39 days to the Midterms, the hard truths about voting and what comes next

TAT readers,

Thank you for your patience while I took off for a road trip to play with grandchildren. It is they and your children and grandchildren I think of when I write TAT. I once worked for a military command whose unwritten mantra was, “leave it better than you found it.” This weaves elegantly into family tradition of “service to the greater good.” This publication operates on a combination of those principles and telling the truth, even during the maelstrom we are now living through, is part of “leaving it better than I found it.” Telling the truth isn’t always popular, but it is soul-soothing, especially when it is so difficult to find in our current media shadow. That TAT continues to grow and resonate with you the readers, is due to your interest in the truth and I applaud you. There are no proper words to express the depth of my gratitude for your continued support and passion for truth, uncomfortable as it sometimes can be. Today’s essay involves some of those hard truths.

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Introduction

Here’s the premise in a nutshell. November 3rd will be the most critical election for America since 1860, which precipitated the Civil War. The risk is the same as that painful era in US history and which was based on very similar ideology that we face today in what the GOP has become. I take no pleasure in saying this “out loud” but this essay is largely built on this unassailable fact. They are not the only ones though and the left has some issues as well, despite the fact that they tend to keep their interests between our constitutional guardrails. These two political parties are not the whole of the problem though. We’ve allowed for oligarchy to buy our government and just voting will not change this. To be perfectly frank, the way we allow political parties to act in our nation, reinforces oligarchical power. Our founders found this obscene, despite some of them being to some extent, a bit oligarchical.

"to consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions: a very dangerous doctrine indee[d] and one which would place us under the despotism of an Oligarchy. our judges are as honest as other men, and not more so. they have, with others, the same passions for party, for power, and the privileges of their corps. their maxim is ‘boni judicis est ampliare jurisdictionem,’ and their power the more dangerous as they are in office for life, and not responsible, as the other functionaries are, to the elective controul."

- Thomas Jefferson to William Charles Jarvis, 28 September 1820
- National Archives
- Founders Online

The question for us, is why we allow these cancerous oligarchs to use and abuse us, we-the-people? Political parties are most often the vehicle they use to further narrow our rights, livelihoods and opportunities. They use party politics to advance their interests over ours in the halls of congress. We allowed this as much as they took it from us. I’m one of those, back-to-basics” kind of guys and the second part of this essay regarding, “what comes next” is a plea for us to get back to the intent of our founders instead of chasing “parties” and movements because we are too conditioned to the current system, to reinvigorate what our republic was intended to be. As a disclaimer, I am not advocating for that nonsense that the oligarchy supporting Republicans sitting on our Supreme Court bench call “originalism,” but the values that not only inspired our founding documents, but were written into them. For the record, our primary founding fathers most responsible for those august founding documents, were what today would either be called “woke” or “radical progressives.”

As of May 2026 there were at least 55 distinct ballot-qualified political parties in the United States. Some parties are recognized in multiple states. For example, both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party are recognized in all 50 states and Washington, D.C..[1][2][3] Three minor parties were recognized in more than 10 states as of May 2026:

Libertarian Party: 35 states
Green Party: 20 states[4]
Constitution Party: 12 states[5]

- Ballotpedia

Reality

In addition to these 5 primary parties, there are also movements and definitions such as, the Democratic Socialists, MAGA, Progressives, Libertarians, The Boogaloo Movement, QAnon, pro and anti abortion movements and so on and so on, etc. The actual lists are more numerous than possible to list. Don’t worry, I’m not going to dig into each. My point is that we’ve created so many labels that I don’t believe folks even remember what the core of being American means. Each one of these entities require resources and to acquire them, must pit themselves against each other in order to show that they deserve our hard-earned dollars more than the “other guys.” This dilutes the odds for successfully fending off oligarchical assaults on our lives.

The oldest military strategy, now part of political doctrine is to, “divide and conquer.” Allowing America to balkanize on the political battlefield, via competing beliefs and ideologies may hold interest for many, but what’s the problem with just trying what we were gifted with by our truly gifted founders, a constitutional republic? Every time we turn around, someone is offering some new party or movement rather than refining and perfecting what we already have. There’s something for everyone if we ran our nation as our founders foresaw. Of course with the exception of those who wish to tear it all down, like the Trump-era Republican Party, Anarchists, Accelerationists and more. Accelerationists may be the worst of the bunch as that it includes the worst extremists of both right and left, who don’t mind helping each other, “tear it all down.”

"Accelerationism is the belief that specific forces—historically economic—should be accelerated to effect societal change. Some far-right groups have adopted a violent form of accelerationism to promote terrorism and other violent acts in order to hasten the downfall of a societal order they believe is complicit in white genocide.

Accelerationism is historically linked to Marxism and the belief that accelerating detrimental forces within capitalism will ultimately lead to its destruction. The accelerationism of the far right is inherently violent. White nationalist groups such as The Base believe that the current societal order is inherently corrupt and therefore unsustainable. The Base calls on its followers to execute non-attributable terror attacks to destabilize society in order to hasten a race war that will overthrow the government and reshape society."

- Counter Extremism Project
- Accelerationism

In the next 38 days, we must focus, because so long as we allow ourselves to be distracted and divided by all of these parties, groups, movements etc., we cannot focus on the task at hand, unifying to rid ourselves of this unprecedentedly corrupt and unconstitutional administration. As for labels, the current administration is worthy of several political or extremist labels but they do not matter at this point. They must go and we cannot do that so long as we allow the dark money going into these parties and movements, to distract us from their theft and power grabs. This is no different from a pickpocket bumping into you as a distraction, in order to lift your wallet.

Here’s the reality of November 3rd; we’re going to have to fight for free and fair elections as well as defending the results. I have no doubt that if you are reading this you well recall January 6th, 2021 as Trump’s and the GOP’s violent and armed insurrection. Not one person is currently being held responsible and don’t even get me started on the Supreme Court’s “immunity” ruling. The point being, the administration and their sycophantic co-conspirators on the right side of the aisle in Congress, now have far more power than they did on January 6th. We may literally have to fight and no one should dismiss this potential conflict as far-fetched. The odds of armed conflict are something I’m considering writing on as conditions continue to develop.

Our most prominent founders are rolling in their graves at the thought of elite wealth running the country. Our constitution is anti-oligarchical by intention. We’ve been through this several times in our history, most famously during the Robber Barron era or even in the 1930s when a handful of Americas wealthiest, old-money oligarchs hatched a plan for a coup against FDR, allegedly financed by JP Morgan, Irénée du Pont, Robert Sterling Clark, Grayson M.P. Murphy, and Prescott Bush.

I will wrap up this first part with something that will probably anger some on the left too. Shouting, “blue wave” may be expedient in reclaiming the White House and Congress this election season, but even so, that will not solve our core problems for the long run. Winning in November will require voters of all political persuasions banding together. We can’t afford to lose potential conservative allies by rubbing their nose in hyper-partisanship. I get it, because I’m angry too. Anger can be a motivating emotion but we’ll have more success in November by channeling it into a welcoming hand for dispossessed Republicans. Save the real anger for the administration and unrepentant Republicans. If Trump acts on his election interference plans, that anger will come in handy.

Yes, although for most it’s hard to believe, but there are frustrated, embarrassed and angry true conservatives too. Republicans today that still support this current regime, are not conservatives by any stretch of the imagination, they are far-right extremists. Please remember that the most principled conservative in the modern era was Eisenhower and his 1956 platform was not terribly different from Joe Biden’s. There is strength in principled bi-partisanship, especially this year. America was not dissimilarly divided prior to WW II and yet when the chips were down, we came together to defeat fascism. We can unite to do so again, with frustrated principled conservatives.

The real problem is money and those who have engaged in rigging the system for themselves and against us. If we don’t address the money issue, the oligarchy will still buy congressmen, judges, organizations and yes, even the president. For the past few elections, the money that poured into DNC coffers, has been a poor investment based on their consistently hapless performances. Even now, the party seems rudderless and without any visible sign of where your donations are going. This of course is different for specific candidates and issues, but the party itself is ghosting everyone. If you must contribute, demand answers and results.

The answer for our political woes cannot under any circumstances, be solved by one party. It will take every honest American willing to relearn their middle school civics lessons as quickly as they forget partisanship just to be able to come together and purge our politics of those capable of buying it. Next up is to take on the grossly inequitable tax code and the lobbyists who do the dirty work for the oligarchy. Last but not least, we should support no candidate unwilling to pursue justice and accountability aggressively, not for revenge but for justice. If we can do these few things, our republic will have a chance. There are countless other required fixes, but right now, we need candidates for office willing to take on these essential first tasks.

If the DNC wishes to finally get in the game, now is the time to put together the agenda for 2028, and much to the dismay of the Democratic Socialists and the Progressives, the winning solution is moderacy, not radical change. What the Bernie Bros never understood and the Democratic Socialists now struggle with, is that there is room for their voices if and when we push the Republicans out of control. Their penchant for highlighting their socialist fervor at this stage of the game, is no different than waving a red cape at an injured bull. It’s simply no way to win allies across the aisle or to diminish the obstacle of vocal MAGA Republicans who intimidate their more moderate neighbors, often discouraging them from voting. American voters on the right, are terrified of “socialism, Marxism and communism",” simply because those fears were instilled in them by GOP propaganda, still with assistance from Moscow. The truth is, Russia has never stopped helping Republicans.

Since Xi is now in Washington D.C. and Trump is sucking up to him, it is important to clearly understand the following insight from a national security perspective. Putin needs Trump. Trump needs Xi, and Xi needs Russian territory. Until things change, I highly recommend remembering this little equation. It explains a lot about what is happening in the world. I’ve written on this in detail in the past and often.

Not all Democrats will be pleased with targeting oligarchs because some of them, are also recipients of their support as well. Still, things are changing regarding “buying elections.” Ironically, most Republicans are uncomfortable with this as well, especially after Musk, Thiel and others stole our personal data and shut down the social safety net programs and healthcare that Americans depend on. Here in Texas, James Talarico is running for office free of PAC money, and it’s something that has inspired Texans to crossover and support him. Getting money as far from our political landscape as possible could be the beginning of a trend. Whoever “gets clean” first, will win the support of more voters. I don’t say this will be easy, but considering the damage done by not doing so, this may be a future path towards extricating us from dark money in our elections. Someone has to lead and there is no reason to trust the opposition.

The primary legislation to focus on should the resistance control congress, is a massive reworking of the tax code. This would really be a Big Beautiful Bill that we all could celebrate. The inequity between what working Americans pay and the tax giveaway to the top 1% made possible by this overtly corrupt, Republican-led Congress, is blasphemous to the intent of our founders. Be advised though, this will be a fight to the finish because that top 1% and their overpaid lobbyists, will throw everything they have at any attempt to make them pay their fair share. If I were a young congressman looking to make a name and do good at the same time, this is the issue I would focus on aggressively.

Then there is the issue of accountability for the criminals, frauds and corrupt members of the Republican Party and the administration, including Trump. As earlier noted, we must never become what they are. We must seek justice, not revenge. Values are meaningless unless they are lived. Winning at any cost, is a sign of our times whether in politics, sports or anything else. Well over a million US servicemembers have died for our stated values. If we don’t live them, their deaths were in vain. I am shocked at the lack of ethics in so many professions in modern America. These days, business ethics are as big a joke as ethics in journalism for a large portion of professional in those fields. They are not alone, and this brings me to my final point. Judicial ethics.

I won’t beat this point into submission but most Americans feel and with significant justification, that our SCOTUS must be held to ethical standards. To assert that Associate Justices such as Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch etc. are above the law and a code of ethics is absurd. Considering that these justices especially have shown favor to not only wealthy individuals but Chief Justice Roberts opinion regarding the Citizens United case, opened the door to buying elections altogether. Just one or two elite billionaires, can now have more power than all US voters combined. There is no possibility that our founders would approve. Personally, I am fond of saying that the Republican Justices addition to “originalism” is pure bullsh$$!

"Today’s ethics problems are symptomatic of a Court that has ridden roughshod over any attempt to cabin its power.189 Enforcement of ethical rules at the Supreme Court cannot wait on the Justices, nor should it wait on future legislation. The Court is not the only institution tasked with interpreting the Constitution. The Executive regularly makes constitutional determinations in exercising its power to take care that the laws are faithfully enforced. Congress is faced with a constitutional question every time it legislates. An impending constitutional question does not require inaction — if anything, it encourages action to spur its resolution.190 While potential legislation is being debated,191 Congress can act now based on its own interpretation of the Constitution and the multitude of avenues it has to check the extrajudicial behavior of the Justices. Starting the conversation between Congress and the Justices is the most viable way to restore the damaged legitimacy of this Court."

- Judicial Ethics, Chapter 3
- Harvard Law Review
- Volume 137 Issue 6
- April 9, 2024

An enforceable code of ethics in addition to impeachment, must be mandatory and all because of the behavior of the Chief Justice John Roberts SCOTUS. Most Americans feel as if there are at least two legal standards in our republic, one for the elite and another for the rest of us. In most cases, I heartily agree, especially in the Trump era. This SCOTUS will not improve as that they have no intention or motivation to. The phrase “all men are created equal” is nothing but satire, unless we make it so. Only a massive, unified win in November and followed by a focused, assertive congress intent on reform, can put us back on the track of a constitutional republic that honors our values and traditions.

I have kept all of you now for quite a while and for those who’ve seen it through to the end, I am humbly grateful. As for November, I believe that honest Americans are up for this fight and that we’ll win if we persist. Make no mistake about it though, it will be a fight. Like Doctor Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote in response to Elizabeth Willing Powel's question upon leaving the convention hall after our constitution had been ratified: "Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" Franklin simply replied, “a republic if you can keep it.”

I have every confidence that if we work together, yes, we can keep it.

My very best for your weekend,

Paul