Thank you, Sharon. On future newsletters, would you be willing to add an “action item” for us? Something we can do to help bring change to life. I want to continue learning, but I want the tools & resources to equip me (and your community) to take action, too.
I second this request! The big picture is so overwhelmingly ominous. Apart from voting and contacting my representatives about policy matters, it's hard to put my finger on what small actions I can take.
I recently took steps to volunteer with VoteRiders.org. It’s a bipartisan nonprofit organization that helps people register to vote. You can help with hotlines, online chats, and texts — all with the goal of helping people register to vote. Each state has different requirements, and it can be very confusing. Vote Riders helps people learn What they need to register, and they need more volunteers!
I hear the whispers Project 2025 all over this decision - covertly perhaps, but that is what scares me the most - the quiet tentacles of the organizations that have been working diligently for years behind this plan.
Colleen’s statement goes to my question/comment. If Trump gets elected, he will fill empty judge seats with his appointees and if Project 2025 comes to fruition, he’ll dismantle current lower courts and fill with his people that will most likely rule in his favor when decisions are remanded to the lower courts. Therefore, presumably ALL decisions will go in his favor when it comes to “official” v. “Non-official” issues??? Robert’s may have got it wrong when he said “no one is above the law.”
I came here with the same comment. I don't understand the distinction of the "can they violate the law: NO, can they be punished for violating the law if they choose to do so: NO..." Well ok then; doesn't that just mean they can violate it then? If they cannot get punished, what is the point?
This just feels like a win-win for any president to abuse their power. There are no check and balances. I know the Governerd community has frequently had conversations about how times have been worse and to not panic, but it’s feeling pretty bleak now. I’m hitting my panic button.
I think something to keep in mind is the decency/morals of the President in question. I do not see someone like Biden using this to his "advantage" and breaking laws just because he knows he won't be prosecuted for it. Every single President, except for Trump, has not needed this nor asked for it. Trump does not have respectable values/morals, he does what benefits him and the richest people in the country. He has already shown he has no respect for the rule of law based on his behavior his whole life, and more pronounced during his presidency. I do not expect someone like him to follow the rules or the law because he has yet to show he can do that. He will take advantage of this in every way he can.
Don't forget Nixon. I am really wondering if some of the rulings that are causing concerns, might be different if President Ford hadn't pardoned Nixon for the actions he took while President.
After watching the whole video, I want to clarify that I do understand there are checks and balances, but it also feels like they are not very efficient these last several years with a Congress that has spent more time picking a speaker of the house than actually making laws and working together.
I agree, but as she was very pointedly saying, WE have the power to change this by voting!! Don’t like the people that can’t get things done? STOP VOTING FOR THEM. Pay attention- instead of voting solely along party lines sometimes you have to make a different choice to see the change. We CAN do this. We can tell everyone we know how important it is to vote not solely in the presidential election, but in choosing the reps & senators that can do the work to fix the overreach of power by the supreme court and all that is not working in the government. That is where OUR power is
I agree that we do have some power there and we MUST use it. I am discouraged though to live in a state that is SO heavily gerrymandered (as are so many states) that candidates like Jeff Jackson are pushed out and aren’t even running again due to the gerrymandering. Political manipulation of boundaries (aka Gerrymandering) is legitimately a HUGE issue and it makes this motto of “the power is ours” feel, more then a little, less empowering.
Completely agree with you. I vote and I choose my candidate by character and have for years. But how do I combat gerrymandered districts, hundreds of thousands of dollars being poured into races in my state from out of state, etc. The checks and balances on the Supreme Court right now are weaker than they were intended to be.
Are there any groups working on changing districting laws? Here in Virginia we recently passed districting laws that while not perfect, got it taken out of the state legislature (and actually we had to overcome a lot of Dem resistance). Made our last elections much more competitive.
A group leading the reform and now a push to get ranked choice voting was Upvote: https://upvoteva.org/ Maybe there is something similar near you? Or you can look attenuate been done in other states?
Wow, what an excellent resource to share across all platforms. Thank you, Sharon! You clarified and distilled complex and disturbing content into understandable language and still managed to end on a note of hope and optimism.
I have never been more concerned for democracy. As an OG governerd I feel like I have never heard Sharon say we are at such a crucial fork in the road for the future of our democracy…so her saying this furthers my concerns—if level headed big picture optimistic Sharon is concerned, we should all be… 😵💫😩
Someone has to say it: expecting the party that has chosen the wrong thing, every single time, to suddenly start doing the right thing is a fool's errand. The GOP no longer has any morals or honor. If Trump wins, he will do whatever he wants, and Dems won't be able to stop him because our neighbors will be knocking at our doors with their guns out or Trump will send the military to round us up or keep us from protesting, or the GOP will imitate the Stasi and we'll be "informed" on and jailed. Trump has vowed to take revenge on his enemies, including people who don't vote for him, over and over and over. I believe him. People are going to be interned/jailed, or worse. I'm Ukrainian-American. Don't tell me it doesn't happen. My relatives lived under fascism. It happens where you live. The entire world is tilting far-right thanks to Russian and Chinese meddling.
Sharon, Specifically,.what steps can we take as Citizens, other than Voting in the next Election? (I am a busy stay at home mom, raising 2 teens. I wish I had more time to devote to this so I need focused suggestions. Small steps that make the biggest difference. What are these steps, exactly?
Since the 2016 election, I have subscribed to Americans of Conscience checklist. She sends out a newsletter with issues and how to pitch in—an example might be “This week, a bill is before the House about keeping weapons away from convicted domestic abusers.” Then it has a way to call or email your congressperson. When you’re done, you get to click a little checkbox that you did it. These are small and simple things that you can accomplish in minutes, but they are actual ways to stay informed and engaged, without being overwhelmed. :)
Thank-you so much for sharing the Americans of Conscience resource. As a working mother of a toddler, this is exactly what I need to help me stay in action rather than doom scrolling the news.
Echoing this. I also commented asking if Sharon can give us an “action item” with her newsletters. We need a Governerd powerhouse to turn this ship in a healthy direction.
Mom of 4 young kids here. Some things I have done include writing postcards to voters (there are a number of organizations that do this), knocking on doors & campaigning for candidates I believe in (can be done on weekends!), joining your local chapter of the league of women voters & getting involved with them, encouraging people to register to vote, etc.
That is one I have volunteered for before! I was stuck at home with kids during virtual school in 2020 but sent out hundreds of postcards. I kept them with me & had a script I stuck to & copied the same thing over & over.
I write letters to voters through Vote Forward (https://votefwd.org) encouraging people to vote. There are 16 active letter writing campaigns right now and volunteers are needed. It’s a small thing, and easy to do. Hopefully with mighty results.
I LOVE the League of Women Voters. They support local, state, and federal democracy in such tangible ways. They have even aided the organization I work for in holding Resident Council elections at public housing sites.
If you don't have Ranked Choice Voting yet in your state, at least for city elections, sign up to help your state's RCV volunteers. They need help with things like tabling, social media management, and phone banking. Find your state's organization at this link: https://rankthevote.us/take-action/#statemovement
One thing for people who are looking for an action item- I am a member of my local chapter of the league of women voters. They have chapters all over the country. It would be worth joining & asking what you can do to help in the upcoming election- they often do voter registration drives, publish voting guides, etc. That might be a good place to start.
I belong to the League of Women Voters in MO (deep red state). I love that it is a nonpartisan organization, so that I can talk to everyone. As an added bonus, everyone in the League is intelligent and committed to saving democracy. It is so refreshing to be surrounded by intelligent and committed people. It keeps me sane and gives me hope.
Oh I didn't know this was a thing! I am definitely interested in nonpartisan groups like this. I will have to see if there is a Minnesota group and any activity in my region. I would appreciate it's something I can bring my daughters into eventually. I like to take them with me when I vote so I model the process and importance of it for them. I keep thinking how can I be the change within my circle. This could be a way.
I am already a part of a womens group in my area that does this for our local elections. I am thinking about some type of messaging that is short, impactful, memorable and shareable. I am in a very conservative area - so I often think about what facts if shared frequently but without any shade or malice or judgement- may be impactful to them to vote FOR democracy and not against their own best interests. These women are people that had IVF, that have been divorced and so potentially they could be voting for an administration that will take those things away from them - Project 2025 Style. But they don’t know it, or they think their votes won’t change things in the conservative district we are in so they don’t vote at all since they don’t “like the choices”. A lot of the freedoms women have today - it “feels” like the women in my area think they always were, and they don’t seem to get how really recent it is that we have the rights we do. And how wonderful and precious those rights are and do we want to take a chance on an administration that doesn’t care about protecting those rights? Something like the German population saying - we didn’t know, we didn’t know what we were choosing. But today we absolutely know what we are choosing and how do we make it easy for people to get that message?
I'm a Republican and I'm terrified of this decision. I'm terrified of Trump and his cultist reach. I'm not voting for anyone who supports him. He needs to be stopped. He has already stayed he will do so many things that are not ethical on day 1. Now, this will give him even more power to his narcissistic plans.
Many of my loved ones (including my husband) and most of my neighbors are Trump supporters. I have a “Defend Democracy” sign in my front yard. I handed out “Democracy is Sweet” cookies to voters coming out of the voting booth at our last Republican Primary.
My husband and I have a great relationship and he wants me to do whatever I want. As for my neighbors, I try to build relationships and common ground. I avoid politics unless they are undecided.
Same. I’ve been a registered republican since 1981. I’ve also voted democrat- Obama, Clinton, and Biden because I don’t believe the republican party is serving the people. Even my representative, Chris Smith, keeps defending Trump. I keep hoping the moderate Republican leadership will keep speaking out against Trump or anyone else who is a danger to democracy.
One that I follow here on Substack is former representative Adam Kinzinger. He is against what SCOTUS did. He wrote a great article on here about it yesterday. A hopeful one at the end like Sharon was.
I too am Republican but have felt “homeless” for a while now… this decision scares me and I will not ever vote Trump! I have lost hope in the Republican Party
I was feeling a deep sense of doom earlier this evening, so I appreciate your reminder that while this is absolutely consequential, it's not all said and done yet. My birthday is ON the election day this year. I'm both dreading it and feel like it's special because every time I vote I think of the women especially who fought for that right. Your reminder that others clung to hope during darker times just by hanging on and living their life in their moments is a helpful one. I'm an engineer in the building and construction industry and have 3 little girls. Every day that I see regulatory structures and the branches of government changing from what I have always understood them to be, I grow more and more concerned. So I'm trying to look for the small things within my control that I CAN do so I don't lose that hope and work where I can for protecting our Democracy. I want my daughters to have a brighter future than what I currently worry they might have.
I hear a lot of people who are genuinely concerned that if Trump wins our democracy is in danger. It seems like a lot are saying Biden=democracy and Trump=dictatorship. As one of the more conservative members of this group (and I assume I'm in the minority here), I think you could make the exact opposite argument. Conservatives would say that the following are all examples of liberal/democrat acts that jeopardize democracy:
-- Roe v. Wade as an example of judicial overreach, creating rather than interpreting law
-- Obama using the IRS to target his political opponents, with higher chances of being audited if you are a Republican
-- Weaponizing the judicial system to prosecute Trump in a case where the state doesn't have authority (over a federal law) the statute of limitations is expired, and in which a similar case has never before been categorized as a felony
-- social media actively suppressing, in a coordinated effort, the Hunter Biden laptop story, which turned out to be true, and which would have been harmful to the Biden election campaign
-- Hillary Clinton coordinating with government officials to promote a story of Russian collusion in an effort to take out Trump
-- riots in the streets when Trump was elected in 2016
-- unelected government officials/family members propping up a president with clearly diminished capacity, possibly in an effort to retain power that they were never elected to wield.
I know there could be extensive debates about each of these points and that's not really what I'm trying to do here, but I have seen a lot of accusations that conservative voters, and definitely Trump voters, don't care about democracy and want to install a dictator of their own choosing. I'd just like to suggest that the vast majority of Americans on BOTH sides are striving to preserve democracy. We just have different ideas about what is putting it at risk.
Expansive debates are for sure needed when the individual that is being backed by the GOP, as well as a vast majority of the GOP elected officials, is spreading lies and disinformation on a daily basis. Picking 1 point specifically, the results of the 2020 election, which you seem to refer to as illegitimate, where Trump and his team brought 64 lawsuits alleging widespread voter fraud that impacted the election results and none, not 1, was ruled in their favor, even when the judge was a Trump appointee, because they did not have evidence to back up their claims. And to this day, he and his followers refuse to believe the election results which has set off a distrust in our government, the system and our elections. THAT is a threat to our democracy, when elections are staged to be illegitimate and fraudulent without any supporting evidence to show. And he's already been setting the foundation for the same thing this time around, along with Fox News. It's frightening.
That's not even getting into the fake elector scheme or the fact that almost every person Trump has had in his inner circle has either been convicted of a crime or is on trial for committing a crime. People surround themselves with people who are similar to them...if everyone around you is a criminal, it's time to take a look in the mirror. No other President had asked for/needed full immunity from prosecution, that is a telling sign that somethings wrong.
I'm not sure what I said that made you think I question the legitimacy of the 2020 election. There is evidence that certain information was either promoted or suppressed by mainstream and social media that influenced the way people voted and I don't think that's right, but I don't think there was widespread voter fraud or cheating. Although I do think if a candidate THINKS there is fraud, he has a right to challenge it legally. We saw that happen with Al Gore and Stacey Abrams, to name a couple examples. And Hilary Clinton is STILL claiming that the 2016 election results were fraudulent. If it turns out that a candidate (referring to Trump here) has surrounded himself with people who are giving him bad information, he ought to rethink the company he keeps.
Thinking there is fraud and setting out to find evidence of it is not the issue that is concerning. It's the fact that after 64 court cases claiming voter fraud are dismissed because the defense cannot provide evidence they claimed to have to then continue to claim voter fraud (specifically looking at "illegal votes" and "rigged voting machines") with zero evidence, zero backing from the court system and lost lawsuits because of their claims. The claim that he's "never lost an election" and that somehow he's "still the President" based on his inability to face the facts and the enabling from those around him.
When everything happened with Nixon, his party chose the truth. They chose policy over party. The GOP is not doing that now, and they haven't done it since the 2016 election. I've previously voted for a mix of parties in elections, based on who I believe the candidate is as a person and not just what party they are attached to. Since 2016, I can no longer do that. A candidate who endorses Trump and stands with everything he's done is unacceptable to me and does not deserve a spot in our congress.
I have not heard Trump claim that he's still the president. If he has, then obviously I don't agree with him. There's no question he's a sore loser and has to have the last word all the time, leading him to say ridiculous things. But also, I don't know of another president who has been so unfairly harrassed literally from day one on so many fronts. From Hillary claiming the election was a fraud, to the russian disinformation/steele dossier stuff, to protests and "not my president" marches and riots in the streets simply because he won, to incessant hammering from the media in a way you don't see with Democrat presidents, to the active suppression of information on social media, to lawsuits that appear to be politically motivated... I'm not condoning his hot headedness, but I'm also not surprised that he feels like people are out to take him down by whatever means necessary, because it kind of seems like they are.
You claim there has not been a President as “unfairly” harassed as him, but I’d counter that there’s never BEEN a President like him. I was one that “rioted” (it was just a simple little protest) in the streets after Trump won - I was 8 months pregnant with my daughter and truly disturbed that half our country thought it was appropriate to elect someone who openly brags about grabbing women by the p***y. Trump receives different treatment because he is a different caliber of person - and the American people should expect more from their President.
I would not consider a protest such as the one you participated in to be a riot. But there were others that did turn violent, and it's because people decided that their disagreement with the outcome of the election justified it. Regarding Trump's character, I will stand right next to you in saying that he is not someone to admire. I too am disappointed that I can't tell my kids to look to the (former) president of the United States as someone to emulate. His morals are not aligned with mine in so many areas. But to say he's the first president who has been like that isn't accurate. We know JFK conducted affairs while in office, Bill Clinton had his Monica Lewinsky scandal... Trump's loose morals aren't admirable, but also aren't unprecedented. In my view, the reason Trump receives different treatment isn't because he is unique in his character, but because the media and many on the left had become comfortable with winning in every arena by whatever means necessary and he fought back in a way previous Republicans hadn't. The only politician I have ever donated to was Mitt Romney. I admire his character and agree with his moderate conservative policy. But when he was running against Obama, he was painted as a misogynistic, out of touch, animal abusing flip flopper by the media and the left. The left likes him better now in comparison to Trump, but at the time it left a lot of us feeling like we can't run a nice guy and win, because he'll be destroyed no matter what kind of person he is. I think that's what opened the door for Trump. I didn't vote for him in the 2015 primaries and he still isn't my top choice by any means. But he was seen as someone who wouldn't take a below the belt punch without punching back. So for those who value conservative policy and want to see it implemented, he's the one who seems like he has a fighting chance against the tactics that have been used against us for so many years.
Trump has ties to Russia with the people he's surrounded himself with. Trump actively called for Russia to interfere with the 2016 election. Trump cozied up to the Russian dictator and openly praises him and how he conducts himself and runs the country. It's not hard to understand why Americans are upset about that.
When Trump was elected, I was one that used the "not my President" phrase because Trump stands for so much that is NOT progress. He is decisive. He's a liar. He's misogynistic. He's against science. He's racist. He literally had *1* accomplishment in his Presidency and that was a tax cut for the rich which added to our national deficit. That's it. That's all he did. There's a reason he was voted the worst President by scholars. I have supported, for the most part, past President's no matter their party because I believed that they were in it for the progress of America.
When you have a person who is so openly supported by groups like the Proud Boys and other white supremist groups, that is a valid reason to criticize that person and call those things out as often as possible. MAGA will not move this country forward in any way, shape or form.
There is a difference between saying "I don't like what Trump says about Putin" and coordinating a smear campaign with falsified documents and false witnesses to suggest Trump actively colluded with Russia to undermine a fair election.
You and I will have to disagree on Trump's accomplishments as president. I don't agree with everything he did, but I would suggest that he also had record low unemployment in every demographic before covid, established peace in the middle east, and the covid vaccine was developed during his presidency, among other things. I think a lot of how we judge a president's policy comes down to what we consider to be progress. Depending on your perspective and values, what is seen as progress by one person could be considered going down the wrong road by another.
You mentioned that you consider Trump being supported by white supremacists as a valid reason to criticize him. I agree that if a candidate on either side makes racist statements, that is reason for criticism. I am 100% against racism, and am so disappointed whenever I see it manifest among members of my party. I will fight against it every time and hope that people can grow and be better. It should never be encouraged or used as a way to pander to voters. But also, being supported by a racist doesn't make someone a racist. There are bad people who support every candidate.
It sounds like you are an informed, principled conservative. I can respect that. In my mind, the examples you gave, while valid, aren’t on the same level as attempting to overturn an election, sowing distrust in our institutions, the events that led up to Brett kavanaugh being appointed to the SC instead of Merrick Garland, etc. I am politically homeless, but I can’t vote for anyone who is endorsed by Trump or who endorses him. I have voted for plenty of Republicans, and will continue to, as well as democrats, when they have principles that align with democracy and with my values. But MAGA principles feel self-serving, not country-serving. I believe liberals=democracy AND conservatives=democracy, but not MAGA, not right now.
I sincerely appreciate the respectful conversation. Thank you! And I can see why you feel politically homeless. I don't feel completely at home in my party either. I can understand not being happy about the Merrick Garland thing. I'm sure I wouldn't be either if the situation were reversed. I didn't agree with Mitch McConnell when he said his justification for not holding hearings for Garland was because it was too close to the end of Obama's term. That shouldn't have been a factor, and that argument doesn't hold up for me. However, congress does have the right to hear or not hear anything as they see fit, and the reality is that there weren't enough people in the senate in support of proceeding with a confirmation hearing.
My take on the events around the 2020 election is that Trump is messy and hotheaded, and should think before he talks. I hated January 6, and I think Trump could have more strongly encouraged PEACEFUL protest (he did say peaceful, but could have read the room a little and realized people were getting heated). But also, democracy prevailed, the system worked, and the election was certified. I think it was a case of a guy who thought he had been cheated, had people telling him he had been cheated, and was trying to make sure it was looked into before it was certified. I think it was largely the media who ran away with the story of it being an attempted coup and that a peaceful transfer of power was in danger. I don't know statistics, but I assume that the majority of guns in this country are owned by people who probably support Trump. If he really intended to resist a transfer of power, and if his constituents really supported it, I think it would have been a lot worse than a group of people going into the capitol and putting their feet on Pelosi's desk. The only person who died was one of the protestors, and it was otherwise more chaotic than violent. Still a tragedy, still a dark day in American politics, but I really don't see it as a threat to democracy.
“We have different ideas of what is putting it at risk” - this was how I always felt previously about the differences in the approach conservatives vs liberals took on the various issues. But it always seemed to me that we all had certain norms and expectations of behaviors that were how we would conduct the way we manage the government. And it seemed albeit in my opinion way too slow, like we were moving towards a better future for all - meaning women, meaning POC, meaning groups we as a society had marginalized or kept suppressed. It felt like we wanted the best for others and that as a society we were moving forward towards love and acceptance for all. When doctrines like Project 2025 are proposed as the goals for the next conservative administration - that seems to me a very different perspective and that reverts all progress made. So my question aside from the individual points you made above which I do think we could all discuss, does a document and plans like Project 2025 concern you that you would consider voting for a different candidate than your conservative values might have you vote for otherwise?
Hi Megan, I am still learning about project 2025 so I can't give a definitive opinion about it yet. I've appreciated Sharon's discussions on it, as well as other more conservative leaning viewpoints. I think for me it comes down to the fact that I truly have confidence in the design of our government, and the checks and balances that ensure no single group can run things into the ground unimpeded. I see project 2025 as some people's effort to re-balance what they consider to be a system that has gotten out of balance. Even though there's a lot that's problematic with a two party system, one of the good things is the constant push/pull of ideas and efforts. No party can swing the whole country unchecked to the left or the right without being challenged and course corrected. I think there are things in project 2025 that will restore some balance (for example, there is a lot more power given now to appointed/unelected officials and agencies than was originally defined in the constitution. It's not a bad thing to examine whether that should be adjusted.) Even if Trump is 100% behind everything in project 2025, he doesn't have the unilateral power to implement it on his own. We're at a point where our political discourse is extremely polarized and it seems a lot of people (on both sides) consider their side the good guys and the other side literally evil. I really think most people have good intentions, and if we all work to support policies we're in favor of, and all work to ensure that we're being fair and ethical regardless of whether something works out to our advantage or not, things can't go too far off the rails in either direction.
It's interesting to hear your perspective. I would also like to note that many of these "acts" that you list are not official political acts but are public acts. Also some of the acts that you have listed are actually theories not acts. This isn't the place but I do wonder where you are obtaining this information from. Since you are a member of this group, I want to assume you are seeking out the truth rather than following conspiracy theories.
Can you please explain your last point regarding "possibly in an effort to retain power that they were never elected to wield".
The acts I listed in my original post weren't meant to be examples of official or unofficial acts (in terms of the immunity decision which is what I think you're getting at?). More just meant to illustrate that while those on the left see the right as a threat to democracy, those on the right also have concerns about acts on the left that threaten democracy as well.
I try to get as much of my information as possible from first hand sources -- listen to the candidates'/politicians' speeches and debates, read the policies and decisions for myself, etc. For news I like Real Clear Politics, which is a good conglomeration of headlines from source on the far right to the far left and everything in between. I try to read a few articles on each side of an issue. For more commentary and analysis, I like and respect Sharon, who I consider to be a little left leaning but fair, and Ben Shapiro, who I consider to be on the right and fair. Between the two of them I feel like I get a decent understanding of both sides of an issue and then can decide what I think.
I would not consider myself a conspiracy theorist. It does seem like there are some in politics and the media who are quick to call something a conspiracy theory but then it sometimes turns out to be true. I remember as a kid thinking about what the future would be like, and thought that with all the easy access to share and consume thoughts and information that we'd be the most well informed, high performing society ever. But it turns out that so much of it is noise, and it can be hard to know what's true and what isn't! It's definitely one of the main challenges of our time, I think.
Regarding my last point, I meant that Biden seems unfit to be president. Even in the 2020 election campaign his public appearances were very minimal and carefully managed. All throughout his presidency his media appearances have been kept to a minimum and usually only with pre-scripted questions. He has avoided press conferences and interviews that ask difficult questions. There have been videos of him looking and sounding confused, and we were told by the white house that they're "cheap fakes." A lot of us have been worried that his cognitive ability is diminished, and I think we all saw in the debate last week that that is a legitimate concern. People say it's because of a cold and his stutter, but if you compare his performance to 2020 or 2016, you can see a very clear difference. Which makes me thing that he is being propped up by people behind the scenes who are calling the shots and effectively acting as president even though they were never elected president themselves.
Thank you, Sharon. On future newsletters, would you be willing to add an “action item” for us? Something we can do to help bring change to life. I want to continue learning, but I want the tools & resources to equip me (and your community) to take action, too.
Yes this is a great suggestion. Working on implementing this.
I second this request! The big picture is so overwhelmingly ominous. Apart from voting and contacting my representatives about policy matters, it's hard to put my finger on what small actions I can take.
I recently took steps to volunteer with VoteRiders.org. It’s a bipartisan nonprofit organization that helps people register to vote. You can help with hotlines, online chats, and texts — all with the goal of helping people register to vote. Each state has different requirements, and it can be very confusing. Vote Riders helps people learn What they need to register, and they need more volunteers!
Great idea!!!
I hear the whispers Project 2025 all over this decision - covertly perhaps, but that is what scares me the most - the quiet tentacles of the organizations that have been working diligently for years behind this plan.
Colleen’s statement goes to my question/comment. If Trump gets elected, he will fill empty judge seats with his appointees and if Project 2025 comes to fruition, he’ll dismantle current lower courts and fill with his people that will most likely rule in his favor when decisions are remanded to the lower courts. Therefore, presumably ALL decisions will go in his favor when it comes to “official” v. “Non-official” issues??? Robert’s may have got it wrong when he said “no one is above the law.”
There are whispers of Project 2025 all over the Chevron decision too.
Who is going to stop them from breaking the law if they can’t be prosecuted for breaking the law?
I came here with the same comment. I don't understand the distinction of the "can they violate the law: NO, can they be punished for violating the law if they choose to do so: NO..." Well ok then; doesn't that just mean they can violate it then? If they cannot get punished, what is the point?
Right, what does it matter if a person breaks the law if they can't be held accountable for it?
This just feels like a win-win for any president to abuse their power. There are no check and balances. I know the Governerd community has frequently had conversations about how times have been worse and to not panic, but it’s feeling pretty bleak now. I’m hitting my panic button.
I think something to keep in mind is the decency/morals of the President in question. I do not see someone like Biden using this to his "advantage" and breaking laws just because he knows he won't be prosecuted for it. Every single President, except for Trump, has not needed this nor asked for it. Trump does not have respectable values/morals, he does what benefits him and the richest people in the country. He has already shown he has no respect for the rule of law based on his behavior his whole life, and more pronounced during his presidency. I do not expect someone like him to follow the rules or the law because he has yet to show he can do that. He will take advantage of this in every way he can.
All of this! Mosheh (mo news) said in his news podcast yesterday “don’t elect crooks!”
Don't forget Nixon. I am really wondering if some of the rulings that are causing concerns, might be different if President Ford hadn't pardoned Nixon for the actions he took while President.
After watching the whole video, I want to clarify that I do understand there are checks and balances, but it also feels like they are not very efficient these last several years with a Congress that has spent more time picking a speaker of the house than actually making laws and working together.
I agree, but as she was very pointedly saying, WE have the power to change this by voting!! Don’t like the people that can’t get things done? STOP VOTING FOR THEM. Pay attention- instead of voting solely along party lines sometimes you have to make a different choice to see the change. We CAN do this. We can tell everyone we know how important it is to vote not solely in the presidential election, but in choosing the reps & senators that can do the work to fix the overreach of power by the supreme court and all that is not working in the government. That is where OUR power is
I agree that we do have some power there and we MUST use it. I am discouraged though to live in a state that is SO heavily gerrymandered (as are so many states) that candidates like Jeff Jackson are pushed out and aren’t even running again due to the gerrymandering. Political manipulation of boundaries (aka Gerrymandering) is legitimately a HUGE issue and it makes this motto of “the power is ours” feel, more then a little, less empowering.
Completely agree with you. I vote and I choose my candidate by character and have for years. But how do I combat gerrymandered districts, hundreds of thousands of dollars being poured into races in my state from out of state, etc. The checks and balances on the Supreme Court right now are weaker than they were intended to be.
Are there any groups working on changing districting laws? Here in Virginia we recently passed districting laws that while not perfect, got it taken out of the state legislature (and actually we had to overcome a lot of Dem resistance). Made our last elections much more competitive.
A group leading the reform and now a push to get ranked choice voting was Upvote: https://upvoteva.org/ Maybe there is something similar near you? Or you can look attenuate been done in other states?
This this this this this this this
Wow, what an excellent resource to share across all platforms. Thank you, Sharon! You clarified and distilled complex and disturbing content into understandable language and still managed to end on a note of hope and optimism.
I am struck by that too
I am having such a problem with this. What about “no person being above the law?” This (the SCOTUS ruling) is wrong on so many levels.
I have never been more concerned for democracy. As an OG governerd I feel like I have never heard Sharon say we are at such a crucial fork in the road for the future of our democracy…so her saying this furthers my concerns—if level headed big picture optimistic Sharon is concerned, we should all be… 😵💫😩
Exactly my thoughts.
Nailed it
I haven’t been around that long. I wish I could hear some of her last election talks/explanations for comparison.
Someone has to say it: expecting the party that has chosen the wrong thing, every single time, to suddenly start doing the right thing is a fool's errand. The GOP no longer has any morals or honor. If Trump wins, he will do whatever he wants, and Dems won't be able to stop him because our neighbors will be knocking at our doors with their guns out or Trump will send the military to round us up or keep us from protesting, or the GOP will imitate the Stasi and we'll be "informed" on and jailed. Trump has vowed to take revenge on his enemies, including people who don't vote for him, over and over and over. I believe him. People are going to be interned/jailed, or worse. I'm Ukrainian-American. Don't tell me it doesn't happen. My relatives lived under fascism. It happens where you live. The entire world is tilting far-right thanks to Russian and Chinese meddling.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Trump has already said he wants military tribunals for people like Liz Cheney. Why are we pretending it's going to be fine?
I’m tired of living in “unprecedented times”. Bring back Democracy and true Patriotism. 🇺🇸
Sharon, Specifically,.what steps can we take as Citizens, other than Voting in the next Election? (I am a busy stay at home mom, raising 2 teens. I wish I had more time to devote to this so I need focused suggestions. Small steps that make the biggest difference. What are these steps, exactly?
Since the 2016 election, I have subscribed to Americans of Conscience checklist. She sends out a newsletter with issues and how to pitch in—an example might be “This week, a bill is before the House about keeping weapons away from convicted domestic abusers.” Then it has a way to call or email your congressperson. When you’re done, you get to click a little checkbox that you did it. These are small and simple things that you can accomplish in minutes, but they are actual ways to stay informed and engaged, without being overwhelmed. :)
The book Democracy in Retrograde covers this topic and is releasing soon. It’s by Emily Amick and she’s here on Substack too.
Thank-you so much for sharing the Americans of Conscience resource. As a working mother of a toddler, this is exactly what I need to help me stay in action rather than doom scrolling the news.
Thank you for sharing this!
Echoing this. I also commented asking if Sharon can give us an “action item” with her newsletters. We need a Governerd powerhouse to turn this ship in a healthy direction.
I hear this feedback and love it. Working on this.
Thank you Sharon! Thank you for everything you are doing and for your voice of reason.
Mom of 4 young kids here. Some things I have done include writing postcards to voters (there are a number of organizations that do this), knocking on doors & campaigning for candidates I believe in (can be done on weekends!), joining your local chapter of the league of women voters & getting involved with them, encouraging people to register to vote, etc.
Could you post a link to an organization that writes postcards to voters?
https://postcardstovoters.org
Thanks for the recommendation! Signed up for the postcards to voters and the League of Women Voters!
I just signed up. Thanks!
That is one I have volunteered for before! I was stuck at home with kids during virtual school in 2020 but sent out hundreds of postcards. I kept them with me & had a script I stuck to & copied the same thing over & over.
I write letters to voters through Vote Forward (https://votefwd.org) encouraging people to vote. There are 16 active letter writing campaigns right now and volunteers are needed. It’s a small thing, and easy to do. Hopefully with mighty results.
I’ve written postcards too & my sister was just asking when we could do that again. Thanks for the link.
I LOVE the League of Women Voters. They support local, state, and federal democracy in such tangible ways. They have even aided the organization I work for in holding Resident Council elections at public housing sites.
Thank you for this suggestion!
If you don't have Ranked Choice Voting yet in your state, at least for city elections, sign up to help your state's RCV volunteers. They need help with things like tabling, social media management, and phone banking. Find your state's organization at this link: https://rankthevote.us/take-action/#statemovement
One thing for people who are looking for an action item- I am a member of my local chapter of the league of women voters. They have chapters all over the country. It would be worth joining & asking what you can do to help in the upcoming election- they often do voter registration drives, publish voting guides, etc. That might be a good place to start.
I belong to the League of Women Voters in MO (deep red state). I love that it is a nonpartisan organization, so that I can talk to everyone. As an added bonus, everyone in the League is intelligent and committed to saving democracy. It is so refreshing to be surrounded by intelligent and committed people. It keeps me sane and gives me hope.
Oh I didn't know this was a thing! I am definitely interested in nonpartisan groups like this. I will have to see if there is a Minnesota group and any activity in my region. I would appreciate it's something I can bring my daughters into eventually. I like to take them with me when I vote so I model the process and importance of it for them. I keep thinking how can I be the change within my circle. This could be a way.
Yes! LWV is for everyone in the family. Many members are 2nd generation! Your daughters could not have better role models.
Thank you for teaching them the importance of voting.
Thank you - good suggestion!
Yes to this! Great way to do your part and also meet other people who care about democracy in your community.
Also consider working as an election worker for your county. People can’t vote if there aren’t available polling places and workers working there.
I am already a part of a womens group in my area that does this for our local elections. I am thinking about some type of messaging that is short, impactful, memorable and shareable. I am in a very conservative area - so I often think about what facts if shared frequently but without any shade or malice or judgement- may be impactful to them to vote FOR democracy and not against their own best interests. These women are people that had IVF, that have been divorced and so potentially they could be voting for an administration that will take those things away from them - Project 2025 Style. But they don’t know it, or they think their votes won’t change things in the conservative district we are in so they don’t vote at all since they don’t “like the choices”. A lot of the freedoms women have today - it “feels” like the women in my area think they always were, and they don’t seem to get how really recent it is that we have the rights we do. And how wonderful and precious those rights are and do we want to take a chance on an administration that doesn’t care about protecting those rights? Something like the German population saying - we didn’t know, we didn’t know what we were choosing. But today we absolutely know what we are choosing and how do we make it easy for people to get that message?
The Card Campaign presents just the facts and compares and contrasts both candidates’ views on specific topics on easy-to-share notecards
https://www.bigwin2024.com/
Thank you so much for sharing!
I would love to know what Republicans who aren’t Trump supporters think about this decision.
I'm a Republican and I'm terrified of this decision. I'm terrified of Trump and his cultist reach. I'm not voting for anyone who supports him. He needs to be stopped. He has already stayed he will do so many things that are not ethical on day 1. Now, this will give him even more power to his narcissistic plans.
It's one of those elections where, unless you vote for the Dem, you're helping the Republican win. And that Republican is Trump.
I admire your courage Lizzy and Jessica. It has to be so difficult.
Many of my loved ones (including my husband) and most of my neighbors are Trump supporters. I have a “Defend Democracy” sign in my front yard. I handed out “Democracy is Sweet” cookies to voters coming out of the voting booth at our last Republican Primary.
Does your husband and your neighbors understand and support you? I hope they’re at least willing to listen.
My husband and I have a great relationship and he wants me to do whatever I want. As for my neighbors, I try to build relationships and common ground. I avoid politics unless they are undecided.
Thank you Lizzy. I admire the fact that you are looking at this dilemma clear eyed and not with blind “I have to be right” partisan mindset.
I am a “Never Trump” Republican and this court decision is very disturbing.
Same. I’ve been a registered republican since 1981. I’ve also voted democrat- Obama, Clinton, and Biden because I don’t believe the republican party is serving the people. Even my representative, Chris Smith, keeps defending Trump. I keep hoping the moderate Republican leadership will keep speaking out against Trump or anyone else who is a danger to democracy.
One that I follow here on Substack is former representative Adam Kinzinger. He is against what SCOTUS did. He wrote a great article on here about it yesterday. A hopeful one at the end like Sharon was.
I too am Republican but have felt “homeless” for a while now… this decision scares me and I will not ever vote Trump! I have lost hope in the Republican Party
Could Congress enact a law that counter acts this recent decision?
I have been wondering this also
I was feeling a deep sense of doom earlier this evening, so I appreciate your reminder that while this is absolutely consequential, it's not all said and done yet. My birthday is ON the election day this year. I'm both dreading it and feel like it's special because every time I vote I think of the women especially who fought for that right. Your reminder that others clung to hope during darker times just by hanging on and living their life in their moments is a helpful one. I'm an engineer in the building and construction industry and have 3 little girls. Every day that I see regulatory structures and the branches of government changing from what I have always understood them to be, I grow more and more concerned. So I'm trying to look for the small things within my control that I CAN do so I don't lose that hope and work where I can for protecting our Democracy. I want my daughters to have a brighter future than what I currently worry they might have.
It seems like our judicial system will be bogged down with endless lawsuits. Very frustrating,
I hear a lot of people who are genuinely concerned that if Trump wins our democracy is in danger. It seems like a lot are saying Biden=democracy and Trump=dictatorship. As one of the more conservative members of this group (and I assume I'm in the minority here), I think you could make the exact opposite argument. Conservatives would say that the following are all examples of liberal/democrat acts that jeopardize democracy:
-- Roe v. Wade as an example of judicial overreach, creating rather than interpreting law
-- Obama using the IRS to target his political opponents, with higher chances of being audited if you are a Republican
-- Weaponizing the judicial system to prosecute Trump in a case where the state doesn't have authority (over a federal law) the statute of limitations is expired, and in which a similar case has never before been categorized as a felony
-- social media actively suppressing, in a coordinated effort, the Hunter Biden laptop story, which turned out to be true, and which would have been harmful to the Biden election campaign
-- Hillary Clinton coordinating with government officials to promote a story of Russian collusion in an effort to take out Trump
-- riots in the streets when Trump was elected in 2016
-- unelected government officials/family members propping up a president with clearly diminished capacity, possibly in an effort to retain power that they were never elected to wield.
I know there could be extensive debates about each of these points and that's not really what I'm trying to do here, but I have seen a lot of accusations that conservative voters, and definitely Trump voters, don't care about democracy and want to install a dictator of their own choosing. I'd just like to suggest that the vast majority of Americans on BOTH sides are striving to preserve democracy. We just have different ideas about what is putting it at risk.
Expansive debates are for sure needed when the individual that is being backed by the GOP, as well as a vast majority of the GOP elected officials, is spreading lies and disinformation on a daily basis. Picking 1 point specifically, the results of the 2020 election, which you seem to refer to as illegitimate, where Trump and his team brought 64 lawsuits alleging widespread voter fraud that impacted the election results and none, not 1, was ruled in their favor, even when the judge was a Trump appointee, because they did not have evidence to back up their claims. And to this day, he and his followers refuse to believe the election results which has set off a distrust in our government, the system and our elections. THAT is a threat to our democracy, when elections are staged to be illegitimate and fraudulent without any supporting evidence to show. And he's already been setting the foundation for the same thing this time around, along with Fox News. It's frightening.
That's not even getting into the fake elector scheme or the fact that almost every person Trump has had in his inner circle has either been convicted of a crime or is on trial for committing a crime. People surround themselves with people who are similar to them...if everyone around you is a criminal, it's time to take a look in the mirror. No other President had asked for/needed full immunity from prosecution, that is a telling sign that somethings wrong.
I'm not sure what I said that made you think I question the legitimacy of the 2020 election. There is evidence that certain information was either promoted or suppressed by mainstream and social media that influenced the way people voted and I don't think that's right, but I don't think there was widespread voter fraud or cheating. Although I do think if a candidate THINKS there is fraud, he has a right to challenge it legally. We saw that happen with Al Gore and Stacey Abrams, to name a couple examples. And Hilary Clinton is STILL claiming that the 2016 election results were fraudulent. If it turns out that a candidate (referring to Trump here) has surrounded himself with people who are giving him bad information, he ought to rethink the company he keeps.
Thinking there is fraud and setting out to find evidence of it is not the issue that is concerning. It's the fact that after 64 court cases claiming voter fraud are dismissed because the defense cannot provide evidence they claimed to have to then continue to claim voter fraud (specifically looking at "illegal votes" and "rigged voting machines") with zero evidence, zero backing from the court system and lost lawsuits because of their claims. The claim that he's "never lost an election" and that somehow he's "still the President" based on his inability to face the facts and the enabling from those around him.
When everything happened with Nixon, his party chose the truth. They chose policy over party. The GOP is not doing that now, and they haven't done it since the 2016 election. I've previously voted for a mix of parties in elections, based on who I believe the candidate is as a person and not just what party they are attached to. Since 2016, I can no longer do that. A candidate who endorses Trump and stands with everything he's done is unacceptable to me and does not deserve a spot in our congress.
I have not heard Trump claim that he's still the president. If he has, then obviously I don't agree with him. There's no question he's a sore loser and has to have the last word all the time, leading him to say ridiculous things. But also, I don't know of another president who has been so unfairly harrassed literally from day one on so many fronts. From Hillary claiming the election was a fraud, to the russian disinformation/steele dossier stuff, to protests and "not my president" marches and riots in the streets simply because he won, to incessant hammering from the media in a way you don't see with Democrat presidents, to the active suppression of information on social media, to lawsuits that appear to be politically motivated... I'm not condoning his hot headedness, but I'm also not surprised that he feels like people are out to take him down by whatever means necessary, because it kind of seems like they are.
You claim there has not been a President as “unfairly” harassed as him, but I’d counter that there’s never BEEN a President like him. I was one that “rioted” (it was just a simple little protest) in the streets after Trump won - I was 8 months pregnant with my daughter and truly disturbed that half our country thought it was appropriate to elect someone who openly brags about grabbing women by the p***y. Trump receives different treatment because he is a different caliber of person - and the American people should expect more from their President.
YES👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I would not consider a protest such as the one you participated in to be a riot. But there were others that did turn violent, and it's because people decided that their disagreement with the outcome of the election justified it. Regarding Trump's character, I will stand right next to you in saying that he is not someone to admire. I too am disappointed that I can't tell my kids to look to the (former) president of the United States as someone to emulate. His morals are not aligned with mine in so many areas. But to say he's the first president who has been like that isn't accurate. We know JFK conducted affairs while in office, Bill Clinton had his Monica Lewinsky scandal... Trump's loose morals aren't admirable, but also aren't unprecedented. In my view, the reason Trump receives different treatment isn't because he is unique in his character, but because the media and many on the left had become comfortable with winning in every arena by whatever means necessary and he fought back in a way previous Republicans hadn't. The only politician I have ever donated to was Mitt Romney. I admire his character and agree with his moderate conservative policy. But when he was running against Obama, he was painted as a misogynistic, out of touch, animal abusing flip flopper by the media and the left. The left likes him better now in comparison to Trump, but at the time it left a lot of us feeling like we can't run a nice guy and win, because he'll be destroyed no matter what kind of person he is. I think that's what opened the door for Trump. I didn't vote for him in the 2015 primaries and he still isn't my top choice by any means. But he was seen as someone who wouldn't take a below the belt punch without punching back. So for those who value conservative policy and want to see it implemented, he's the one who seems like he has a fighting chance against the tactics that have been used against us for so many years.
Trump has ties to Russia with the people he's surrounded himself with. Trump actively called for Russia to interfere with the 2016 election. Trump cozied up to the Russian dictator and openly praises him and how he conducts himself and runs the country. It's not hard to understand why Americans are upset about that.
When Trump was elected, I was one that used the "not my President" phrase because Trump stands for so much that is NOT progress. He is decisive. He's a liar. He's misogynistic. He's against science. He's racist. He literally had *1* accomplishment in his Presidency and that was a tax cut for the rich which added to our national deficit. That's it. That's all he did. There's a reason he was voted the worst President by scholars. I have supported, for the most part, past President's no matter their party because I believed that they were in it for the progress of America.
When you have a person who is so openly supported by groups like the Proud Boys and other white supremist groups, that is a valid reason to criticize that person and call those things out as often as possible. MAGA will not move this country forward in any way, shape or form.
***I meant devisive not decisive***
There is a difference between saying "I don't like what Trump says about Putin" and coordinating a smear campaign with falsified documents and false witnesses to suggest Trump actively colluded with Russia to undermine a fair election.
You and I will have to disagree on Trump's accomplishments as president. I don't agree with everything he did, but I would suggest that he also had record low unemployment in every demographic before covid, established peace in the middle east, and the covid vaccine was developed during his presidency, among other things. I think a lot of how we judge a president's policy comes down to what we consider to be progress. Depending on your perspective and values, what is seen as progress by one person could be considered going down the wrong road by another.
You mentioned that you consider Trump being supported by white supremacists as a valid reason to criticize him. I agree that if a candidate on either side makes racist statements, that is reason for criticism. I am 100% against racism, and am so disappointed whenever I see it manifest among members of my party. I will fight against it every time and hope that people can grow and be better. It should never be encouraged or used as a way to pander to voters. But also, being supported by a racist doesn't make someone a racist. There are bad people who support every candidate.
It sounds like you are an informed, principled conservative. I can respect that. In my mind, the examples you gave, while valid, aren’t on the same level as attempting to overturn an election, sowing distrust in our institutions, the events that led up to Brett kavanaugh being appointed to the SC instead of Merrick Garland, etc. I am politically homeless, but I can’t vote for anyone who is endorsed by Trump or who endorses him. I have voted for plenty of Republicans, and will continue to, as well as democrats, when they have principles that align with democracy and with my values. But MAGA principles feel self-serving, not country-serving. I believe liberals=democracy AND conservatives=democracy, but not MAGA, not right now.
I sincerely appreciate the respectful conversation. Thank you! And I can see why you feel politically homeless. I don't feel completely at home in my party either. I can understand not being happy about the Merrick Garland thing. I'm sure I wouldn't be either if the situation were reversed. I didn't agree with Mitch McConnell when he said his justification for not holding hearings for Garland was because it was too close to the end of Obama's term. That shouldn't have been a factor, and that argument doesn't hold up for me. However, congress does have the right to hear or not hear anything as they see fit, and the reality is that there weren't enough people in the senate in support of proceeding with a confirmation hearing.
My take on the events around the 2020 election is that Trump is messy and hotheaded, and should think before he talks. I hated January 6, and I think Trump could have more strongly encouraged PEACEFUL protest (he did say peaceful, but could have read the room a little and realized people were getting heated). But also, democracy prevailed, the system worked, and the election was certified. I think it was a case of a guy who thought he had been cheated, had people telling him he had been cheated, and was trying to make sure it was looked into before it was certified. I think it was largely the media who ran away with the story of it being an attempted coup and that a peaceful transfer of power was in danger. I don't know statistics, but I assume that the majority of guns in this country are owned by people who probably support Trump. If he really intended to resist a transfer of power, and if his constituents really supported it, I think it would have been a lot worse than a group of people going into the capitol and putting their feet on Pelosi's desk. The only person who died was one of the protestors, and it was otherwise more chaotic than violent. Still a tragedy, still a dark day in American politics, but I really don't see it as a threat to democracy.
“We have different ideas of what is putting it at risk” - this was how I always felt previously about the differences in the approach conservatives vs liberals took on the various issues. But it always seemed to me that we all had certain norms and expectations of behaviors that were how we would conduct the way we manage the government. And it seemed albeit in my opinion way too slow, like we were moving towards a better future for all - meaning women, meaning POC, meaning groups we as a society had marginalized or kept suppressed. It felt like we wanted the best for others and that as a society we were moving forward towards love and acceptance for all. When doctrines like Project 2025 are proposed as the goals for the next conservative administration - that seems to me a very different perspective and that reverts all progress made. So my question aside from the individual points you made above which I do think we could all discuss, does a document and plans like Project 2025 concern you that you would consider voting for a different candidate than your conservative values might have you vote for otherwise?
Hi Megan, I am still learning about project 2025 so I can't give a definitive opinion about it yet. I've appreciated Sharon's discussions on it, as well as other more conservative leaning viewpoints. I think for me it comes down to the fact that I truly have confidence in the design of our government, and the checks and balances that ensure no single group can run things into the ground unimpeded. I see project 2025 as some people's effort to re-balance what they consider to be a system that has gotten out of balance. Even though there's a lot that's problematic with a two party system, one of the good things is the constant push/pull of ideas and efforts. No party can swing the whole country unchecked to the left or the right without being challenged and course corrected. I think there are things in project 2025 that will restore some balance (for example, there is a lot more power given now to appointed/unelected officials and agencies than was originally defined in the constitution. It's not a bad thing to examine whether that should be adjusted.) Even if Trump is 100% behind everything in project 2025, he doesn't have the unilateral power to implement it on his own. We're at a point where our political discourse is extremely polarized and it seems a lot of people (on both sides) consider their side the good guys and the other side literally evil. I really think most people have good intentions, and if we all work to support policies we're in favor of, and all work to ensure that we're being fair and ethical regardless of whether something works out to our advantage or not, things can't go too far off the rails in either direction.
It's interesting to hear your perspective. I would also like to note that many of these "acts" that you list are not official political acts but are public acts. Also some of the acts that you have listed are actually theories not acts. This isn't the place but I do wonder where you are obtaining this information from. Since you are a member of this group, I want to assume you are seeking out the truth rather than following conspiracy theories.
Can you please explain your last point regarding "possibly in an effort to retain power that they were never elected to wield".
The acts I listed in my original post weren't meant to be examples of official or unofficial acts (in terms of the immunity decision which is what I think you're getting at?). More just meant to illustrate that while those on the left see the right as a threat to democracy, those on the right also have concerns about acts on the left that threaten democracy as well.
I try to get as much of my information as possible from first hand sources -- listen to the candidates'/politicians' speeches and debates, read the policies and decisions for myself, etc. For news I like Real Clear Politics, which is a good conglomeration of headlines from source on the far right to the far left and everything in between. I try to read a few articles on each side of an issue. For more commentary and analysis, I like and respect Sharon, who I consider to be a little left leaning but fair, and Ben Shapiro, who I consider to be on the right and fair. Between the two of them I feel like I get a decent understanding of both sides of an issue and then can decide what I think.
I would not consider myself a conspiracy theorist. It does seem like there are some in politics and the media who are quick to call something a conspiracy theory but then it sometimes turns out to be true. I remember as a kid thinking about what the future would be like, and thought that with all the easy access to share and consume thoughts and information that we'd be the most well informed, high performing society ever. But it turns out that so much of it is noise, and it can be hard to know what's true and what isn't! It's definitely one of the main challenges of our time, I think.
Regarding my last point, I meant that Biden seems unfit to be president. Even in the 2020 election campaign his public appearances were very minimal and carefully managed. All throughout his presidency his media appearances have been kept to a minimum and usually only with pre-scripted questions. He has avoided press conferences and interviews that ask difficult questions. There have been videos of him looking and sounding confused, and we were told by the white house that they're "cheap fakes." A lot of us have been worried that his cognitive ability is diminished, and I think we all saw in the debate last week that that is a legitimate concern. People say it's because of a cold and his stutter, but if you compare his performance to 2020 or 2016, you can see a very clear difference. Which makes me thing that he is being propped up by people behind the scenes who are calling the shots and effectively acting as president even though they were never elected president themselves.