When Matthew Crooks aimed his AR-15 semi-automatic rifle at Donald Trump and pulled the trigger, America suffered another tragedy. Political violence undermines democracy and spawns more violence. And no candidates for public office, regardless of their politics, deserve to be shot.

Decent Americans are grateful that Donald Trump survived the assassination attempt, but Trump is not owed the presidency because a deranged 20-year-old tried to kill him. The Donald Trump that survived the shooting is the same Trump that many of us considered unfit for the presidency before July 13. 

Since the shooting, President Biden has called for calm and unity. Donald Trump tweeted support for “unity,” but somehow, I wonder if the ex-president and Joe Biden were thinking the same thing. 

Donald Trump was lucky in more ways than one on the 13th, starting with the shooter missing him. He also showed astuteness. Possibly knowing the significance of getting shot and surviving, Trump, intentionally or otherwise, posed for photos that will be ubiquitous in the coming months. Trump shouts, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” with a fist in the air, a bloody ear, and streaks of blood on his face. Within hours of the photos being released, news outlets described them as iconic and suggested they could change the outcome of the election. 

The Trump campaign also immediately recognized that shocked and outraged Trump supporters would want to “do something.” So, they immediately launched a fund-raising campaign featuring a Trump quote: “I will never surrender!”  The piece did not mention the shooting. It did not have to. 

Pundits now tell us that the assassination attempt will guarantee Trump’s victory in November. Let’s hope they are wrong. 

Various Trump allies have also been busy tweeting nonsense. I have read that Democrats and “the left” were behind the assassination attempt. One Senator, Mike Lee of Utah, even suggested that federal criminal charges against Trump should be dropped. More nonsense, overreaction, opportunism, and lies will follow.

In the days immediately preceding the shooting, President Biden, still reeling from his June 27 presidential debate meltdown, stepped up his criticism of Donald Trump. Biden reminded voters of Trump’s complicity in the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, and his policy agenda, outlined in “Project 2025.”

As most have us that follow politics have read, President Biden told attendees at a recent fundraiser, “It’s time to put Trump in a bullseye.” Biden’s statement has led some disingenuous Republicans, including Trump’s vice presidential pick, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, to suggest that Biden motivated the would-be assassin. This is nonsense. 

Biden told fundraiser attendees: “I have one job, and that’s to beat Donald Trump. I’m absolutely certain I’m the best person to be able to do that. So, we’re done talking about the debate, it’s time to put Trump in a bullseye.”

In context, Biden’s statement is hardly a call to violence. It is about defeating Donald Trump in November. It is a mild statement compared to Trump’s calls for “retribution” and demand that General Mark Milley be executed for treason.

Until yesterday, the most recent act of political violence was the  2021 insurrection, which resulted in the deaths of seven people, including police officers and a Trump supporter who was attempting to violently break into the chamber of the House of Representatives. Rioters at the Trump-inspired insurrection also sought to assassinate House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and hang Trump’s vice president, Mike Pence. Trump allegedly commented that Pence deserved to be hung. 

Will the assassination attempt benefit Trump? Unfortunately, it probably will. History suggests that the attempt will create sympathy towards Trump. His support among his base will strengthen. Perhaps more importantly, Democrats and other critics of Trump will become more cautious in attacking him. Trump will also continue to use the event for fundraising, just as he did after his mug shot was taken in the Fulton County Jail in connection with his Georgia indictment.

Multiple speakers at this week’s Republican National Convention are praising Trump for his courage, and video of the shooting has been played on screens in the arena. Trump is being cast as a hero, with the shooting just the latest failed attempt to block him from regaining the White House that was stolen from him in 2020.

Dare I say it? The shooting was more a tragedy for American democracy than for Trump. The ex-president’s chances of being elected in November have increased. The likelihood of American democracy surviving into the 2030s has decreased.

All decent Americans regret the assassination attempt at Donald Trump, but what happened on July 13 should not prompt President Biden and the Democrats from doing all they can to defeat Trump in November.

The scope of Saturday’s tragedy will be fully appreciated if Trump returns to power. 

Nothing that happened in Butler, Pennsylvania, makes Trump any more fit to be president than before the shooting.

J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant. He writes on politics, government, and, too infrequently, other subjects.

 

I was surprised at how quickly some Democrats have called for Biden to end his reelection campaign. I was more surprised to watch George Stephanopoulos’ interview with Joe Biden where Biden reiterated his intention not to quit — and not to take a cognitive test that could end the debate and guarantee four more years of Trump.

The answer to “Should he stay or should he go” is more complicated than watching Biden’s debate and declaring him out. There is a lot more to being president than winning a debate. But it is also fair to ask, “Is Biden able to serve as president for four more years?”

Unfortunately, the Democrats do not have time to weigh relevant considerations and make a decision based on “the facts.”  And even more unfortunately, Biden himself seems to be part of the problem. Biden is adamant about remaining in the race but has yet to convince party leaders that the June 27 debate-and the Stephanopoulos interview—were flukes.

Most Democrats respect Joe Biden. Even those who thought he was too old in 2020 admit that he has proven pessimistic predictions wrong. And most Democrats and plenty of Independents will be forever grateful for the role Biden played in ending the reign of Trump. 

Today, President Biden is playing a role opposite to the one he played in 2020. Instead of being the candidate who appealed to enough voters (white working-class voters in key states) to win, he is the candidate too many voters are rejecting because he “looks and acts old.” 

Biden has a problem that nothing can fix—his age. Regardless of his performance over the next four months, he will remain “too old” for too many voters. And unless Trump suffers a melt-down similar to Biden’s on June 27, he will ironically be deemed “fit for the job” on the basis of his not looking as old as Joe Biden.

Democratic leaders must act quickly to build a consensus around Joe Biden or around a new ticket. Every day that the debate goes on, voters are talking about whether Biden will quit the race, or even resign the presidency, instead of focusing on Trump’s dangerous agenda (despite Trump’s disingenuous protests, it is “Project 2025”), his involvement in the January 6, 2021, insurrection, and his moral turpitude. 

If Democrats conclude replacing Biden on the ticket will create too big a schism in the party, they should stick with Biden. They also need to examine the alternatives. Are Democrats ready to embrace Kamala Harris for president? Or should the party, as several leading Democrats suggest, hold a mini-primary season that could produce an entirely new team? 

The road forward for Democrats is not an easy one. Their opponent — our opponent — is a snake who will take advantage of every opportunity to undermine the Democrats that the Democrats offer. 

Trump recently called President Biden “a piece of cr*p,” and is developing nicknames for Harris. Ironically, he will challenge the legality of a Democratic nominee using campaign funds raised for the Biden-Harris ticket if Harris is not on the ticket. And it will get worse from there.

So, Democrats, quit talking and start deciding. We need a ticket in which we can believe. And the only way we will be able to believe in that ticket is if you, the leaders of the Democratic party, believe in it.

J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant. He writes on politics, government, and, too infrequently, other subjects.

 

Congratulations are due to Former President Trump for making the right Supreme Court nominations while president. Thanks to the handiwork of his three appointees and three other right-leaning Justices, it is now established law that if the President shoots somebody on Fifth Avenue in New York in the line of “official duties,” he enjoys immunity from prosecution. 

On January 6, 2021, was President Trump’s speech ordering a crowd, many dressed in combat gear, to march to the Capitol to “save our nation,” part of his official duties? Had Trump shot and killed Vice President Pence after Pence declined to “do what was right” and block the certification of President Biden’s election, would that have been an official act? How about accepting a bribe in connection with a nomination for an ambassadorship? 

How about holding the delivery of U.S. military aid to an ally until that country finds damning evidence on the son of your political opponent?

The answers to these questions just became clearer. While the Supreme Court held, “There is no immunity for unofficial acts,”  Trump v. United States reads:  “Under our constitutional structure of separated powers, the nature of Presidential power entitles a former President to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority. And he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts.”

If you have not noticed, President Trump has an unconventional concept of truth. If he is re-elected, determines that a political opponent (I’m not naming any names here) is an “enemy of the State that poses a clear and present danger to the people of the United States” and orders that political opponent shot dead, that murder is likely to be considered an “official act” under the Court’s ruling.  The Supreme Court would presume the assassination order is an official act if the president claimed that he, as Commander in Chief, believed the political opponent to be “an enemy.”

The opinion also reads: “[T]he Court concludes that the separation of powers principles explicated in the Court’s precedent necessitate at least a presumptive immunity from criminal prosecution for a President’s acts within the outer perimeter of his official responsibility.”

What is the “outer perimeter of his official responsibility?”  That is clear as mud. 

The impact of Trump v. United States will be far-reaching. Like President Biden’s poor debate performance on June 27, the decision works to Trump’s benefit. The decision is likely to result in Trump escaping accountabilities for all allegations against him relating to the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol. Trump v. United States could one day become as infamous as the Dred Scott decision upholding slavery and denying the legality of Black citizenship. 

Three justices dissented from the Court’s broad ruling. Justice Sotomayor writes:

“The President of the United States is the most powerful person in the country, and possibly the world. When he uses his official powers in any way, under the majority’s reasoning, he now will be insulated from criminal prosecution. Orders the Navy’s Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune. Organizes a military coup to hold onto power? Immune. Takes a bribe in exchange for a pardon? Immune. Immune, immune, immune. Let the President violate the law, let him exploit the trappings of his office for personal gain, let him use his official power for evil ends. Because if he knew that he may one day face liability for breaking the law, he might not be as bold and fearless as we would like him to be. That is the majority’s message today. Even if these nightmare scenarios never play out, and I pray they never do, the damage has been done. The relationship between the President and the people he serves has shifted irrevocably. In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law.”

The entire Trump v. United States decision, including Justice Barrett’s concurring opinion and Justice Sotomayor’s dissent is 119 pages long. It is worth reading. Have a box of tissues handy. You will need it. 

J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant. He writes on politics, government, and, too infrequently, other subjects.

 

Over the weekend, science educator Bill Nye said the abnormal heat that plagued the Eastern Shore and much of the rest of America may be “the new abnormal.”  He suggested that heat indexes of more than 100 degrees could become routine in future summers. That is scary. I was miserable last week.

Over the weekend, I told a friend that the Heat Dome was a message that it is time to take climate change more seriously. Yes, I know that the Biden Administration has already devoted billions to climate change, but more needs to be done. And I am also worried that Trump supporters cheer wildly when Trump promises to end measures to hasten the transition to electric cars. Trump wants to pump more oil and mine more coal. That is also scary.

Tomorrow is the first presidential debate. Pundits, including the Spy’s From and Fuller videos, have provided plenty of knowledgeable predictions on what will happen in Atlanta. One thing I have not seen from the pundits is a prediction that climate change will be a major focus of the debate. In reviewing four or five articles while writing this column, I did not see a single reference to climate change.

Dare I say that climate change is more important than all other topics that will be addressed at the debate, including border security, abortion, crime (Trump’s and others), gender politics, and even the economy. Climate change could change our way of life so significantly that it could eclipse all other key issues of our time.

Ridiculous? Climate change can (and will) destroy agriculture, leading to starvation crises abroad. It could flood much of the Eastern Shore and change the ecology of Chesapeake Bay. Climate change could force school districts in much of the U.S. to rebuild or replace their schools with buildings equipped to cope with elevated temperatures between May and mid-October. Millions of Americans will suffer heat-related illnesses, some of them long-term. I could go on.

Climate change deniers will, no doubt, condemn new warnings about climate change as yet another “panic attack” or as a not-too-subtle way to pursue a socialist agenda and take away individual rights. Is the right to drive a gas-guzzling car or truck or otherwise continue to contribute to climate change a Constitutional right? I looked. No such right to destroy the environment is in the Constitution. 

Last week’s heat wave should have been a wake-up call to all, but it will prove not to be. It may take three or more additional Heat Domes this summer to convince some of us that something dangerous is going on, something that demands a change in our political priorities, something that needs to be done if we want our children to live in a world not plagued by periods where going outside means risking your health.

I will watch President Biden and Trump duke it out on Thursday. I hope for a civil debate but fear that will not happen. I hope that “takeaways” from the debate will be something other than comments on how senile Biden is and how insane Trump has become. I am not holding my breath for a substantive, civilized debate and a healthy discussion.

As I write this column, I almost forgot to mention Andy Harris, our local champion of the Second Amendment and one of the few members of the House of Representatives to prove his fealty to the Second Amendment by attempting to carry a loaded handgun onto the floor of the House of Representatives. Andy Harris has a lifetime score of two percent from the League of Conservation Voters. He has also been a major beneficiary of political contributions from the oil and gas industry.

Let me state the obvious—if you are worried, even a little, about Climate Change, please know that Congressman Andy Harris is not representing you. 

J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant. He writes on politics, government, and, too infrequently, other subjects.

How long does it take to teach an old dog new tricks? Once again, I write that America may be waking up to who Trump is. I hear Ronald Reagan muttering from his grave, “There he goes again,” but I like to think that Reagan would agree with me that a convicted felon does not belong in the White House.

In the past, the Billy Bush Access Hollywood tape, boorish behavior, racist comments and actions, and a lot more convinced me candidate Trump was finished. This time, it is Trump’s 34 felony counts that convinces me that his reign of terror may be over.

A new poll, out this week, surprisingly suggests that Trump remains ahead of Biden, but that Biden’s favorability ratings continue to improve while Trump’s ratings decline. Whether Trump’s drop in favorability is solely because of his felonies is unclear. Trump continues to focus on his legal problems at campaign rallies. He also continues to make bizarre comments about sharks, electric cars, and a lot more.

Trump railed against a contractor who supplied teleprompters at a Las Vegas campaign rally held in 100-degree heat, suggesting that their work was “sh*tty.” When several attendees needed medical help because of the heat, Trump lamented that there was not enough concern about him. He also told the audience that January 6 was a “set-up” and that the insurrectionists were victims. 

Trump’s continuing mental decline may yet be what costs him the election, but Democrats are focusing on the ex-president’s criminal record. They have been quick to resurrect Donald Trump’s 2016 comments where he told voters a candidate under criminal indictment should not be allowed to run for president. In 2016, Trump told attendees at a Reno, Nevada, campaign rally: “Folks, folks, folks, she shouldn’t be allowed to run. If she were to win this election, it would create an unprecedented constitutional crisis. In that situation, we could very well have a sitting president under felony indictment and, ultimately, a criminal trial. It would grind the government to a halt.”

Trump added, “Her current scandals and controversies will continue throughout her presidency and will make it virtually impossible for her to govern and lead our country.”

Hillary Clinton, of course, was not under indictment, but Trump’s message helped taint Clinton and rally his base. The statement is also an example of a rarity: Trump was telling the truth. He was right–a candidate who faces criminal charges (let along having been convicted of them) should not be president. 

Trump’s legal problems are not limited to the “hush money” felonies. He also has been labeled a rapist by a New York judge and fined millions of dollars for business fraud and for defaming Ms. Carroll. 

Importantly, there are many reasons why Trump should not be returned to the White House that have nothing to do with the ex-president’s convictions, indictments, and judgments. His policy positions, threats of retribution against his political opponents and persecutors, racism, and declining mental ability are enough. But ask any Trump supporter if they still intend to vote for Trump, and most will respond yes. That is why Democrats are focusing on the convictions. As James Carville once said, “Keep it simple, stupid.”

While a criminal conviction is an obvious disqualification for the presidency for me and many of us, it may take a special effort to convince Trump supporters to change their minds. One 2020 Trump voter I spoke to last week responded to my question of whether a felon belonged in the White House by updating me on the Hunter Biden trial. Did I know about Hunter Biden’s crimes? Trumpers like first names, Hunter Biden is always “Hunter” just as Hillary was always “Hillary” or “Crooked Hillary.” The Trumper ignored my response that pointed out that Hunter is not running for president.

Recently, a group of anti-Trump Republicans posted billboards in Arizona depicting Republicans who “won’t vote for a convicted felon.” I expect the billboards will cost Trump some votes. Who wants to admit they want a criminal in the White House?

Not every Trump supporter will see the billboards, but television ads, social media posts, and references in campaign speeches will follow. Direct testimonials from fellow Republicans who will not vote for a convicted felon will cost Trump votes.

Will Biden’s emphasizing Trump’s criminal convictions be enough for Biden to win? That remains to be seen. Trump fights fire with fire, so expect him to respond to efforts to undermine his candidacy by attacking Biden. Thus, we will hear more about Hunter Biden’s guilty verdict and Joe’s cognitive decline. We will also be reminded that if a re-elected President Biden dies in office, Kamala Harris will be president.

I plan to continue to write about Trump’s convictions. If you pour enough water on a duck’s back, some of it will stick. I really do not care if Trump goes to jail. I am not interested in retribution. I want him out of the White House. I am okay if he lives out his days cheating at golf, railing against Democrats, and predicting an economic collapse caused by another election being stolen from him.

J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant. He writes on politics, government, and, too infrequently, other subjects.

 

I have an idea. Why not make D-Day a national holiday? Like Memorial and Veteran’s Day, the new holiday would celebrate the bravery, service, and sacrifices of American service members. But more importantly, the day would commemorate what may be America’s finest hour. On June 6, 1944, the world was saved. 

D-Day, and the months of battle that followed it, was a triumph of will, sacrifice, and courage. Hitler was defeated. Without the success of D-Day, you might be reading this column in German, assuming, of course, that you were alive.

Like most Americans, my knowledge of D-Day comes from books, documentaries, and movies. As a teenager, I remember watching The Longest Day and a TV series titled “Combat!” I remember reading Dwight Eisenhower’s Crusade in Europe. Recently, I watched Band of Brothers. My “take-away” from these and other readings and watchings is that in 1944 we collectively knew what had to be done and made the necessary sacrifices to succeed.

D-Day saw 160,000 troops land in Normandy, 73,000 of them Americans. They were met by 50,000 German troops. By the end of the day 2,501 Americans were dead. In total, 73,000 Allied troops were killed, and 153,000 were wounded in the full Battle of Normandy. Not calculated was the impact the battle had on the soldiers involved. Many suffered years of pain from injuries and the memories of what they experienced in the battle.

Honoring the D-Day troops and what the invasion represents is particularly appropriate at a time when America arguably has lost its way. Today, America doubts its own role in the world. Leading politicians seek to abdicate America’s world leadership and return to the isolationist policies that contributed to World War II.  By remembering D-Day we will be reminded of the necessity of American leadership as well as its rewards.

The state of mind of America in 1944 was dramatically different than it is today. That is to be expected. A lot has happened since the end of World War II, including the Vietnam War and other conflicts where brave Americans died which are not celebrated like “the Greatest Generation.”  That is unfortunate because everyone who served in the military deserves our respect.  Even if the war they fought in did not produce a dramatic “win” for the United States, their service helped get us to where we are today—still free after 248 years.

The America of today tends to downplay the positive role it has played in the world. That is unfortunate despite things in our history that we wish could have been different. The Vietnam War was a mistake made by well-intentioned people. Other parts of American history are more troubling, especially slavery and its aftermath. It is good that America recognizes these mistakes and tragedies but that doesn’t mean we cannot or should not celebrate those parts of our history that help define who we are as a nation.

If Congress were to make D-Day a national holiday, it should be a day of national reflection. It should be a reminder that when America shares a vision, it can accomplish anything. That vision, of course, needs to reflect our democratic values. 

More than 16 million Americans served in World War II.  Fewer than 116,000 of those heroes remain alive. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the national holiday of D-Day were created while some of them could witness it? 

J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant. He writes on politics, government, and, too infrequently, other subjects.

 

It is sunny in Portugal. The weather is mild, and the people are friendly. With a few exceptions, the Portuguese are like Americans. They have treated us with remarkable kindness during our stay. 

Before my arrival last week, we did not know what to expect. Our last trip abroad was three years ago. During those travels, several locals expressed horror and disappointment that America had elected someone like Trump as president. They asked us if America had gone crazy and expressed fear that without American leadership in the world, their own freedom was in jeopardy.

With Trump’s first term over but with the prospect of another on the horizon, what would we hear? Would the Portuguese be more outspoken than the Australians, Czechs, French, and others we discussed politics with in the past? We were about to find out. 

Before our departure, we read that Americans now buy about 10 percent of available real estate in Lisbon. We wondered, do the Portuguese resent this? Signs at many shops, and the menus of most restaurants in Lisbon offer an English translation. 

It turns out many Portuguese welcome the Americans, both as tourists and immigrants. Nobody we spoke with talked about building a wall to keep us out or murmured anything about Americans initiating a crime wave.

Our trip to Portugal is strictly for tourism. Despite our deep distaste for Donald Trump and fears he could return to power, we love America too much to abandon her. We are proud of America and much of its history. We also would miss the Eastern Shore. In our humble opinion, Portugal has nothing that matches the Eastern Shore’s beauty and wonder. 

On the second day of our trip, we visited a row of street vendors offering various treasures to tourists, including beautiful tiles, leather purses, and various trinkets. Without exception the vendors seemed happy. They smiled at us even if we evidenced little interest in their wares.

One booth offered an attractive array of painted tiles. The vendor indicated the tiles were made at his family business and were hand-painted. We selected four and paid in cash. Before we left, the vendor engaged us in conversation, asking how we liked Portugal, where else we were visiting and where we were from. We answered the last question, “America.”

The vendor broke into a mischievous smile and remarked, “I’m sorry.”  

In past years we might have been offended, even if the person who stated what might be considered an insult was smiling. This time we both knew that the vendor was prompted by the presumptive Republican nominee for president. The look in the vendor’s eyes said it all. He felt sorry for us and was simultaneously amused that the country that saved Europe from Hitler is considering bringing Donald Trump back to the White House.

Other Portuguese we interacted with on our travels seem careful not to mention Trump. Several people we met in hotels and restaurants, as well as taxi drivers, have volunteered that tourism is energizing the Portuguese economy. Not one has complained about louts or “ugly Americans,” even though we ran into a few of the latter ourselves.

As I reflected on our reception in Portugal, I realized that the damage done by Trump during his first term was still being felt. America is no longer held in awe (perhaps a good thing when you think about it). But the concept of America as a world-class lesson that democracy can work to preserve freedom is gone. American politics are now viewed as no better than the circus of Italian politics or the buffoonery of any number of other countries. It no longer seems strange that many Europeans now see China as more stable than the U.S. 

We did not hear anyone say, “The American era is over,” but I wonder what attitudes will look like if Trump is returned to power for four more years. The European press is following the Biden-Trump contest closely. Some publications assume that Biden is too old to be re-elected and that Trump is too clever and ruthless to lose. Europeans know what “January 6” means and wonder if it will be repeated.

When the tile vendor told us he was sorry we were Americans, we did not get angry or correct him. We laughed. Immediately thinking that the incident might be worthy of a piece in The Spy, I laughed and told him his comment was the funniest thing I had heard all day.

My response was not, as some may think, cowardly. I am not ready to engage in fisticuffs or, as Trump would say, “rough somebody up” to respond to someone thinking Trump is turning America into a joke.

I do not know when or if I will return to Portugal, but I would be curious to see how the Portuguese will respond if Biden is re-elected. I like to think the joking might end, just like Trump’s political career. 

J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant. He writes on politics, government, and, too infrequently, other subjects. 

It happened again last night. On a zoom call, a friend commenting on this year’s presidential election told me, “Ronald Reagan must be turning over in his grave.”  The comment was meant to emphasize Donald Trump’s legal troubles, but made me remember someone telling me in 1980, that Dwight Eisenhower must be turning over in his grave at the thought of a B movie actor running for president.

Today’s Republican and Democratic parties have evolved, or should I say, morphed, with the times. Most of us choke at references to “The Party of Lincoln,” especially when we hear Trump make a racist comment or call for the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. Similarly, one wonders what Bill Clinton, who worked with Republicans to balance the budget, would think of Joe Biden’s social and infrastructure spending. Clinton was not an advocate of “think big” spending.

Do party labels mean much these days? Republicanism once stood for limited government and, in some ways, still does. But while the party would like to abolish the IRS, trash as many regulations as possible, and ignore climate change, it also wants to regulate marriage, sexual identification, abortion rights, and, on a state level, what our children can read. Those policies are not reflective of limited government.

Similarly, Democrats fashion themselves as the champions of the right for the people to rule themselves. Our democracy, of course, is a representative democracy. Voters do not get the opportunity to weigh in on anything except who will represent them, and that system has its flaws and limitations. Political parties limit voters’ choices. In November, for example, Democratic voters will have the opportunity to vote for one candidate, Biden. For many of these Democrats, Biden is too liberal, too pro-Israel, too old, or otherwise not ideal, but the choice will be him or DJT.

 In 2016, we were reminded that presidential primaries sometimes produce a presidential nominee that party leaders do not want. Those party leaders, of course, are soon replaced by people supporting the winner of the primaries. Once Trump had control of the Republican party, he effectively incorporated it into The Trump Organization. Today there is no room in the party for candidates not putting Trump ahead of everything else. That is why many Republicans believe Trump killed the party.

The voters who gave us Trump were a minority of the Republican electorate in 2016. Trump consolidated his hold on the party by effectively sending his competitors to Siberia. Jeb Bush was once considered the likely 2016 Republican nominee until Trump tore him to shreds with ridicule. We have heard the last of him. 

A vocal and energized group of Democrats rallied around Bernie Sanders in 2016. The party was morphing into a Social Democratic party, embracing social programs that FDR might have opposed. The Sanders movement was quashed by party elders, notably Congressman Jim Clyburn (D-SC) who concluded that the party needed a more moderate candidate who would not drive moderate Democrats to Trump or into not voting. Joe Biden, who had fared poorly until Clyburn embraced him, was the result.

Is it any wonder that voters are skeptical about political parties today? Many voters take campaign promises with a grain of salt. Their decisions to support or oppose particular candidates hinge more on fear of the other party’s candidate, an assessment of “charisma,” who has been endorsed by what celebrities, and often other single issues.

I have asked a number of acquaintances why they support Biden or Trump. Fewer than one in three responses involve assessments of what the candidate has done or promises to do. Joe Biden gets no credit for a strong economy, low unemployment, improving infrastructure, or promoting economic justice for all. Instead, Democrats support him because Trump is “bad,” crazy, indicted, and sleazy. One woman answered my question by citing Saturday Night Live skits, repeating reports that Trump smells bad, and opining that Melania will divorce him if he loses in November. 

In the case of Trump, supporters tell me that he is strong, decisive, honest (how ironic), and “cares about people like me.”  They also cite Biden’s age, Hunter Biden, and rumors that Biden took drugs before delivering a better-than anticipated State of the Union address. I rarely hear anything about Trump’s policies other than support for lower taxes, kicking President Xi’s ass, closing the border, and keeping trans athletes out of women’s sports. 

Such reflections about voters make me worry about November. It is no secret that I believe Joe Biden has done a more than decent job on the economy, despite inflation, and is more in sync with American values than his opponent is. But voters, or, better said, a critical mass of voters, seem not to care. 

If Biden is to win in November, he must find a way to get people to do their homework. They must read about his and his opponents’ plans for the next four years. This is a heavy lift given voters’ interests, but it must happen. Our future may depend on it. 

J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant writing on politics, government, and all too infrequently, other subjects.

The Democratic primary for U.S. Senate is May 14 and a viable candidate will emerge as the winner. The two leading candidates, Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and Congressman David Trone are both good people. Whoever wins deserves Marylanders’ votes in November despite the candidacy of former Governor Larry Hogan.

Maryland and America will suffer if Hogan wins. His vote, as I wrote last week, could provide MAGA Republicans the margin they need to control the Senate. The consequences of that control, especially if Trump is returned to the White House and Republicans win the House, could be disastrous.

Democrats have two problems this year as it works to retain Ben Cardin’s Senate seat. The first is the popularity of Hogan. The former governor left office with remarkably high approval ratings. He also earned the admiration of many Marylanders by rejecting MAGA and Donald Trump. 

For most of last year, Hogan flirted with the “No Labels” third-party movement. Although the “No Labels” movement is now evaporating, Hogan’s affiliation with it appealed to some Marylanders, especially those who dislike both Trump and President Biden. Hogan, it appeared, was a man who could rise above party.

 Hogan’s surprise decision to run as a Republican for Senate shows that, in the last analysis, he is just another Republican. It is no longer possible to be Republican without indirectly supporting Trump.

The Democrats’ second problem is the dilemma of having two strong candidates, but compared to Hogan, are relatively unknown. One is PG County Executive Alsobrooks, well-educated but relatively inexperienced (her critics say). The other is a self-funded Congressman who made his fortune in wine, beer, and liquor sales. Trone is self-financing his campaign.

Of the two candidates, Alsobrooks is the more progressive. That may be a negative on the Eastern Shore, but Alsobrooks is no radical. She is also 15 years younger than Trone. Seniority is important in the Senate. The possibility of Alsobrooks serving three, four, or more terms in the Senate is a plus. 

I endorse Alsobrooks, with enthusiasm. Her politics are consistent with those of Governor Moore and our two current Senators, Van Hollen and Cardin. She attended Duke University and the University of Maryland Law School and served as County attorney. She grew up in PG County and is a lifelong Marylander. 

The suggestion that she is too inexperienced to serve in the Senate is nonsense. Her experience and educational credentials exceed those of dozens of sitting legislators from both parties. If elected, Alsobrooks will have no problem engaging in issues important to Marylanders, including economic development, women’s healthcare, education, and the environment.

Importantly, Alsobrooks, who is Black, will be better able than Mr. Trone to represent Maryland’s diversity. As a Black woman, she will be looked to as a leader on social issues. She will also help rebuild enthusiasm for President Biden in the Black community.

Mr. Trone is also a good man and has been an effective legislator in the House. I like his work on mental health and addressing the Fentanyl epidemic. But I must admit to discomfort with his wealth and his history in the liquor business. I am tired of rich people buying political office. This includes several sitting Senators from both parties and, of course, former President Trump, who claimed to be self-funding his presidential campaign in 2016. (This is not the case in 2024, where Trump’s efforts have descended into disgusting bible sales and appeals based on his criminal indictments.)

We do not need more rich white men in the Senate (or in the House). That having been said, the election of Trone would not be a disaster in any sense. He is a solid Democrat and would help keep the Senate away from MAGA control.

Maryland has been exceptionally well-represented in the Senate for many years. Alsobrooks would continue that streak, as would a Trone victory. 

A Democratic win in November is not a certainty. Democrats will need a strong turnout. 

Democrats (and Maryland) will benefit from a strong voter turnout for the primary on May 14. May 14 provides an opportunity for the party to say, “We’ve got two good candidates. Both are better choices than the Republican, even if that Republican is Larry Hogan.” 

J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant. He writes on politics, government, and, too infrequently, other subjects. 

Partisanship is the poison that renders representative democracies dysfunctional. National needs, and often the Constitution, are ignored in the interest of defeating the opposing party and seizing political power. Civility is abandoned, leaving decent people wondering, “Why can’t we all get along?”

The U.S. Senate needs members who collaborate with members from the opposing party. Retiring Senator Ben Cardin is such a Senator. So is Mitt Romney. But both these Senators are retiring. Larry Hogan fits the bill. He worked with Democrats and won twice in the bluest of states. Marylanders, especially Democrats who see the need for bipartisanship in Washington, should vote for him. Right?

Wrong. A vote for Hogan is more than a vote for a good man. It is a vote for a party that, but for the courage of former Vice President Mike Pence, may have overthrown the 2020 election. That party, despite Trump’s accelerating mental decline and legal troubles, has improbably survived to 2024. It should be dead, but it is not.

Electing a handful of “constructive” Republicans will not cure the GOP’s cancer. November’s elections may bring Hogan to Washington, but he likely will be joined by more than a few MAGA monsters who will more than outweigh him. One example, election-denying Kari Lake, who has urged Republicans to “Strap on a Glock” in case God does not deliver the election to Trump (and presumably to herself).

Election denying and receptivity to violence are not the only reasons to conclude that the Republican party should end. Ukraine may lose its war against Vladimir Putin because Republicans delayed needed aid by months. Republicans remain hostile to persons of color and civil rights. The party once championed privacy and limited government. It now wants to ban abortion, regulate what books are shelved in libraries, and dictate whom we can love.

So, while Larry Hogan would be a welcome injection of bipartisanship in the Senate, the higher priority is to keep the Senate in Democratic hands. A vote for Hogan could result in an election denier becoming Majority Leader. Also, can we be sure he would not vote to impeach President Biden should Trump lose the White House with Republicans winning control of the House and Senate?

The Republican party has become an appendage of Trump. His daughter-in-law is overseeing the party’s finances. The Republican senators who would serve with Hogan are almost exclusively election deniers. If Trump loses in November and decides to stage another attempted coup, Hogan is unlikely to join in, but what would he do instead? Stand on the sidelines and watch Senators like Missouri’s Josh Hawley fist-pump insurrectionists as they enter the building?

America needs a party to counter the Democrats. We all benefit when proposals from both sides are challenged and honestly debated. Unfortunately, the Republican party has all but abandoned any attempt to be part of a deliberative legislative body dedicated to the people’s benefit.

When I think about today’s Republican party, I think about our own Andy “Handgun” Harris. Even after House Speaker Johnson, with the apparent blessing of Trump, signaled support for aid for Ukraine and Israel, Harris voted no. His vote suggests that MAGA will live on even if Trump loses. Remember that the Tea Party predated the rise of Trump. MAGA is likely to survive Trump’s passing.

The Republican party should be what is called a “tear-down” in real estate. It needs to be destroyed, its remnants hauled off to a dump, and something better put in its place. Larry Hogan should have volunteered to be part of the crew that dispatched the Republican party. Instead, Hogan made a mistake. He convinced himself that Trumpism and the corruption, racism, and intolerance that he represents are not part of the Republican party.

Hogan is now seeking the votes of millions of Marylanders who still believe that Trump won the 2020 election, that Jack Smith and other prosecutors are out to get Trump by “weaponizing” the Department of Justice, and who fly “F*ck Biden” flags in front of their homes. That is sad. Hogan should have disavowed the Republican party the same way he rejected Dan Cox, the MAGA nutcase nominated by the party to run for governor in 2022.

The first step to restoring order in Washington is for a new, moderate, democracy-loving party to emerge. One way to help make that happen is to vote against Larry Hogan in November.

J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant writing on politics, government, and, all too infrequently, other subjects.