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About the only thing Americans can now agree on is that this country is more evenly and bitterly divided than any time since the Civil War. Both political parties share guilt for dividing many voters into red/blue enemies. They also created a broken political system that benefits the ruling class much more than the voters they serve.

It’s unlikely either political party will make major changes in a political system that’s working well for them or will be able to easily unite a country they spent decades dividing. Each party built their base of support around voters with very different values. The Republicans chose corporate America, big business and the wealthy while the Democrats concentrated on middle class working Americans, the poor and minorities. The late Will Rogers concluded over 100 years ago,“The Democrats have their eyes on a dime and Republicans have their eyes on a dollar.”

Political candidates have a long history of describing the election they’re trying to win as the most important one in American history. They may be right in 2024 as this election is not the usual party debate over conservative or liberal policies. In this election, I’m urging American voters to realize all bad behavior by a political party is equivalent. The traditional GOP now exists in name only. After making Donald Trump their party leader, they’ve become a Trump MAGA cult that cannot properly govern in a democracy. On the following paragraphs, I have detailed indisputable facts that explains why Donald Trump and all MAGA candidates must be rejected at the ballot box to ensure survival of our democracy.

Donald Trump surprised Republicans and the entire world when he won the GOP nomination and presidency in 2016. After losing so many elections with their best and finest traditional conservatives, Republicans made Trump their savior and undisputed leader after he gave them two long-cherished victories. He secured the largest tax break in history for America’s wealthiest taxpayers and made good on the promise his three Supreme Court appointees would quickly overturn Roe/Wade, ending a woman’s right to choose.

There is recorded and televised evidence that shows how Republican leaders actually felt about Trump before the historic political flip/flop. They described him as unfit to govern, a pathological liar, immoral business fraud and used other adjectives that were worse. GOP leaders became fearful of Trump’s popularity with his base and quickly became devoted MAGA supporters. They hoped it would save their political careers but dishonesty with voters should end their political careers.

Trump’s lack of political experience became immediately obvious and his attempt to govern can generously be described as chaotic. When historians describe Trump’s four years as leader of the free world, they’ll have no difficulty coming up with a record number of “firsts” on his resume. He became the only president to be impeached twice. After his four-year term, he was voted out of office and falsely claimed the election was “stolen.” When every court found the election wasn’t stolen, Trump tried to get legislators in several states to illegally find enough votes to get him reelected. When this failed, he became the first president in history to reject a peaceful transfer of power. On Jan. 6, 2021,, he urged a large group of his most devoted MAGA supporters to storm the Capitol and “fight like hell” to stop certification of the “stolen election.”They threatened to hang Mike Pence, who had “betrayed” the president but he was rushed to safety by Capitol police. Trump enjoyed the insurrection on his television in the White House and ignored repeated pleas by family members and staff to tell his MAGA supporters to leave the Capitol.

Hundreds of the Insurrectionists were convicted and sentenced to long prison terms but Trump described them as “political hostages” he’ll pardon if he is reelected.

Trump’s number of “firsts” have grown significantly since he left Washington and started campaigning for a second term. His conviction for sexually assaulting and repeatedly defaming E. Jean Carroll will cost him more than $90 million.

Numerous other civil lawsuits now pending against his company and him personally will cost many more millions but this isn’t Trump’s biggest concern. Grand juries in four states have indicted him for 91 felonies and any of the convictions could make him the first president in history to go from the White House to the Big House.

These facts explain why Trump declared for reelection so early and is pulling out all stops to win the presidency. His legal team is fighting hard to delay the criminal trials until after the election. If elected, Trump believes he can pardon himself.

It appears President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are destined for a rematch of the 2020 election. Biden claims his primary reason for seeking the presidency in 2020 was to stop Donald Trump. If Trump isn’t the candidate in 2024, Biden and party leaders will have a legitimate reason to consider his withdrawal from the race. Biden’s not a great campaigner and it’s impossible to disguise his aging problems. He’s a decent human being who’s always over-achieved in politics. Biden’s been a lifetime fighter for the middle class and could retire with pride if Trump’s MAGA party isn’t a threat.

Alston Jones

Baker City