If the Republicans Lose the Midterms, Who's Really to Blame?

I agree with Speaker Mike Johnson to a point: if the Republicans lose the midterms, it really could mark the end of the Trump presidency. But he's wrong about the why.

A president's agenda only becomes durable when Congress codifies it. Executive orders are a great tool. But they can be wiped out with the stroke of a pen.

Remember day one of the Biden administration? Anyone?

Johnson's latest remark on the midterms suggests Republicans might lose because of Trump's recent State of the Union remarks about potentially cutting federal Medicaid funding in Minnesota over fraud concerns. And sure, that may influence some voters. But it's not the real issue.

The real problem is that Republican voters are frustrated. They feel like the party has been sitting still since Trump was elected. What major legislation has been passed? How much has Congress actually done to advance the president's agenda? Did they codify the DOGE findings?

No.

What did they do to eliminate the filibuster—something they could have done during the prolonged government shutdown? Something they should have done, given that Democrats have made it abundantly clear they have zero interest in helping Trump move anything forward. Compromise of any sort is out the window, even if it something actually makes sense.

Sure. The filibuster does have its purpose. Even I can agree with that. It encourages debate and compromise. In a rational political climate, it even makes sense. It's a way to balance power and give both sides a voice on bills.

But we're not in that climate. Democrats are angry, defiant, and convinced Trump is an existential threat. They're not budging on anything, even if it's reasonable. They couldn't even stand in support of putting American's safety in front of the safety of illegal immigrants, for Heaven's sake.

Ending the filibuster would have allowed the Republicans to pass the SAVE Act and other key parts of Trump's agenda.

What Johnson—and frankly much of the GOP leadership—seems to miss is that voters elected Trump for a reason. Despite what the media suggests, and what Democrats want to deny, it was a mandate. Yet Republicans in Congress have often acted just as resistant to Trump's agenda as Democrats. That's a problem, because Republican voters don't show up just to keep a party in power. They want results. And when they don't see results, they hold their own side accountable.

So, if Republicans lose the midterms, it won't be because of anything Trump said. It will be because Congress refused to act.

Johnson is right about one thing: if Democrats win in November, they've already told us what's coming—two years of investigations and potential impeachment hearings, their own end to the filibuster, endless legislation designed to box in the president, and total gridlock. It would turn this administration into one of the most powerless lame-duck presidencies in modern history. Any hope of advancing Trump's agenda at all would evaporate.

That's why Johnson's comments concern me. They suggest he doesn't understand why Republicans are actually at risk. If you don't know why you're losing, you can't possibly strategize how to win.

It's not too late. The SAVE Act is already in the Senate. It just needs to be brought to a vote. Yes, getting 60 votes under the current filibuster rule is unlikely. Even reverting to a talking filibuster might not be enough. But at least voters would see Republicans trying—showing urgency, showing fight, showing they understand the stakes.

If the Republicans lose the midterms, it won't be because of Trump. Forget what the polls say. Americans want Trump's agenda. That was made clear when he was elected, because his agenda is exactly what he campaigned on that got him elected. If the Republicans lose it will be because they refused to hear the voters who elected them to do the work to codify the mandate.

Voters gave Republicans their trust in 2024. They expected action. They expected progress. They expected the mandate to be honored. If Republicans squandered that, and they mostly have, they shouldn't expect voters to hand them another chance.

Republicans only win when they act. They don't get the free passes Democrats do. They have to listen to their voters. They have to do the work. And they have to earn every vote.

So, to Speaker Johnson and Leader Thune, the question is simple:

What are you going to do to win the midterms? We, the voters, are ready to do our part. When will you do yours?

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© 2026 Jim Bauer

The Responsibility We Keep Forgetting When We Stop Thinking

Sometimes you stop and wonder. What's gone wrong with our system? On paper, it's representative government—the voice of the People. And yet, that's exactly where the trouble begins. Or it's at least where a lot of it is now.

There's an old saying. Bad data in, bad data out. If we feed a system the wrong inputs, we shouldn't be surprised when the outputs disappoint us.

We complain endlessly about ineffective mayors, governors, and local officials who seem to make everything worse. They mismanage, they mislead, they muddy the waters. But when the dust settles, who's really at fault? Is it the politicians who fall short—or is it us, the voters who put them there?

Because at the end of the day we're the ones making the choices. We're the ones who accept the promises, overlook the failures, or ignore them entirely. And when a leader faces serious criticism yet still wins reelection, it raises a hard question: how seriously are we taking our responsibility as voters?

Yes, elected officials hold power. But that power originates with us. And that means the real issue isn't just leadership. It's the quality of the electorate. As a society, we've grown less skeptical, less curious, and far too willing to accept whatever the mainstream narrative tells us, even when we suspect bias is baked into every angle.

Social media hasn't helped. Oh, sure. We think it does. We think it counters the dishonest media. The truth is, instead of encouraging open dialogue, it often creates and rewards echo chambers. People don't want to ask questions anymore. They want to be affirmed. They want to block out anything that challenges their worldview. That's not empowerment. That's self-imposed silence.

There's a quote—I can't recall who said it—that goes, "Every dollar we spend casts a vote for the kind of world we want to live in." It was meant about commerce and environmental choices, but it applies just as well to voting. If we end up with poor leadership, it's because we collectively chose it. Or, on the flip side, we allowed ourselves to make a bad choice.

Our vote matters. It shapes what comes next. It determines who holds power and what they do with it.

Blaming officials when things go wrong is easy. It lets us dodge responsibility. We can always say, "Well, I didn't vote for that person." And sometimes that's true. But the deeper question is, when we made whatever choice we ultimately made, how did we vote? Any of us. All of us. On either side of the aisle.

How did we make our choice?

Did we listen carefully? Did we research? Or did we rely on a party label, a news outlet, a social media circle, or a blogger who already agreed with us?

Ultimately, voters decide the direction of the country—right or wrong, good or bad. So, when things fall apart, at what point do we admit that some of the blame belongs to us? When do we acknowledge that maybe we're part of the problem?

People often argue for term limits. But in a way we already have them. We always have. They're called elections. If we had a more informed, more engaged, more discerning voting public, we wouldn't need set limits. Leaders who fail would simply be voted out.

But there is a catch there. It's in how we evaluate successes and failures as much as anything. Are we honest about what's a successful thing and what's gone wrong? Or do we determine that by the same cues offered from our political biases, news outlets, social media circles, and a closed mind way of thinking?

The founders never intended for unfit leaders to rise to power. They intended for the People to choose wisely—to be the penultimate safeguard of the Republic.

Which means, ultimately, that if the system is failing, it's because we are failing. We're the ones checking the boxes. We're the ones shaping the world we live in. And we're also the ones who have allowed ourselves to be so divided that critical thinking and compromise are like relics.

If we want to climb out of this mess, the solution isn't louder voices—it's sharper minds. We need to listen more carefully, think more independently, and stop outsourcing our judgement to whatever source shouts the loudest—or simply shouts the things we prefer to hear.

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© 2025 Jim Bauer

Mike Pence Not Endorsing Trump Doesn't Matter

In a recent interview with Fox News, former vice president and presidential candidate, Mike Pence, said that he cannot, in good conscience, endorse former president Donald Trump in the 2024 election, but that he also cannot vote for Joe Biden under any circumstance, but that he is keeping it a secret who he will be voting for.

I might assume it would be for RFK Jr., but who knows? And frankly, who cares? It doesn't matter anymore than his lack of endorsement for Trump does.

This is not to suggest that I had issues with Pence when he served as vice president or that I took issue with his failure to question the certification of electors in 2020. I said then that I thought he carried out his duty in necessary fashion, and I continue to believe that today.

My preference would have been for Trump to have conceded the election and ask questions later. But that also does not suggest I don't believe that 2020 may well have been a stolen election.

We still need to get to that truth regardless of what we find in any outcome, because as I have said many times, our elections matter and the American people must have faith in them. A large swath of citizens have questions, and I think that demands answers.

Nonetheless, it's his decision to make whether or not he wants to endorse Trump. At the same time, I disagree with his assessments that Trump has walked away from confronting the national debt or is shying away from his commitment to the sanctity of human life. I also do not agree with him that some of these criminal charges sway his decision either—because at this time no GOP member should be okay with what essentially equates to the weaponization of our justice system for political reasons and is designed to remove choice from the American voter and stack the odds in favor of a competing party.

Is Trump the best choice for America today? That is a question that can be hotly debated. But is Trump the only choice for America right now? I think he is.

I continue to believe that we have some deeply concerning things happening within our government that has very deep roots, and threatens our democratic republic in ways that are unimaginable. Part of my support for Trump stems from that, believing that no other candidate in the recent pool of GOP contenders would have done a thing about any of it, but would have rather simply entrenched themselves into the very deep state we are fighting against and embolden it.

I also believe that Mike Pence is part of that establishment. And perhaps that's really what his motivation is to choose not to endorse Trump. Not to protect the Union. But to protect those who wish to maintain their control and power over our government and the people of this country.

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Just STOP With the Impeachment Talk

Don't get me wrong. I don't like President Joe Biden and think his administration is a complete and total failure seriously harming the lives of Americans and erasing much progress we've made as a country in recent years.

Or even over decades.

That being said, with Speaker McCarthy tossing out that word, "impeachment," it grates on me a bit. Has Biden done anything impeachable? Perhaps the real answer so far is that we simply don't know yet. Are there things that should be seriously looked into regarding Biden, especially his dealings with his son and the many allegations that have surfaced long before he "won" the 2020 election and became president.

Okay, there is also, for me, the lingering question about what really happened with that 2020 election—I am not one to outright say he stole it by the way. I simply think there are too many unanswered questions and it troubles me more Americans aren't at least interested in the possible answers.

That would be an impeachable offense for sure.

Beyond that I think, and this became very apparent with Trump's presidency, that impeachment may be becoming just a political thing more than a tool to potentially remove a really bad guy from office. It's simply losing its strength as something to be taken seriously. And I think impeachment should be an absolute last resort and very serious thing for very serious infractions having been committed by our top elected official.

Nixon, had he been impeached rather than resign, I think would have been warranted.

None of Trump's impeachments were serious, especially considering the allegations were all false, and anyone really paying attention would have immediately known it was all about a democrat party simply not liking who was in the White House and trying to find any way they could to remove him, regardless of whether there was cause or not.

It's not the same thing but it's at least relatable, but the word "racism" has suffered similar softening. It was overused and accusations of racism were assigned to things that had nothing to do with race at all. The word no longer has the stigma it once did. Racism uttered now is more likely to conjure rolled eyes than serious horror.

Is Joe Biden fit to be president? No. Is Joe Biden doing a good job and advancing causes for the American people? No. Is his presidency benefiting the country or Americans? No. But are any of the things he's doing (or not doing) impeachable? No.

He's just a terrible president and that's all. 

I think the best course for the republican party is to simply focus on 2024 and how we convince the American people to make the best choice for America. Which granted will be a tough sell considering Trump is the foreseeable front runner and regardless whether or not I have no problem with him returning to the White House, many Americans are apprehensive—despite my belief that many of those apprehensions are based on lies and innuendo and false pretenses.

In other words, people have formed their opinion of Trump largely on what the media has led them to believe, not necessarily based on what the truth is. Even with all of the supposed charges and indictments against him, it is being used as a "thing to consider." But of course, people paying attention know it's all just politics and based on nothing but that.

I simply think we're too quick lately to throw out impeachment and it is doing more damage to the tool of impeachment than anything. If we reach a point where a real impeachment is absolutely necessary, no one will take it seriously because we've removed seriousness from the option to use it for real reasons.

Drop the impeachment thing, McCarthy and let's just get our attention on the upcoming presidential election and use our time to form strategies to bring our message to the American people why the ONLY choice in 2024 should be the GOP.

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A Reconsideration of a Biden Impeachment

There have been several times, throughout Biden's presidency, when calls for impeachment have been made where I have said, impeachment proceedings should be reserved for real and undeniable high crimes and misdemeanors.

In other words, it should not be molested. It should be an important and very serious part of our system of government, and people should trust that when the word "impeachment" is uttered, it actually means something, and all eyes, ears, and attention should be on the seriousness of the charge that brought it about.

The impeachment process, even as far back as Bill Clinton, I think, have been used more as a political weapon than anything else. Although, even though I think the impeachment of Bill Clinton was a huge stretch, it still had more merit than any of the impeachments posed against former president Trump.

They were simply a result of a party desperate to remove a president they did not like. It's not any more complicated than that.

It molested the process and instead of Americans being concerned about real crimes and misdemeanors, it was more of an in your face "hah-hah" moment and "this is what you get" scenario. Far from what the intentions ever were for such a process.

No one was interested in the truth, of course. They just wanted to see Trump gone. They wanted to see his legacy tarnished. They wanted something for the history books. It did not matter that the facts weren't there or that the claims were entirely outside of the realm of what any real impeachment should look like. 

Just for the history books, all that mattered is that it would claim the history that Trump was the first president to be impeached twice during his presidency.

The bottom line here, for me, is that while Biden's presidency has been nothing short of a complete and utter disaster, regardless of whether or not I believe he actually won the election in 2020, there has been nothing I have seen that I would envision would be in the realm of intent of the process to be impeachable.

That is, until now.

It is clear to me that this latest indictment of Trump has nothing to do with criminal activity and everything to do with politics. It has everything to do with an upcoming election, serious questions about Biden's own potential criminal activity being alleged and ultimately distracted from. Moreover, it is an abuse of power and an evil witch hunt to attempt to potentially remove a front-running presidential candidate from the opposing party from being able to run.

What is also worth considering, although I will admit it is a bit of a departure from the crux of this post's main point, is what really happened in November 2019? Does Trump know something? Is it possible he could have the power to find out? Was J6 actually, as many suspect, a staged event coordinated and funded by Soros, Antifa and the democrat party itself as a means to distract from any further questioning that there may have been a stolen election?

Is the indictment of Trump just another means to steal another election yet again?

I think there are serious things happening right now with Joe Biden, or at least his administration (or whoever is actually running the show) at the helm of it. Something like this really does warrant itself as high crimes and misdemeanors if ever there were any to exist. 

It would even make Nixon's pending impeachment, had he not resigned before it actually happened, look like child's play compared. In the case of Nixon, he'd have not only been impeached, he'd have been convicted.

Granted, it is easy to understand that during that time we also had a more united country. Politics was still a deeply entrenched thing, but there was a higher level of respect for the White House as well. The only reason Nixon resigned was because both sides of the aisle would fully participate in the country's best interests and convict him.

His own party could not dismiss what he did and not vote to convict.

It is very difficult for me to imagine, in this highly charged and divided political climate we are living in today, that the democrats would take seriously any impeachment charge or proceeding, regardless of evidence, let alone convict. I believe even the media would be quick to assert that any accusations or case brought against Biden would simply be retaliation by the GOP for the Trump indictment.

As well, can we trust that the American people would stand ready to maintain the integrity of the White House and rally behind an impeachment and conviction and take seriously any charge?

Nonetheless, I do feel that if there ever was a time when serious impeachment considerations should be made, it is now. If we don't go that far, we should at least give very serious consideration to having an honest, open, and thorough investigation.

After all, the highest office in the land does not belong to a political party. It does not belong to one man or woman. It belongs to all of us. The American people. And preserving its integrity and being able to have faith in our government is a higher consideration than any other. 

I think every American should be very concerned about what is happening in our government right now, especially in terms of our elections, how they are handled, how they are determined, and who gets to run, and more importantly whether we want the government deciding for us who can't run.

If the election was indeed stolen in 2020 and now the government is working to omit a potential winning candidate from the opposition party, this is how dictatorships start. 

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Being An Atheist Does Not Bar Me From Being A Conservative

Let me start off by saying that this blog post is a response to a comment I received on Facebook, and that while my response to it is both tongue and cheek and serious, the comment I am responding to was entirely tongue in cheek. Let me also, for the sake of the record, state a couple of other noteworthy things here just so that it is clear how I am coming down on any of my positions here.

• Up until 2005 I was a card carrying member of the Republican National Committee. Since the beginning of my cognitive life I had sided with conservative and republican values.
• I am currently a registered republican.
• I have financially contributed to the campaigns of Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin, John McCain for president, Mitt Romney for president, Mike Bost for Congress, Paul Ryan, Ron Johnson, and a number of other republican candidates campaigning for certain political elected positions.
• I am an atheist.

Let me also state for the record that, in my view, my last bullet point does not bar me from the republican party, does not preclude me from being labeled a conservative, and does not mean I hold no moral values—conservatism does not have a single thing to do with theology, but rather has everything to do with common sense values, views, and political posturing.

I am a republican. I am a conservative. Nothing about my views, beliefs, or political posture suggest otherwise on the whole.

We talk all the time about radicals and extremists. Certainly these terms apply to Christians, Muslims, and atheists alike. I am not an extremist or radical atheist. I am for Judeo-Christian philosophy for example, as a founding principle of our government, our Constitution, and our system of laws, and our fundamental beliefs about human rights throughout the world, and the spread of democracy and freedom.

Considering the holiday is right around the corner, I am an atheist who is conservative enough to appreciate the religious freedom of those who celebrate Christmas for religious reasons and am FOR saying Merry Christmas. I am also for the spirit of giving whether or not it be tied to Jesus, God, or any other religious reason. Again, it is to my mind just the right way to think as a HUMAN BEING.

I can think of no common sense human quality that would suggest that people should be disrespectful, rude, or selfish.

So what if I do not believe in God? So what if I do not believe that Jesus was His Son? (Note that despite my core beliefs I STILL capitalize where it is appropriate and am respectful to do so, and when referring to any religious aspects have ALWAYS done so.) Is religion even necessary to be good? Is it necessary to be moral even though the definition of morality is theological in nature? Is religion necessary to do decent things, and understand fundamentally that the pain and suffering of others is bad? That it is inhuman and inhumane? Is religion necessary to appreciate life, and to underscore the very fact that no matter where we come from, or what end we will face, that while we are here on Earth life, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness is precious, that it must be appreciated, and that it must be PROTECTED? Is religion necessary to know that persecution is bad, murder is wrong, and oppression and infringement on personal freedom is cruel and unjust?

In a word, no. And again, the way I see it that is just simple common sense.

So, I suppose I should cut to the chase and get to the comment before I get too far ahead of myself. This could turn into a rather long winded post. Now I finally understand why many in the past have called me a windbag.

"After sitting here thinking about your discussions we have had in times past...I've decided that since you believe in Jesus being a real person but not who he says he was, that you are a liberal Christian. Many liberal Christians are also democrats as well.
Ergo you're a democrat! Congrats on your new found party, The DNC!"

Now, just to be fair let's take one single statement here for the purposes of initial analysis. When did Jesus ever say he was "who He said He was?" Nowhere in any official record did Jesus Christ ever claim to be the Son of God? He never did. His actions may have suggested it. The story may have suggested it. But He never said it. The "fact" that Jesus was the Son of God was a suggestion by His disciples and the men who chronicled the story after His death.

By the way, did I mention that I am atheist? At the very least, even liberal Christians believe that Jesus was the Son of God. I do not. Liberal Christians very simply have a different view of "What would Jesus do?"

What am I for?

• I am for marriage between a man and a woman.
• I am pro-military.
• I am pro-life.
• I am for smaller government.
• I am for lower taxes.
• I am for free markets and capitalism.
• I am for sound immigration policy and reform and securing the border.
• I am for the Constitution.
• I am for freedom of religion.
• I am for free speech.
• I am for the 2nd Amendment.
• I am for minimalist regulation.
• I am for school vouchers.
• I am for welfare reform.
• I am for strong national security.
• I am for military action where it is deemed necessary and beneficial.
• I am for spreading of freedom and rights to religion, and the pursuit of happiness.
• I am for PROTECTING the right to religion, and the pursuit of happiness.

In fact, the only area where I disagree with the total free market system is when it applies to globalization and trade policies which disadvantage American businesses, particularly in manufacturing. I am actually FOR a zero percent corporate tax rate, believing that taxes should be collected at the point of sale of raw goods, the point of sale of finished goods, and labor should be taxed. These are not necessarily republican or conservative beliefs, but they are mine. And even these beliefs are FAR REMOVED from ANY liberal or democratic belief. So, even if some of my beliefs are removed from conservative values or republican party values, they are also removed from liberal or democratic values.

No democrat would be for a zero percent corporate tax rate. No democrat would be for labor bearing the bulk of taxes collected. Liberals and democrats would prefer that the rich and the corporations would pay everything and leave the rest of us untouched.

The bottom line here is that nowhere in my bullet points did I describe a tenet of liberal or democratic belief. Furthermore, many of my bullet points also defy liberal Christian tenets. For example, liberal Christians are for gay marriage and for tighter gun control legislation. Many liberal Christians also oppose war.

Therefore the only logical conclusion I can come to, if I believe the comment was made genuinely, is that the person who made the comment does not understand the values of either party, does not know what values make one a conservative or a liberal, and does not understand the core definition of a liberal Christian. I am still scratching my head a bit on how the I's were dotted and the T's were crossed in coming up with this analysis by the commenter because on the whole it doesn't make any sense at all considering my positions.

Clearly the comment was tongue in cheek. Knowing the guy who made the comment, I give him much more credit for being intelligent than his comment suggests. If I am to take his comment with any seriousness, I have serious concerns about him entering a voting booth. So we'll just leave it at that.

Predictions For 2015

2014 turned out to be a bit of a tumultuous year to say the least. There was quite a lot that happened, the most recent big deal being the race riots in Ferguson and New York. We finally saw some major relief in gas prices, giving Americans a little bit of extra spending cash—especially during the holidays. Jobs growth also picked up a bit towards the end with the unemployment rate finally dropping below 6% (the U-6 rate notwithstanding of course).

So what will see in 2015? Here are a few of my predictions for what to expect. These are of course opinions, but I have done a bit of homework to come up with these. Will they all come true? Of course not. These are predictions, and if I could actually predict anything with any accuracy assured I would be predicting the winning combination of lottery numbers.

But of course.

So onward and upward, and without further ado, here is what I think will be happening in the coming year. Some good, some bad, some downright ugly.

• Unemployment numbers will remain in the 5%-6% range for the better part of the year, but 2015 will see record jobs growth numbers. I actually put the unemployment number at the close of 2015 around 5.2%.
• Gas prices will remain lower up to around mid-summer when there will be a bit of a surge in demand. I see 2015 oil prices remaining stressed, and will likely hover around $75-$80 per barrel.
• With republicans back in power I believe that the Keystone Pipeline deal may be back on the table, but even if anything makes it to President Obama's desk, he will veto it. The Keystone Pipeline, however, will become a big part of the next presidential campaign, and actually believe that both the republican and democratic candidates will be in favor of approving it.
• U.S. auto sales will post record numbers. Ford Motor Company and Toyota will lead the pack.
• GDP growth will rise by 3.2%.
• Russia's economy will fall into a depression, and Japan's economy will remain in a recession. However, Japan will pull into a recovery towards the end of 2015. China will grow, as will most of the rest of the developed world economically.
• Iran will develop a nuclear weapon. However, I think there will be enough force to prevent them from actually using it.
• The GOP will see a young newcomer emerge who will have a strong chance at the nomination who restores conservative values of the republican party.
• Housing prices and inventories of existing homes will remain stagnant. But new starts will see a rise with more builders looking to build "affordable" housing.
• The Fed will end quantitative easing.
• The DOW will continue to see record growth and will close 2015 around 21,000 points. I predict a correction in 2016 however, but not a significant one.
• Discount retailers will see declines in sales while higher end chains will see increases. I also see entertainment and restaurant stocks increasing significantly in value in 2015. State casinos will see their biggest drop in revenue in ten years by the end of 2015 as consumers shift their spending. Las Vegas, however will have a record year as will Atlantic City.
• Cuba's economy will see record growth, and Cuba will begin to develop a tourism industry in 2015 with the help of American investors. Although full tourism in Cuba won't be realized until 2016-2017. Incidentally I think Cuba may also experience a regime change.
• President Obama will by executive order increase the Federal Minimum Wage to $10.
• Actor and comedian Bill Cosby will be indicted on rape charges and will shock the nation by going to jail. It will be the trial of the century, and perhaps the biggest news story of 2015.
• Bill O'Reilly will remain the #1 cable TV news show on television, but will announce his retirement towards the end of 2015.

So there you have it. These are my predictions. I think it will be interesting to take another look at all of these at the end of 2015 and see which ones came true, if any of them. Some of them I obviously do not want to happen, but sometimes it is not what you want to happen, but what is likely to happen that matters. Onward and upward, and I shall see you all on the other side.

Happy New Year to all of my faithful readers.

Term Limits Are The Informed Voter

The fact is that most voters are simply not paying attention to what goes on with their elected officials, and that's how so many bad players on both political sides continue to keep their elected seats time and time again, election after election. Many people have called for, and continue to call for term limits.

 

We're tired of career politicians in this country. It's time to set a limit on how long anyone can serve, and that will right the ship for America.

 

I disagree. What will right the ship for America are not term limits, but informed voters. I know that the latter is harder to come by, and so perhaps that might be one reason to consider that term limits might counter the effect of the uninformed voter.

 

Still, I subscribe to one school of thought. I don't care how long a politician serves so long as they are doing right by their constituents. It's not the good players that need to be unseated. It's the bad players that need to be unseated. Most of the time the bad players stay elected.

 

So many Americans become entrenched in things that simply do not matter. They spend their time learning about their favorite actors and singers, their favorite sports players, the latest technological gadget that is coming out, but when it comes to who's who and who's doing what in Congress or The Senate, or even at their own local level, people turn a blind eye.

 

It's a scary trend in America for guys like me who strongly feel that America is losing its edge, and definitely sees the country headed in the wrong direction. Worst of all, uninformed voters also suffer another deep rooted problem.

 

The inability to think things through.

 

People tend to take what sounds good and take it as the gospel. Taking a little time to think about things like unintended consequences, for example, is rarely ever done. Taxes are a huge example of this. People tend to think of the rich as greedy, evil people who have no concern whatsoever for those on the lower rungs of the ladder. People fail to understand the most basic concepts of economics, and when they clamor for higher taxes on the rich and higher taxes for corporations, what they don't realize is that they are actually clamoring for lower wages, higher prices, reduced benefits, and less jobs.

 

Businesses do not pay their expenses. They recoup them. Taxes are an expense. They will be recouped.

 

Worst of all, people who enter the political arena aren't necessarily stupid even if they are often times misguided. But one thing does ring true. They have an agenda, and they know that most Americans won't be paying attention.

 

This puts us on a very dangerous path.

 

As to how we get more people involved in politics, I really don't know what the solution is. Some people, no matter how much you try to convince them of the importance of their direct involvement in politics, simply aren't going to get it.

 

It's boring. It doesn't affect me. My voice doesn't matter. The system is rigged. There is no such thing as an honest politician so why bother?

 

At some point I think as a nation we have to start becoming more involved. We need to better understand the impact of decisions that are made that dictate our laws. We need to think about all of the facets of any decision made, and the consequences of what even sounds like a great idea on its surface.

 

And vote armed with information. Not ideology, and not based on just the talking points. But based on facts. Based on results. And based on clear failures.

 

We don't need term limits. We just need to get the electorate to pull their heads out of their asses is all. That would solve the problem for the most part. That said, I realize it's probably a pie in the sky idea.