Artistic rendering of Donald J. Trump by KJG
We all know them; whether we live in the US, or hail from north of the Canada/US border. The late Allan Fotheringham (1932-2020) whose column appeared on the final page of Macleans Magazine for decades, used to describe Americans as individually, the nicest kind of person you would ever meet — collectively, he was less generous — but individually, these folks don’t ask a lot from life, and use what comes their way well.
Just the other day, (at the dog park of course, where else?) we friends chatted about people we know south of our border. They’re nice people; they’re not extremists; they just want everyone to get along. We have trouble reconciling their attitudes and their politics with those of the Trump administration, with MAGA, with White Nationalists, and with those in churches on the radical religious right. We wonder how these nice folks fit in with political, cultural, and economic ambitions of JD Vance, RFK Jr., and members of Donald Trump’s White House Cabinet.
We also wonder how these thoughtful and socially minded folk can and should participate in the fight for democratic rights and priorities in their own country. We all can write letters or make phone calls; we can write notes to local newspapers (where these remain) or papers of record. We can call into radio call-in shows or raise critical issues in coffee time conversations. We can support political initiatives; we could even stump for local candidates. We can all do something.
There is possibly no greater time for Americans to stand up and say NO to what is going on all around them. Someone has to do this. The NO KINGS rallies have called many into public conversation. The response, still, is not enough. Protest needs to find real power in order to topple what many call a “gangster” regime.
Political commentator, Robert Reich offers three suggestions for participation in order for power to shift from the Oligarchs, the republican majority, and yes, the faltering US democrats:
| 1 Target vulnerable Republican senators and House members. Either get them to switch parties or become independents who caucus with Democrats, or flip their seats. Republican majorities are razor-thin in both chambers, and some Republicans who represent purple districts and states are struggling to keep their Republican supporters behind them. (They’re also struggling with their own consciences in continuing to support Trump’s authoritarian fascism.) 2 Begin organizing and mobilizing now to get out the vote for November’s midterm elections – aiming for Democratic takeovers of both chambers of Congress by wide margins, which will severely limit what Trump can do after January 2027. The key will be to get out the vote. Make a plan. Use phone trees. Write postcards. Arrange transportation for people who need it. Since January 2025, Democrats have overperformed in special elections in congressional districts Trump won in 2024, by an average of 17 points. Just last month, Democrats won two special state legislative elections in Florida, even flipping the home district of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago. Meanwhile, Trump’s polls continue to tank. In the new Reuters/Ipsos poll, only 36% approve of his performance while 62% disapprove, a new record low for Trump in his second term. In the latest Quinnipiac poll, 38% approve of him; 56% disapprove. Even the latest Fox News poll shows Trump approval at only 41%; disapproval at 59%; and fully 58% of Americans opposing US military action in Iran. All this augurs well for the midterms, but there’s no substitute for concrete planning to get out the vote – identifying likely Democratic voters, making sure they’re registered and motivated, and helping them get to the polls (or, assuming it’s still legal, making sure they mail their ballots in, in time). 3 Root out and challenge any Trump Republican attempt to intimidate likely Democratic voters or manipulate the election process. It’s important that neither Trump nor his state lapdogs diminish the turnout of likely Democratic voters in the weeks leading up to the November midterms – by stationing federal agents near polling places, interfering with the counting or certifying of ballots, or altering laws and rules to make it harder to vote. If you have any reason to be concerned about these tactics, check in with your state and local party officials and election officials. Make sure they’re being as vigilant as they need to be. If they’re concerned and cannot assure you that we will have a free and fair election, urge them to challenge what’s occurring in the federal courts. Or alert your local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. Visit the ACLU’s affiliate map website to locate one of the 54 state-level offices, which often have local chapters underneath them. (You can search by state to find nearby chapters, which handle local advocacy, events, and volunteer engagement.) |
Robert Reich finishes with a hopeful encouragement: If you were inspired by Saturday’s No Kings Day demonstrations, know that millions of others were, too. Let’s build on that inspiration by turning it into concrete political action to take back power from Trump and his treacherous regime
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Take Note - Reflections on life, music, politics, retirement and more by Ken Gray 
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