Most Important Election

by Doug Smith

June 24, 2026

Two years ago, I said the presidential election of 2024 would be the most important election in our lifetimes.  I was right.  As a result of the election, we have experienced things we never thought we’d see in America. 

·         Mass deportations of both documented and undocumented immigrants (and some US citizens), snatched right off the streets without warrants, due process, or even basic human decency, by a paramilitary force who are NOT sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States.

·         Destruction of a major portion of the People’s House without any consultation with the proper and lawful guardians of our civic infrastructure.

·         Tariffs imposed on virtually all countries that have driven the cost-of-living here in America sky high and drastically hurt our farm economy.

·         Torpedoing scientific research that will halt future development of life-saving procedures and medications.

·         Hollowing-out the civil service, the people who actually keep our government operational and help citizens with their questions and needs.

·         Starting a war of choice in a highly volatile region of the world with no apparent exit strategy, without getting legal authorization from Congress. 

·         Trump is a billionaire overseeing a billionaire-led takeover of the American government and making billions in the process for himself. 

And this just touches the surface of the consequences of the Republican victory in 2024.  So with the midterm elections coming up in November, this will be our opportunity (and by “our” I mean anyone who cares about democracy) to begin to take back the power summarily seized by the Trump Regime, force them to abide by the rule of law, and lay the groundwork for rebuilding our Constitutional democracy. 

How do we do this?  It’s true, it will be a very hard task.  We need to engage with people who voted for Trump and the Republicans, to see how they’re doing.  Are they happy with the state of the economy?   Is America great again?  Or have they suffered in some way?  What policies do they believe need to change?  Their answers can give us insight for our strategy. 

But to win back their votes, Democrats will need to create a winsome vision for America and for Iowa.  It’s not enough to just run against Trump, and how awful everything has become.  We need to let people know that we can make their lives better!  They want a clearly articulated plan to prove our willingness to tackle the real issues they face. 

There will be headwinds aplenty.  Billionaire-owned media holds sway over the information pipeline to fearful voters.  Republicans are already rigging voting districts to reduce the likelihood of Democratic victories.   Politically active evangelical churches and organizations have been steering their followers to vote for the most ultra-conservative politicians for years and that’s not going to change. 

Lots of people have already checked out.  They don’t want anything to do with politics, and in a way, I don’t blame them.  It is toxic.  But unless we stay involved and try to make changes, what hope do our children and grandchildren have? 

This happened on our watch, so we have the responsibility to do everything we can to make this right again.  Let’s commit to work hard for our Democratic candidates, donate what we can, and vote this November like there might not be an election in 2028 unless we make major changes.

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