Last night at the John Lennon Tribute at First Avenue, Band Leader Curtiss A asked the audience, “Do we want to keep the “cock sucker” from a second term.”  Curt claimed he read on social media that Trump sucked cocks (lol.)  There should have been a thunderous YES! but the audience response was way too tepid for me.  It’s like there’s a bomb ticking to smash democracy to smithereens, but all we do is keep singing “Imagine all the People Living Life in Peace . . . .”

Faithful readers of the Rumpkins novel- thank you so much – there’s only 2 days left.  Wednesday starts the “Sara Olson Story.”  Hope you’ve enjoyed everything so far, and hope you keep on reading.  And, for those of you willing to listen to a bit of my politics, after hearing Curtiss A sound the alarm about what Trump is proposing to do if re-elected – his authoritarian braying – and judging by how few in the First Avenue audience seemed to want to send Trump a deafening NO! vote, I decided to interrupt your fictional reading with a real life News Flash:  Trump could win!  And we all need to sound the alarm!

The poll numbers you’re reading about shouldn’t be there.  Biden has the economy moving in the right direction and returned some stability to our country and the presidency.  It should be clear as a bell – that it’s that (Joe) – or returning to a clown presidency, only worse this time – a dictatorship as well.  But it isn’t.  Why?

Is it because Biden and the Democrats are being too tepid, not able to message a thundering enthusiasm against what a Trump presidency would mean, or worse, not generating any enthusiasm at all?  Is it time for the Democrats to listen to what the polls are saying and turn to a younger generation for excitement and leadership?  (It is my fervent hope that former President Obama is meeting privately with his former VP and counseling Joe to get out while on top and let the next generation take over.)

Readers, please help sound the alarm what Curtiss A and I are talking about.  There’s a ticking time bomb out there.  And even if the Democrats don’t hear it and renominate Biden, ugh! . . . BUT DON’T GIVE UP!  There is a plausible road for Biden beating Trump.

Really, polls are more for venting against government and politics in general – not so much about an individual candidate as about a dissatisfaction with governing institutions and political parties in general.  We need to listen to that.  We need to keep in mind that Independents are the nation’s largest voting block – let’s make sure they see Trump for what he really is.

Even more, the best way to win the independent vote is to keep the Independent Voters’ hopes alive that their day is coming.  Democrats have a chance to keep the Independent Voter leaning Democrat by getting 100% behind Ranked Choice Voting in all elections (aka Majority Rules Voting).  This will keep the Independent Voters’ hopes alive their day is coming.   Imagine all the people (in this case, the electorate) voting in 5 or 6 Independents to the US Senate –  and the leverage that Caucus would have!

You know, really, what this country needs is “Tri-Partisanship” more than bipartisanship – an idea put forward by a guy named Dave Anderson in the Wednesday, November 8, Minneapolis Star Tribune, page A9:  “Make it tripartisanship, not in the sense of a third party but rather a substantial block of independents in power with whom Democrats and Republicans must negotiate.”

And if we’re messaging Republican-leaning Independent Voters, keep in mind there’s this thing known as “negative partisanship” – partisan loyalty that exists not so much for a love of their candidate, but a loathing of the other party.  Try to let non-leaning Democrats know there’s more to Democrats than just being too liberal.  We are, in fact, inviting Independents to be in the room – by pushing majority rules voting.

It is my unshakeable belief that a winning majority of this country can get with the concept of “one for all and all for one” – that government can do good things for people.  We may even win the battle between those of us who wish to make America a multi-racial, one person, one equal vote, democracy and those who cling to the concept that this should mostly be a white nation – disregarding the great wealth disparities.

Okay, here’s my prognostication:  A New Generation Democrat or Independent trounces Trump on election day 2024, but even if it’s Joe, effective government, albeit dull, should beat circus politics on election day – but what if it’s Nikki Haley?!  I’ll end with a US Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis quote, “We may have a democracy or we may have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we cannot have both.”

Please comment below.  Did you enjoy The Rumpkins?  Are you willing to help sound the alarm?