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April 10, 2021

The Chestertown Spy

An Educational News Source for Chestertown Maryland

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House of the Week:  Davis Creek Retreat

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This is the third time I have featured a house on Davis Creek and I always enjoy the serene setting of woods and water-the perfect backdrop for a full time or part time retreat convenient to Ferry Park Beach on the Chesapeake Bay at Rock Hall and Chestertown’s amenities. This contemporary cottage with a primary suite on the main floor is nestled in the woods with a screened porch and deck for enjoying the water views and a private pier to launch your boat.  There is also a detached two-car garage with a large workshop/studio/office and a half bath. 

The three-step massing of the house defines the functions with the center story and a half main wing containing the entry foyer with stairs to the upper floor bedrooms, bath and lower floor open plan living-dining-kitchen area. The center wing is flanked by the primary suite wing set slightly back and the one-story screened porch wing set further back resulting in varying roof ridge lines to break up the box. Sunlight filters through the trees onto the elevations clad in light blue lap siding that add texture and casts shadows to further enliven the facades. The rear elevation of the house opens up to the water with wide glass sliding doors at the main floor and double window shed dormers for the second floor bedrooms.

At the front door there is a wood stoop with a bench on one side that is convenient for resting packages before entering the house and the entry foyer’s half glass door with full height side light brings sunlight into the space. The vista from the front door extends through the house’s rear wall’s double sliding doors with views of the woods and water. The open plan living-dining-kitchen wraps around the foyer for great circulation and a short hall off the foyer leads to the primary bedroom suite.  

I loved how the interior design continued the blue and white color scheme and I especially liked the interior design of the very appealing living-dining room.  The wood-burning fireplace is set at the rear wall between pairs of sliding glass doors that lead to the waterside deck. The side wall has full height built-in white millwork with cabinets below and open shelves above for the TV, books, family photographs and memorabilia. The TV disappears into the deep blue-gray back wall of the millwork. The bold light blue rug with white diagonal pattern reminded me of tree branches in the woods surrounding the house and it anchors a seating grouping of contemporary pieces with traditional accents against warm blue-gray walls. 

The dining area at the corner of the room has another pair of sliding glass doors at the side wall that leads to the screened porch giving diagonal views of the woods and water. The wood table, corner chest, eclectic mix of chairs and the colorful poster of a Pennsylvania Dutch barn scene sets the scene for lingering over a meal. The half-height wall to the kitchen gives the cook water views and the wood floors that continue into the kitchen and the spacious “U” arrangement of the two toned color scheme of  gray base cabinets, white upper cabinets and white appliances would please any cook. The built-in cabinetry between the kitchen and the foyer has a dual use as a pantry or display of serving pieces.  The one-story screened porch has a pitched roof that is open to the roof rafters to increase its spatial volume and a screened door to the deck, separate steps to the ground and a pet door for ease of access for all. The rear railing of the deck incorporates a continuous seat to accommodate many guests for parties with both steps and a ramp leading to the ground for access to the pier.

The bedrooms are spacious to accommodate a range of bed sizes and the two full baths have delightful color accents in their shower curtains-one is a pattern of small squares of various shades of blue with a random white square that becomes a mosaic “wall” and the other bath’s curtain contains images of vertical columns of stained glass.

This house was built in 1988 and its compact floor plan, easy circulation flow between indoors and outdoor “rooms” of screened porch and deck, flexible bedroom arrangements with a main floor primary bedroom suite, soothing blue and gray paint colors, a detached two-car garage with extra space for myriad uses and extra storage space over the garage is the perfect retreat just in time to enjoy the upcoming warm months!

 

For more information about this property, contact Debbie Meilke of Long and Foster Real Estate Kent Island  at 410-643-2244 (o), 410-708-7789 (c) or  DEBRA.MEILKE@LongandFoster.com,   “Equal Housing Opportunity”. 

Photography by Patty Hill, 410-441-4719, www.pattyhillphotography.com. For online booking, visit https://pattyhillphotography.simplybook.me/v2/.

Spy House of the Week is an ongoing series that selects a different home each week. The Spy’s Habitat editor Jennifer Martella makes these selections based exclusively on her experience as a architect.

Jennifer Martella has pursued her dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. Her award winning work has ranged from revitalization projects to a collaboration with the Maya Lin Studio for the Children’s Defense Fund’s corporate retreat in her home state of Tennessee.

Food Friday: Sheet Pan Magic

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It’s cold and dark out there. Punxsutawney Phil was right. He called predicted this weather a few weeks ago from his burrow in gelid Pennsylvania. We have moved into another six weeks of winter, and my outlook is grim. We are stuck inside, with no promise of spring break in sight. The night is dark, and full of terrors. The sirens are shrieking their horrifying song; we need to prepare dinner yet again.

I am not in the mood to mince words, or garlic. I want the easiest, no-fuss, fewest-dirty-pots-and-pans kind of meals. I want everything to be ready at the same moment – numbers, timing, and patience not being my forte. Short of sticking a Stouffer’s Chicken Pot Pie in the oven, this seems to be the easiest, most nutritious option available: Sheet Pan Baked Salmon https://cafedelites.com/sheet-pan-garlic-butter-baked-salmon/

A delightful new world has opened for me. Let the scales fall from your eyes, too. Sheet pan meals are the only way to go this COVID winter. You can prepare your protein, your veg and your starch all in one place – and with the judicious use of foil or parchment paper, your clean-up is relatively painless. (Remember – you are the dishwasher – no one is going to help. ) Sheet pan cooking will leave you more time to rail about being cooped up and miserable. No, Gentle Reader. I am sure you will use this new-found leisure time wisely: working on strengthening your core, or finally reading Moby Dick, or surfing TikTok. February might be the shortest month – it is is also the darkest.

With just a little more than a week to go before we can enjoy the gentle zephyrs of March, let’s consider the myriad possibilities:

February 20: Sheet Pan Chicken with Tomatoes and Mozzarella https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/sheet-pan-chicken-with-tomatoes-and-mozzarella

February 21: Sheet Pan Jambalaya https://www.cookinglight.com/recipe-finder/sheet-pan-dinners?slide=233783#233783

February 22: Celebrate George’s birthday with a sheet pan cherry pie. It is quite beauteous. Cake is overrated. https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/sweet-cherry-sheet-pan-pie

February 23: Sheet Pan Eggs – because time saved in the morning can salvage your whole day! https://food52.com/recipes/53458-sheet-pan-eggs

February 24: Radicchio Sheet Pan Panzanella https://www.tastecooking.com/sheet-pan-panzanella/

February 25: Roasted Vegetable Couscous https://www.marthastewart.com/1532522/roasted-vegetable-couscous-bowl

February 26: Sheet Pan Sausages and Brussels sprouts https://www.punchfork.com/recipe/Sheet-Pan-Sausages-and-Brussels-Sprouts-with-Honey-Mustard-NYT-Cooking

February 27: Warm Winter Vegetable Salad with Halloumi https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/warm-winter-vegetable-salad-with-halloumi

February 28: Sheet Pan Fajita Bake https://www.farmflavor.com/recipes/sheet-pan-fajita-bake/

Remember, spring is just around the corner. Cheer up. Make something deelish and easy for dinner tonight. It’s nice and warm in the kitchen. Make yourself happy. Every little bit helps.

“When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people and if you could keep from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself.”
― Ernest Hemingway

Service Year by Al Sikes

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Everything seems up for grabs. Disruption is thematic—establishments are on their heels. In 2027, looking back, how will our intervening work be measured? Status quo? No that is not possible. Progress? We’ll see.

Too many, and I mean way too many, look to politics to find hope. President Joe Biden will prove a much more healing presence, but then the bar is painfully low. Washington is, mostly, not a place to mine for hope. It is more likely to be found in our neighborhoods and communities—people helping people. Ultimately it must be found in ourselves and our relationships with others.

There is a light, although not nearly bright enough at this moment, which I find hopeful.

General Stan McChrystal, a consummate leader under the most challenging of circumstances, now chairs Service Year Alliance and has a profound hope: that “where did you do your year of service?” becomes as common as “where did you go to school?”

The CEO of Service Year Alliance is Jesse Colvin, an honored veteran who is especially known to Marylanders who vote in Maryland’s first Congressional District where he ran for Congress in 2018. Colvin is fortunate; he now leads an especially important mission rather than arguing as one of 435 in the halls of Congress.

My father, who served in the Pacific Theater in WWII, was fond of recounting the story of his bunkmate, a soldier from the Bronx, in New York City. Dad, from a small town in southern Missouri, received an education in humanity from the realities of life, well beyond his small town.

Too few of the privileged today go beyond a textbook in a school compartmentalized by realities—the realities of parent’s ambitions with checkbook in hand. Today public schools, in the minds of many, are not the first choice. So many of those who go on to lead in private and public affairs go from school to school and then with their credentials secured, into business or the professions. Not only do they not sleep in bunks, but forfeit the lessons of life fully learned.

The military is now voluntary. And for many a real boost in life. Hopefully circumstances will keep military service voluntary. But national service should be experienced broadly. Service, as I have experienced it, is always hopeful—in our civic lives service organizations build our aspirations and our empathy.

I have friends and acquaintances that served in the Peace Corps and Teach for America. Each relate that their experiences were life-changing for them and they hope for those served. Alexis de Tocqueville, in studying and then reporting on America, found Americans selfless collaborations to improve their neighborhood and beyond especially hopeful for the nation’s future.

Jesse Colvin spelled out Service Year Alliance’s hope in a recent conversation.The goal: one million members helping to renew their communities as they enrich their lives. Jesse believes that going from the current estimate of sixty-five thousand who complete a service year experience, to one million will dramatize the importance of a service year. “One million will be an important tipping point towards making a year of service a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans” Colvin notes. “Reaching that milestone will result in “where did you do your service?”, being asked over and over.

Service Year recognizes 700 organizations that provide a service opportunity. But reaching the goal of one million in annual service will require a boost from Washington. Everybody who opts for a service year should be able to get by financially—sacrifice will be necessary, but basic support is essential. President Biden can underscore his efforts to unify Americans by recognizing the value of the long game. Politics often favors short term tactics; supporting a service year is strategic and can be an enduring legacy.

In some ways the ultimate question will be framed by those with discretion. Will those who think in terms of “gap years” begin to consider service in the gap? Will those with the discretion to choose job candidates from lists of dozens or hundreds begin to value candidates who have a service year on their resume? And what will parents think? Often parents and their offspring are pushed or pulled along by the prevailing sparkle—hopefully building communities shoulder to shoulder with the full spectrum of humanity will sparkle. It’s enduring contribution should always shine.

Al Sikes is the former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission under George H.W. Bush. Al recently published Culture Leads Leaders Follow published by Koehler Books. 

Senior Nation: Valentines for Your Heart

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Exercise is essential for keeping your heart healthy.  Any type of physical activity will help, especially walking, swimming, dancing and laughter.

Walking is an aerobic exercise that reduces atherosclerosis, fatty build-ups in the arteries which cause most cases of heart disease.  While walking, the heart becomes more efficient and pumps more blood with each heartbeat.  It also increases your muscles’ ability to take oxygen from the blood.

Swimming is another aerobic activity that increases your stamina while improving your cardiovascular system.  Exercise through swimming slows the heart to work less strenuously allowing your heart to stay healthy and strong.

Enjoying yourself while taking part in cardiovascular exercise is what dancing allows you to do. Dancing is a great exercise that not only keeps your heart rate up but allows you to have fun and let loose, while keeping your heart healthy without you even noticing!

Laughter is contagious but spreading it around is a good thing.  Research shows that laughter increases blood flow, burns calories and eases pain.  Did you know that 4 yr. olds laugh about every 4 minutes and adults do it about once an hour?  Spend some time having fun each day and…

Remember dark chocolate and red wine! Tasty treats high in flavonoids (the compounds that cause blood vessels to dilate and reduce blood pressure).

Happy Valentines Day, every day!

Susan Covey is the Fitness Director at Acts Bayleigh Chase in Easton

Should Freedom be Rethought in this Pandemic? By J.E. Dean

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“We wouldn’t be in this mess if we had a government like China’s,” a friend of mine told me last week.   I wasn’t sure I heard her right.  She was talking about our troubled response to COVID-19 over the last year. She suggested that had the government been able to order an immediate lock-down of every large city, and maybe everywhere else, last February, the pandemic would be largely history.  “Our freedom,” she continued, “isn’t always in our best interests.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond to my friend. While she is right that a more forceful lock down, perhaps achievable only through some sort of enforcement, would have slowed down and possibly stopped the pandemic (as claimed by China), I wasn’t quite ready to accept de facto martial law as a solution.  I told her as much, to which she replied, “I guess you’d rather live in misery.”  After hesitating, I mumbled, “I guess so.”

I am utterly tired of the pandemic, and I understand the sense of urgency many of us feel about getting things back to normal. We see important community institutions, like restaurants, annual festivals like the Waterfowl Festival, and churches jeopardized.  Education, at all levels, has suffered a setback that is only now being understood.  Alcoholism and suicide are up. Haven’t we suffered enough?

But is a return to normalcy worth the loss of our everyday freedom? The answer is that there is a happy medium between the two. I would not want “public health czars” in Washington deciding what states and local governments can or cannot permit, but I would, and have, welcomed limited Federal mandates.  A very recent example is the Biden administration’s mandate that masks be worn by passengers in all forms of public transportation. 

I also think it’s appropriate for the Federal government to issue guidelines for the distribution of the coronavirus vaccine to ensure fairness.  Although I might not agree with all details, I don’t think that individual cities or hospitals should be able to sell preferred access to the vaccine by rewarding donors. Nor should “family and friends” policies be tolerated.  

Among actions that the Federal government should not take are decisions on whether individual schools or school districts should open elementary and secondary schools. While Federal guidelines are welcome, the local states and school boards are in better positions to do what’s best for students.  Similarly, individual colleges should maintain their authority to decide when to reopen and how to meet their educational responsibilities to students.  

Then let’s turn to the issue of Federal assistance to those adversely impacted by the pandemic.  This, of course, is the issue of the day.  Democrats support large, widely distributed assistance in the $1.9 trillion Biden proposal. Many Republicans are pushing back, suggesting that the grants will be made to many families that don’t need them and citing the long-term impact on the Federal government.  Some also question whether it is the Federal government’s responsibility to attempt to minimize disruptions to individual citizens caused by the pandemic.

These are tough issues.  Many economists worry about the consequences of Congress passing a string of trillion-dollar coronavirus relief bills. This worry is contrasted with the reality that the current economy, plagued by continuing high unemployment and uncertainty, may collapse more if additional assistance is not enacted.

So, what to do.  Basic human decency suggests that the Biden proposal should be enacted. The concept of freedom doesn’t mean much to a mother who is unable to feed her children. The concept of returning to normalcy as fast as possible also suggests enactment of a large relief package. In the long run, money spent now may save more later.  And, if freedom is a cherished priority, as it should be, it is enjoyed more when the country is not in the middle of a depression. 

Thus, the answer to whether we need to rethink freedom considering the pandemic is no.  But that is not an absolute “no.” We need to surrender some of our freedom temporarily to progress on the war against the pandemic.  If we don’t do this, it puts freedom—and democracy—even more in jeopardy.

In coming weeks, the Biden administration is likely to propose several additional responses to the pandemic that will rub many of us the wrong way.  This is particularly the case if the dreaded “new-strains” prove to be more dangerous than currently believed.  Science suggests the pandemic won’t be ended without strong measures.  Now that we have a leader in the White House, we need to consider following him. 

J.E. Dean of Oxford is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant. For more than 30 years, he advised clients on federal education and social service policy.

 

The Sorest Loser of All Time by Steve Parks

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I’ve always felt there was nothing more unattractive than “I told you so,” but now I know something worse–far worse than that. And his name is Donald Trump, lame duck, sore loser of all time president of the United States.

I’ve written from time to time in this cyberspace about this man’s total unfitness to be our commander in chief. The I-told-you-so part comes from having edited coverage of this jerk–that’s the kindest word I can say about him–for decades on Long Island and New York City. He was a joke. No one with any sense, regardless of political persuasion, took him seriously, except if you were unfortunate enough to do business with him. He could bankrupt you by his notorious modus operandi. He hired independent mom-and-pop contractors, rarely big corporations so that when it came time to honor his contract with them, he would pay 20 to 40 cents on the dollar and dare you to sue him. Mom-and-pops couldn’t afford to take him to court. And he got away with it for decades.

He has no political or moral convictions whatsoever. Nor is he even aware of what an idiot he makes of himself owing to his psychotically overrated estimation of his wherewithal. I almost fell out of my newsroom chair in laughter, listening to Donald pretending to be his own publicist. We couldn’t figure out whether he did this because he was too cheap to hire a professional or that he thought he could do a better job himself. One thing was clear: He never listened to anyone who might tell him he was making a damn fool of himself. This is long before he even ventured into the political arena by claiming with zero evidence that Barack Obama was born in Kenya or Indonesia–who knows?–Mars. Anywhere but in the USA.

My point is that maybe in my participation in coverage of this megalomaniac of minimal qualifications for anything beyond carnival barker, I was, among my colleagues, in a better position to peg this guy as disaster-in-chief. There’s a phrase for guys like Trump in far lesser positions of power than he found himself in. He doesn’t now nor ever has known his ass from a hole in the ground. I hardly exaggerate when I say that everyone I have ever known–possibly excluding the dead, though they would do less damage than Donald–would make a better president than Trump.

OK. So here’s what I REALLY think of Donald, the demented, deranged, delusional, damnable, and dangerous: He will bring you down if you continue to support and make excuses for this unchallenged title holder of Sorest Loser of All Time.

The House of Representatives should convene as soon as possible to listen to the hour-long harangue of Donald Trump committing sedition against the Constitution he was sworn to uphold, badgering Georgian Republicans to manufacture just enough votes to put him over the top. Citing thousands of dead who voted in the Nov. 3 election, he was informed that the number was actually 2–both of whom cast invalid ballots FOR Trump.

Upon listening to this obscene assault on democracy and the rule of law that is supposed to cover us all, presidents not excepted, the House should vote immediately to impeach Trump and send the indictment to the Senate for an up-and-down vote the next day. The 25th Amendment might be a more appropriate measure, except that the toad who calls himself vice president will never be on board.

Donald Trump needs to be gone. Now. All the insults he slings at his imagined enemies apply directly to him.

Fake. Disgraceful. Treasonous. How about just plain stupid?

Add up all the hits–all of them deserved–that he has taken from the New York Times, the Washington Post, news networks excepting (though not so much lately) Fox–none of this even collectively has inflicted as much damage on Trump as he inflicts on himself. He’s a moron, ignoramus, liar, and imposter. Listen to this obscene hour of sedition recorded by Republicans and leaked because even they realize he’s unhinged from reality. Then tell me you continue to support this insanely brainless would-be dictator. He’s our worst constitutional nightmare. And thankfully, hopefully, he will be gone very soon, though not soon enough.

Donald talks, ridiculously, of having won in Georgia by “hundreds of thousands” of votes while at the same time complaining that the number of COVID dead is “wildly” exaggerated. Donald could give a damn, as he has proven by his pandemic negligence, about the very life and death of “ordinary” Americans. All he cares about is staying in the White House long enough to outlast the felony statute of limitations on potential New York state charges against him. But now he’s added Georgia state charges as well. I suppose if he manages to get himself self-appointed president for life, he’ll outlast that statute of limitation as well.

Never mind all that. The president had no New Year’s message for the nation. But I have two words, especially for surviving Trump supporters, and for all of us as well: President Biden.

Meanwhile, there is massive election fraud going on right now. Donald is hitting on his supporters for contributions to support “investigations” into the election he lost to Joe Biden by a wide margin. And Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, who stepped up first to say he would object to Congress’s Electoral College certification, has likewise widely solicited donations for a similarly non-existent investigation. Both are nakedly fraudulent enterprises: Trump’s to line his pockets in order to survive the avalanche of legal costs he will incur once he’s evicted from the White House and Howley’s so he can run for president in 2024. Both of these grifters are counting on fools to rush in with their wallets. For heaven’s sake, give to your favorite charity instead in this new and hopefully far better new year than 2020.

Steve Parks is a retired New York journalist now living in Easton.

WC-ALL: The Tradition Continues Via Zoom with Jan Elvin

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For perpetual students with a thirst for learning, WC-ALL offers a host of classes, from seminars about the musical “Hamilton” and constitutional law to infectious disease and baking bread.

Since 1992, Washington College’s Academy of Lifelong Learning (WC-ALL), a peer-led, self-supported autonomous department of the College, has been attended by thousands of adults who want to learn for the joy of it.

The Spy interviewed Jan Elvin, former Council Member and Council Chair of the program, to find out how the program was adjusting to the new normal of online instruction.

“We’ve held our own pretty well through having to go through this huge change to Zoom classes. There was some concern that people would not want to do it, but WC-ALL members are by definition are smart and curious and eager to learn, so we’ve had a pretty easy time switching to Zoom,” Elvin says.

Each college semester, a six-week session offers 12-15 courses. Members of the program pay one all-inclusive fee and may take as many courses as they wish.

One of the popular programs at WC-ALL is their “Learn at Lunches” meetings, an on-site gathering of members to meet with lecturers from out of town. Although the on-site program has been suspended, Learn at Lunches will continue virtually with a class on “Civil War Music” taught by broadcast journalist Geoff White scheduled for January 14.

Elvin says that finding instructors has been a fairly easy task since Chestertown is replete with retired professionals. Even though WC-All has a committee tasked with finding volunteers, willing participants are discovered more often by word of mouth.

The Spring class instructors introduction is slated online at 3 pm January 5, and registration is open from December 18 to January 18.

Here, we talk with Elvin about how she and her husband, eminent ACLU attorney Alvin Bronstein discovered Chestertown and how she became an integral part of the WC-ALL program.

This video is approximately seven minutes in length.To find out more about WC-ALL and to register for the Spring semester, go here.

Town Council: ESLC Presents Concept for More Pedestrian Space

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During Monday night’s town council meeting, Owen Bailey, Town Projects Manager for Eastern Shore Land Conservancy presented a concept, “Open Streets,” for reimagining how town streets could become more pedestrian friendly.

Bailey says that the uptick in pedestrian deaths during the pandemic has spurred the ESLC into revisioning how town street spaces could be modified to accommodate safer foot traffic and offer more areas for people to be safely outside.

“It’s a long-range vision,” Bailey says. Citing examples of other towns, Bailey would like the Chestertown to consider implementing “Demos,” short-term trial runs of modified thoroughfares similar to the cordoning off the Saturday Market.

Mayor Cerino stated that such a plan has been entertained for years but that many of Chestertown’s streets and roads are State controlled. He also mentioned widening or adding sidewalks are prohibitively expensive. Bailey said that other States have worked out a relationship between communities and State Roads.

Bailey believes that initial modifications are relatively inexpensive. Cordoning off sections of town similar to the way outdoor dining spaces have been implemented are low-cost. Areas like Park Row were suggested as a possible location for short-term test-runs barring vehicular traffic. Ward 2 Councilman Tom Herz said that some of his constituents have enquired about a short-term closing off of lower High Street to the river.

This video offers a few points from Bailey’s presentation. The full presentation is on the Town website here.

This video is approximately six minutes in length.

 

 

 

Make Way for Democracy by Al Sikes

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Perhaps President-elect Joe Biden should be thankful that President Donald Trump is hosting and starring in his final White House episode, an especially egregious one. Even the faithful must wonder about shaking up the defense department because of resentment. But then what should we expect?

Historically Presidents have stood down in relatively gracious ways. When cooperation is the denouement, the spotlight swiftly shifts to the incoming President and various critiques of his moves headline the daily news. Sometimes the critiques are not so admiring.

Today Trump gives Biden cover on two fronts and continues to provide reporters and pundits a narrative bubble in which they don’t have to think. Most importantly for Biden, Trump’s temperament reminds voters why Biden was elected.  Attitudes are defined by the age-old question, “compared to what?”.  As this final episode unfolds I suspect that even some of the Trump voters who didn’t feel an intense loyalty are happy to count down the days till departure.

My experience with politicians is that they prefer to avoid coverage of the process that leads to the grand announcements. Political processes are enduringly messy and often downright ugly as big egos surrounded by their spear carriers jockey for advantage in the new center of power. Trump provides cover.

And the reporters who have earned a lifetime award in Trump trashing have yet new indignities to animate their minds and pens. Trashing the President’s conduct is much easier than drilling down on personnel and policy. Biden’s choices for his cabinet and White House staff signal policy directions that beg to be at the head of the news and analysis.

But, since Trump coverage is often a magnet for readership frequency, let me add a few paragraphs. 

Democracy is hard. Look around the world, ascendancy is often paired with authoritarianism—China is a poster child as they lock down the Uighurs and undermine democracy in Hong Kong.

America has been for several centuries the antidote. We, Americans, have told the story of sharing power by our actions. Sure the thoughts and the words of the founders were crucial but they are abstract. Our actions have given life to the theories and for the most part our dedication to freedom, democracy, federalism, republicanism, and more recently equality, have been compelling messages to people yearning to be free.

In much of the world, head of government succession doesn’t work well. Attempted and actual coups are not unusual. Power struggles dissipate national strength and not infrequently at the end of a gun. 

President Trump’s use of the courts is how we do things. So I certainly do not begrudge his right to challenge election results on the allegation of evidence-based cheating of one kind or another. What is maddening, however, is the insincerity of knowledgeable Republicans who give verbal support to his related storyline—the election was stolen. Fear of political retribution writes only one script—false.

But, every responsible leader (yes, if you are in the Congress you have a public responsibility) must make clear that as Trump litigates he must also instruct his administration officials to open the windows and cooperate with the President-elect and his transition team. I do not know of any constituency that supports a transitional breakdown in government continuity. And that is especially true with the institutions that protect us from various foreign and domestic threats.

Some have reported that in private conversations President Trump has spoken of running for President again in 2024. While the winning script in contemporary politics is uncertain, Trump supporters might want to consider the perishability of personality cults. Trump and his most ardent supporters might well find that free speech, age, overexposure, and parody will deplete his attraction. Indeed, his 2020 loss has already hurt.

Al Sikes is the former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission under George H.W. Bush. Al recently published Culture Leads Leaders Follow published by Koehler Books.