Like me, I’m sure most folks are sick of the incessant media coverage of the Defendant’s many legal cases, and his machinations to try to thwart them. Nevertheless, like the train wreck the Defendant’s gargantuan presence in our collective conscience has become, we cannot and dare not look away. History will eventually judge the Defendant, as well as our nation’s response to him, but in the near term, over the next year, we’ll see judgments that will shape our future. It’s up to us to determine what shape that will be.
In 2023, we’ve seen the culmination of years of investigations and analyses, about the misdeeds of the Defendant in the waning days of his residency in the White House. Intertwined, we’ve seen the fruits of investigations into his fraudulent business practices, upon which he mounted his quest for the highest office in the land, as well as courageous acts of seeking redress among some of those he defamed and defiled. We’ll likely see more as 2024 unfolds, but we’ll also likely see the unraveling of some of the cases as the Defendant seeks to delay, deflect, delegitimize, and degrade the justice that he so richly deserves.
Most of the matters are out of our hands, and we can do little but observe and comment. We can speculate all we want, and wring our hands at every seeming setback, or we can accept that the train of justice is on the tracks and moving toward its destination. We can succumb to the numbing attacks and threats from the Defendant and his supporters, or we can be comforted by thrum of the wheels of justice moving along the rails. I intend to do the latter, and focus my efforts on preparing for the 2024 election which promises to be consequential.
Each of the cases against the Defendant have been well-developed. None are based on flimsy evidence or innuendo. As long as the judicial system as a whole seeks to mete out justice, the Defendant should face at least some verdicts prior to the November election. It’s becoming more and more unlikely that justice will be served prior to many of the state primaries, but perhaps something will be decided prior to the Republican National Convention in mid-July.
We should expect every twist and turn in every case against the Defendant to further polarize the discourse among us. It’s how we react that we can control, and how we channel our responses into appropriate action that we can build upon. For those of us who choose to serve the greater good, it’s important that we not wallow in defeatism, but bask in the light of opportunity.
In November 2024, we’ll have stark choices to make that will begin to chart our course for the future. If the Defendant is on the ballot, he’ll be a formidable force to reckon with. If he’s not, he’ll still be disruptive, as he seeks retribution for his accountability. We’ll need to be prepared to deal with either scenario. The only sure solution is to mobilize voter registration and voter turnout. A massive BLUE WAVE is the best way to wash away the toxic RED TIDE!
It’s likely that all who read this post and others like it thrive (rightfully) on staying informed, and that is good. However, I remind myself that bringing NEW voters into this election is a priority, and if I read postings with which I very much agree but then end the day without taking action to bring in NEW voters, or getting inactive voters to the polls, I have not done what I need to be doing. If you are in Texas, VR is not easy, and ALL of us can be participating. Here’s how: https://docs.google.com/file/d/1VcHgVEw__Yh_7j-FWoUt3jpWe4TsJl0V/edit?usp=docslist_api&filetype=msword
Beautifully written, Bob.
My intuition is that there is about to be a serious internal battle within the GQP. I think more and more Republicans realize that criminal Trump will lose to whoever is the Democratic nominee.
We all spend endless energy and time preparing for things that never happen. Did we prepare for Hillary to lose? Did we prepare for a Pandemic? Did we prepare for the financial Collapse of 2007-2008 and resulting Great Recession?
We listened to the "polls" in 2016. Oops. Scientists and Medical Professionals warned us for a very long time that we weren't prepared for a pandemic. Oops, no mask, no PPE. The warnings about ridiculous mortgages being bundled and resold were ignored. Ooops, there went our portfolios.
Your advice is wise. But I am prepared for the idea that we may see Haley face off with someone else. Remember March 31, 1968. I am preparing to be totally shocked by 2024.
May the good guys win.
And Happy New Year to you and yours.