clear, clean empathy) said, “I could see you doing that.” (She was not wrong. She knew some of my family story.)
You wrote: “Donald Trump said JD Vance cares about family to explain away why he is adamant about supporting mothers with kids. You’d have to grow up the way he did and the way I did to understand why someone would be so protective of the family unit. He did not have it growing up, but it was something he longed for. I know that because I felt the same way.”
I don’t know if Donald Trump or JD Vance are meant to be the cure (by whatever higher power is at work) or if their role is something else or both; but I’m pretty sure one of the ravaging, destroying diseases we face—if we are to be destroyed—will be sourced back to the snuffing out of empathy, starting with family.
Sasha, You are a remarkable writer and visionary. Much of what you write brings a tear to my eye...and not much does that. Your words are poetry with meaning...really special. Thanks for all you do. Glad you made it through the rain...
I like him. Read several interviews and op-eds before The Machine got started on him and was impressed. Why isn’t anyone talking about how YOUNG he is? His Spotify playlist had Of Monsters and Men, The Avett Brothers, I mean, come on! It’s the first Presidential candidate I can actually relate to. That’s so cool to me.
What’s *actually*weird is him being presented as out of touch. The media environment we live in makes me so sad/frustrated.
It struck me watching that video that I couldn’t imagine either Kamala or Trump in that diner with a baby on their hip. I never had a good man in my life that could hold a baby on their hip like that, except for my dad. Dad was a hillbilly from Portsmouth, OH. He would have loved JD.
Thanks Sasha - as always. I look forward to all your posts and especially your podcasts.
I gotta say, I wish that there’d be an acknowledgement that there actually is another legitimate candidate: RFK Jr.
I’d prefer him to Trump/Vance - but maybe I’m wrong.
What I really want to impart is a recommendation to give a listen to Naomi Wolfs latest Outspoken podcast entitled How Not To Win Against The Totalitarians - or something to that effect.
In it she exhorts us not to do what is easiest and most tempting to do which is to mock the farce of the Kamala for Pres campaign - by calling her a “DEI hire”, making fun of her hyena laugh, mocking her word salads, etc.
Wolf urges us - and the Republicans running the Trump/Vance campaign to, instead, concentrate on Harris’ policy failures - which are numerous.
Concentrate on things that affect the populace:
She failed at the Border!!
The Economy is tanking!!
Endless wars!!
Rinse, repeat.
Don’t let up.
Definitely. Harris is a participant in a dreadful administration, so she has to focus on personality. Trump's message should be 'Peace and Properity' because that's what we had under him.
I agree. The focus is too much on personality and not on policies, competence and achievements. Yet if done in the right way it’s legitimate to criticize the woke ideology that has infected the left and our government. Democrats are running on identity ideology at this point.
RFK Jr., while likable and good on some issues, is deeply problematic on other issues. Trump is generally great on issues (although he obviously has some rough edges on style which appeal to some and not to others). Kamala would be an unmitigated disaster for the USA as her record clearly shows (and all of the recent extravagant media hype cannot conceal that to the wise, but it might be able to conceal that to the unwise, which concerns me).
Yes I am in agreement. Trump and Vance need to consistently take the high road, and not devolve into personal attacks against their opponents or make controversial statements that the media will pounce on. Focus on the issues. Do that, and they’ll have a good chance of winning. It will give them the upper hand over Kamala and the Dems, who only seem to know how to be smug and arrogant towards their opponents, and run strictly on identity politics.
¿Por Qué No Los Dos?
It never would have happened. RFK’s wife hates Trump.
What does RFK Jr’s wife hating Trump have to do with it?
I saw them in an interview, RFK was asked if Trump picked you for VP would you accept. He replied, “I don’t think my marriage would survive”. His wife responded, “That’s right”.
that was funny.
you know he's old though, Trump. Just saw this PBS thing on the women's peace march across the DMZ in 2015. Trump is in it--and looks so much younger and not as well, ...crotchety old man. Like he is now. Like Biden... wonder how close he got to getting the peace treaty phase 1 started, and of course, he wouldn't be interested in doing it this time if he wins.
Who do you think out there could endure what Trump has had to deal with since 2016 including nearly being murdered, what? 2,3 weeks ago? Crotchety old man that he is —without dementia. I actually preferred deSantis as the candidate but make no mistake, no matter who the Republican candidates are, the Dems, media and big tech will crucify them. Funny? Ok.
nothing funny about psychos who shoot at presidents. we agree on that.
hate to diagram jokes, so let's just say I've been married almost 30 years, and laughed.
I realize that you thought I was suggesting RFK jr for Trumps VP??
That was not my intention. Not at all!!
Yes, that’s correct. He’s still a democrat so it’s a “no” for me. I really liked his book about Fauci. There’s a new book release concerning how horribly the Kennedy men, including RFK, treat women. Should be interesting…
My intention is to point out how it seems most of - including Sasha - are ignoring the fact that there IS a legitimate and excellent third candidate in RFK Jr.
It feels to me like people are just obeying the deep state demonrat run MSM that has smeared and ignored Bobby and is telling us that he doesn’t exist as a viable candidate.
I, for one, would much prefer him to the dangerous farce of Kamala or Trump/Vance.
Vance’s connections to people like Peter Thiel of the deep surveillance state are very worrying.
RFK, Jr. is almost certainly my vote, though he certainly will not win my state of California. I fear and he probably does too, if he really did have a chance to win, the US government, the secret one you speak of, would kill a third Kennedy. What I would like to advocate is: why not release 100 percent of the killing Kennedy records? Presidents from both parties have had the opportunity, in fact, have recently been ordered to do so by congress, yet none has done it.
I do sympathize with your point. I never bought a cellphone and never used one. Ever try to order....AAA, a car service? redeem a booked flight on Frontier Airlines (of Atlanta)? even a plumber? GoFan.com sports tickets are the worst! they are my biggest enemy, as they have me climbing fences to see high school football games in California. ! They don't think I exist!
Thoughtful, heartfelt writing here Sasha. I’ve admired JD Vance ever since reading his book several years ago & eventually the movie. Was hoping Trump would pick him. Like Trump, JD seems to have been specifically chosen for times such as these. You too are having an Esther moment.
Hehe....Esther moment. Yes!
Dems are stuck on rhetoric. They ignore policy. They want to vet a person’s life and be a judge on every facet while looking for dirt. It’s disgusting, deranged and hubristic. No one is perfect, except them. Instead of the focus on the person, they should look at competency for the job. If I’m looking to hire, for example, a carpenter, do I want to know every little thing they ever said or did that I could pick apart? No, I want to know their expertise as a carpenter. How will they do the job? what the hell is wrong with these Democrats?
Word!
Sasha, I don't know if anyone else has already said this but JD is a Catholic. I believe he converted in 2019.
And your opening paragraphs riveted me. It was like you were speaking with me personally.
I think the lack of empathy you state the left displays is part of their sociopathy. Or possibly psychopathy. Hard to discern unless you can do a in depth psychological interview.
Sometimes in my life, my own empathy made it hard to watch any news. Made it hard to be a nurse. I felt like the character, May in The Secret Life of Bees. But somehow, I found my way to a better place... obviously. Or maybe I'm more of a sociopath now.. hard to say. *chuckle*
I raise my own turkeys and chicken, along with my husband. I taught myself how to do the important and sacred task of killing them using the kosher method. Loss on the homestead occurs routinely but especially when it's butchering time. And I do not use the word sacred lightly. But life has a way of making itself known whether you are prepared for it or not. Like the time the black bear ripped off the back of our turkey coop and yanked out a few of my birds and walked over to the big maple and ate them one spring evening. Or when the adorable little family of skunks ripped the heads of my egg laying birds to drink the blood. Sorry to be so graphic. But when you are faced with your utter failure to protect your food supply, your stewardship is in question. And you have to come to grips with that or you fail. We don't name our livestock, but we feel they deserve the best life they can have and the best death we can give them.
It is the fate of most Christians to be ridiculed and vilified and pushed to the limits. God told us that in various ways, in many, many parts of the bible.
This was such an honest and moving essay for me Sasha. Thank you for sharing.
Every life is different and all of us have made many mistakes but no life is complete without knowing God. God loves us in spite of our waywardness. Read John 3 v 16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Turn to the Saviour with all your sins, and with all your cares.
John 6 v 37 says All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. He will console you, and keep you, and in the next world you will be with Him forever.
....and John 3:17, where Jesus (God) explains that He did not come to condemn the world, but He came to SAVE US.....to save us from ourselves.
That's important cuz the unbeliever walks in the lie that Jesus /Christianity is all about condemnation. Its just the opposite.
AMEN
Amen. Agreed.
Too late for me too Sasha. It’s weird to see it now, but we see it and we can share . That’s something. I’m sure
I admire JD for all the reasons you do. I fear that he will make it harder for Trump to win and for those reasons I’m unhappy. Maybe you are right and it doesn’t matter. I hope so.
For a myriad of reasons I wanted him to pick Tulsi . I don’t know why he didn’t , but here we are are and I’m trying to stay positive. This post helped
Sasha and Regina, it’s not too late. You have turned the corner, are seeing the light. As a believer, I can feel the tug of satan to make me despair. This is a battle. You are in the company of others. Thank you for your frank humility and courage. I speak Jesus over us all as we trudge on.
I don’t think the VP pick, historically, has made that much difference in electability. At least that’s what some of the historians and pollsters I follow state. If Trump had made his choice based on sex or race or what swing state they were from, rather than on CHARACTER, he’d be no better than the rest of the slick politicians in DC!
Everybody thought picking Sarah Palin killed McCain’s chance.
a lack of courage, a lack of imagination. Those are the two reasons he did not pick Tulsi.
Lack of courage? If anything, courage is one of the main attributes I think Tulsi possesses.
no, I meant Trump. He could not have done better than her. Can you imagine her on the Stump and on TV--? She's actually a woman of color, who won a dem primary, and who is pro military service so she would demand some international conflict be damn important before supporting sending Baron. She unnerves the blue team state media. But even though she is peace and love and Hawaiian, Trump is not man enough to choose her.
Oh, thanks, we’re on the same page here.
I think Trump has a bit of courage
Another awesome article ... and yes as you say "It’s the totalitarians vs. the populists."
in the 1970s, when television news began to deploy live coverage of events on a spontaeous basis and no longer relied on newsfilm which had to be developed before it could be shown to viewers, something interesting happened. Event coverage, especially public protests, began to be featured more extensively in newscasts. This encouraged protesters and so a sort of feedback loop was established. TV news directors would be tipped off so cameras could be on hand to cover the trouble.
But something else happened as well. More coverage meant more episodes of acting out that more non-participants got to witness first in person then later as evening news coverage. They learned that news coverage was usually edited to emphasize the troublemaking, to put as many in the frame as possible, to otherwise make the event more than it was. A few, clustering in front of the cameras, looked like hundreds. Coverage avoided wide angle shots that would reveal the event to be a handful of shouting nobodies since that wouldn't be as interesting.
But it only takes one episode where you, the news viewer, saw it in real time at the actual place, then later in news coverage to learn the trick. After that, the game was up. The magician is no longer entertaining if you can see the slight of hand. Soon you look for it.
So it is for denegration of anyone the Republicans nominate to anything these days. Decent, well meaning individuals who leave comfortable sinecures to serve in government are edited deceptively. But enough of us, and an ever increasing number, have seen this play out after meeting and speaking with those who endure the trashing. We now know better. Just like the TV news coverage, once you've seen the trick, it no longer holds much interest nor does it enjoy any credibility.
Sasha, if we are going to talk about heroes, you are one of mine. Your beautiful, thoughtful writing and your gracious humility have touched my heart more than once. I know you regret not having taken the “road less traveled” sooner, but you made the turn. The scales have fallen from your eyes, you can see clearly now. I grew up in the rural south and have worked in Appalachia. J.D. Vance is the genuine deal. I pray he does not become corrupted by the system. And I thank God for you Sasha.