The Democrat and Republican parties have dominated the political landscape of the United States since 1856.  In 2024, they are mere shells, in the process of being commandeered by two distinct and warring tribes.  It is at present a one-sided conflict that will inevitably lead to the transformation of the United States.

Increasingly occupying the decaying remains of the Republican party is the tribe that openly supports the founding tenets of this nation, but contains a significant majority of members who, when they have the option of choosing reliably conservative candidates for state and federal offices that reflect this outlook, would rather assume the role of non-participant disparagers.

The vast bulk of the membership of this tribe prefer to seek out one individual to whom they will proffer unconditional and undying allegiance in the belief that he will single-handedly rescue the nation and slay the dragon that is the current Democrat party.

Inhabiting the skeleton of the Democrat party is the tribe that has been convinced that America is an unrepentant oppressor state, and therefore, it must be transformed, utilizing a unique American hybrid of socialism/Marxism combined with aggressive and oppressive fascist tactics.  It is their ironclad belief that anyone who opposes them or defends this nation as founded is their mortal enemy and must be destroyed.

Their underlying allegiance is not to an individual, but to a universally failed philosophy of collectivism.  Yet these myopic lemmings do not understand that if they succeed in transforming the United States, the nation and they, despite their membership in the tribe, will be at the mercy of a despotic oligarchy they have foolishly empowered.

The United States faces the untenable reality that the dominant memberships of the two major political parties are either supporting socialism/Marxism and its inevitable evolution into a repressive oligarchy or harboring an overwrought reliance upon and fealty to an individual.  

The issue is not Donald Trump, or someone else, but that the majority of the membership of the Republican party would be captive to such shortsighted belief, while facing the onslaught from an implacable foe that currently controls virtually all levers of political power and is on the cusp of permanent governmental hegemony.

Over the past eighteen years, since the midterm elections of 2006, the tribe that dominates the Democrat party has singularly focused on winning congressional and presidential elections by any legal, illicit, or dubious means possible.  Thus, the party-designated, financially supported, and winning candidates owe their allegiance to the party.  They are dutifully in lockstep with the party’s underlying political philosophy and its belief that the other side of the political spectrum must be permanently vanquished.

On the other hand, over the past five midterm elections, only 20.5% of eligible voters who identify or lean Republican bothered to turn out in the primaries to choose their congressional candidates.  Thus, many spineless “moderates” were the party’s nominees in the general elections.

Additionally, in the three competitive presidential primaries since 2008, just an average of 23.5% of eligible voters who identify or lean Republican turned out, giving the nation John McCain and Mitt Romney as presidential candidates.   

Further, due to Republican voter indifference, voter fraud and manipulation were never addressed, and financial support was oftentimes misspent.  There was no recognition of the threat from the transforming Democrat party or allegiance to a guiding set of governing principles.   

The American people are well aware of the ongoing threat to the future of the United States currently underway.  In a national poll published in January of 2022, 64% of Americans agreed that American democracy is in crisis and at risk of failing while 70% felt the same about the nation itself. By political affiliation, 79% of Republicans and 67% of Independents believed that American democracy is in crisis and at risk of failing.

Considering the current dire situation extant in the United States, there is no possibility of any individual, past or present, being able to singlehandedly defeat, within constitutional constraints, the now entrenched Marxist-inspired Democrat party and its domination of the federal bureaucracy and rapidly expanding control of the federal Judiciary.

What is needed to rescue this nation from the rapidly approaching permanent abyss is, first, overwhelming control of both houses of Congress and the state governorships, precipitated by massive turnouts in the primaries and general elections.  Second, voters must elect an occupant of the White House who can recruit and be a major factor in winning congressional and gubernatorial contests, who can mobilize and appoint and retain accomplished conservative firebrands to the administration and Cabinet, and who can subordinate their ego and lead this army, in the mold of Dwight Eisenhower in World War II. 

Can the frontrunner and favorite to win the nomination, Donald Trump, be that leader?

• In 2022 Trump’s campaigning and endorsements in congressional toss-up races resulted in three out six Senate and seven out of fourteen House candidates losing in the general election.  Additionally, none of the five gubernatorial candidates Trump endorsed and actively campaigned for in five vital battleground states races won.  After the party’s dismal performance in 2022, will Donald Trump change his approach to down-ballot campaigning and be able, in 2024, to successfully recruit, campaign for, and assist in bringing across the finish line the needed majorities in the House and Senate?
• After four years in the presidency and choosing numerous failed advisers and Cabinet members as well as suffering disloyalty throughout his administration, can Trump now recruit and retain the loyal conservative firebrands who will unabashedly assist him in “draining the swamp”?
• Can Donald Trump subordinate his bombastic personality and assume the mantle of leadership in a nation in crisis, as displayed by Dwight Eisenhower and his leadership attributes in winning World War II in Europe?  Can he 1) be a likable leader; 2) practice optimism, 3) control his ego, 4) know his purpose, and 5) take responsibility?

These are the questions the Republican primary electorate will have to answer during the upcoming primary season.  Based on Trump’s campaign to date, he is either unwilling to tranform or incapable of transforming into the leader this nation needs.

Perhaps Trump will undergo a metamorphosis.  But the only Republican presidential candidate who has exhibited all these leadership traits is Ron DeSantis in his extraordinary governorship of Florida. 

The one thing that cannot be disputed is that neither Donald Trump nor Ron DeSantis, nor Nikki Haley nor anyone else, can singlehandedly defeat the entrenched Marxist Democrats and rescue this nation.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.