IMAGINE. THEN VOTE. — The Weekly Opine

It’s “go” time. Time to save American democracy. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Common sense

Mid-term voting season is upon us, as evidenced by the plethora of political ads interrupting my favorite TV shows. (Well, at least the political ads are crowding out some of the incessant healthcare commercials that tell us about ailments and cures we’ve never heard of.)

We also know it’s election season because entities investigating Trump say they will pause their investigations so as not to influence voters. This makes no sense because voters should be influenced by information demonstrating that one political party has morphed into a criminal enterprise intent on destroying American democracy. The more info the better, relative to the cabal of subservient, unethical, immoral, in-some-cases criminal hacks aspiring to ‘represent’ the people.

News the Department of Justice, along with the Jan. 6 Committee (who’ve otherwise done an exemplary job) and Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis (who’s otherwise done an exemplary job) will take a break from investigating Trump and his co-conspirators until after the election is a headscratcher. I am left to wonder, what would happen if a college football coach committed a serious crime at the end of the regular season in late-November, prior to the playoffs?

If a prominent college football coach was credibly found to have perpetrated armed robbery at a bank, with video showing him in the act including pistol-whipping a teller, would the local prosecutor decline to investigate and indict? Would authorities opine that, because the coach’s team qualified for the January college football playoffs, their investigation would wait until after the playoffs?

On the contrary, I doubt prosecutors would say, “We’ll hold off investigating Coach X because we do not want to interrupt or influence his team’s preparation for their important bowl game.”

As it relates to Trump or anyone else, prosecutors should proceed investigating, without interruption, and indict criminals regardless of time of year. That is fair and it is common sense.

Russia used to be called the Soviet Union. Would the United States be renamed Hot Mess if MAGA Republicans control our government? (Photo credit National Geographic map)

Look to Russia

Are you curious about what would happen in the United States if Trump and/or MAGA Republicans gain control of our government? While relevant, there is no need to review Nazi Germany video footage from way back in the mid-1930s to early-1940s. Instead, look no further than what Vladimir Putin and Russia are doing today. Now, imagine what living in America would be like with MAGA Republicans in control.

Putin’s invasion of Ukraine could easily be Trump invading Mexico or Canada to satisfy his unquenchable quest for power. Putin imprisoning and murdering political foes could be Trump doing the same to his detractors, e.g., Mitch “Death Wish” McConnell.

Putin sacrificing the safety and security of his country, blathering about using nuclear weapons, could easily be Trump – his back to the wall – threatening to nuke Japan…or California. Putin placing his personal interests and greed ahead of creating a stable Russian economy, that includes basic services, is exactly what Trump and MAGA Republicans do. (It’s also what Brett Favre has done but that’s another story.)

The sure way to stop Trump and MAGA Republicans from turning America into Russia is to beat them at the polls. Turn down the volume on pundits saying Democrats will increase their advantage in the Senate and might even squeeze by and hold onto the House. It’s entirely possible Dems will be successful, but the way to make it reality is not to talk about it but act upon it. That’s to say get out and vote!

Let me put it another way. Your lifestyle depends on Democrats winning the election. Because whatever lifestyle you live right now, whether it’s a wonderful lifestyle or a lifestyle that’s not optimal, your lifestyle will become worse if MAGA Republicans gain control of our government.