2026: Last Chance to Stop Republicans

Choose: Democracy or Dictatorship

From a Google Image Search - Scientific American

What a terrible time for the Democratic Party to find itself subject to so much criticism? They seem to be losing the backing of some African Americans, some Latinos, those who felt that the Democrats should have backed the Palestinians and decried the behavior of Israel, and those who accuse the party of being antisemitic. To take such big losses when it is vitally important to elect democrats to Congress in 2026 is an enormous blow to attempts to save our democracy/republic.

I had a conversation with an independent voter online this week claiming that the Democrats are pigs. I guess that means that they want to raise taxes to offer greater benefits to workers, things like childcare, relief from excessive college costs and the predatory loans to cover these costs. I guess they mean rich democrats are greedy, although it seems clear that rich republicans are greedier and far more power hungry. She was upset that such a large group of voters rarely wins in elections.

Independents can't vote in primaries for either Republican candidates or Democratic candidates which does put them at a disadvantage. In terms of electing presidents, the math in the Electoral College comes into play. With three main parties it's almost impossible to get a majority of the votes.

The Gallop poll gives us these stats:

https://news.gallup.com/poll/548459/independent-party-tied-high-democratic-new-low.aspx

"WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Political independents continue to constitute the largest political bloc in the U.S., with an average of 43% of U.S. adults identifying this way in 2023, tying the record high from 2014. Independent identification has been 40% or higher each year since 2011, except for the 2016 (39%) and 2020 (39%) presidential election years. Equal 27% shares of U.S. adults identify as Republicans and Democrats, with the Democratic figure marking a new low for that party in Gallup’s trend.

All Gallup survey respondents who identify as independents are then asked whether they lean more toward the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. Last year, slightly more independents leaned Republican than leaned Democratic. As a result, a combined 45% of U.S. adults identify as Republicans or lean toward the GOP, while 43% are Democrats or Democratic leaners."

Pew Research gives very similar stats:

https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2019/03/14/political-independents-who-they-are-what-they-think/

"Independents often are portrayed as political free agents with the potential to alleviate the nation’s rigid partisan divisions. Yet the reality is that most independents are not all that “independent” politically. And the small share of Americans who are truly independent – less than 10% of the public has no partisan leaning – stand out for their low level of interest in politics.

An overwhelming majority of independents (81%) continue to “lean” toward either the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. Among the public overall, 17% are Democratic-leaning independents, while 13% lean toward the Republican Party. Just 7% of Americans decline to lean toward a party, a share that has changed little in recent years. This is a long-standing dynamic that has been the subject of past analyses, both by Pew Research Center and others.

In their political attitudes and views of most issues, independents who lean toward a party are in general agreement with those who affiliate with the same party. For example, Republican-leaning independents are less supportive of Donald Trump than are Republican identifiers. Still, about 70% of GOP leaners approved of his job performance during his first two years in office. Democratic leaners, like Democrats, overwhelmingly disapprove of the president.

There are some issues on which partisan leaners – especially those who lean toward the GOP – differ substantially from partisans. While a narrow majority of Republicans (54%) opposed same-sex-marriage in 2017, nearly six-in-ten Republican-leaning independents (58%) favored allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally."

Since it appears that most Independents vote either for Democrats or Republicans in elections, they reserve the right to jump either way in an election. Although Democrats and Republicans may not change parties when they vote in a primary, in a final election they are free to vote for candidates from any. party. It's unclear why people like to declare themselves Independents at all except to express their freedom to think independently.

However, the 2026 election could change the majorities in Congress thus making it more difficult for Trump to become the absolute dictator he would like to be. Clearly, in this case, if you wish to keep our democracy/republic and you are unhappy with the Democrats, you need to hold your nose or do whatever you must to vote for Democrats. Perhaps many Americans have no concept of what it's like to live in an authoritarian state. Although our current freedoms are sometimes limited to assure the common good, Americans still enjoy many freedoms others around the globe do not have.

Think before you vote in the next election. Don't be a single-issue voter. Please accept that this election makes a choice about how we will all be governed, what transparency there will be in our media, how we will work and how we will be paid, our healthcare options, what our public schools and colleges can teach, and how much our privacy will be respected.

Remember that all voters in our current system are independent. We can change our party affiliation at any time, and except for primaries, we can vote for any candidate we wish. We could all soon be faced with a ballot that presents no choice at all. Just this one time in the midterms in 2026, put away your reservations about the Democrats and vote for the party that will save democracy. The Democratic Party can be reformed later.

So sorry I missed posting on Saturday. I am in the midst of home repairs. Thank for following me and to my subscribers.