The Survey Says….

There’s a national survey question that is asked far too often and to which is given much too much importance. It’s the one that asks survey respondents if they believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.

Well, of course it is! The only thing that surprises me about the most recent survey results of the New York Times/CBS News poll is that only 81% of respondents believe this is so.

The problem is in how the response is being interpreted. When pollsters and pundits say this is bad news for President Biden’s re-election, those so-called experts have wandered wildly.

Heck, I think the country is headed way off in the wrong direction. But Joe Biden has nothing to do with that.

The reason I think we’re headed in the wrong direction is that the Republican Party, which I supported for most of my voting life, is headed in the wrong direction. Way off in the wrong direction. On just about every issue, every day.

GOP Senator Tommy Tuberville, an ex-college football coach, thinks he’s now the head of HR for the United States military?  With wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, tensions over Taiwan, and a variety of hot spots around the world? These life-and-death issues are a bit more complicated than whether to run or pass on third and long from your own 25-yard line. 

GOP Rep. Mike Johnson, who would criminalize homosexuality and most abortions but can only hope and pray about gun violence, thinks he’s God’s choice (even though he was the GOP’s third, fourth or fifth choice) to be Speaker of the House of Representatives? Second in line to the President of the United States… and yet he has no idea what to do to curtail the mass murders occurring every week on his watch across the US? God help us…God save us from those who imagine they are chosen by God. 

A twice-impeached, 4-times indicted narcissitic serial-lying ex-president who is facing 91 felony charges, thinks he ought to be President again? And this vulgar bully already has people planning his vengeance for when he is? And he’s the front-runner for the GOP?  What, the Republicans can’t find someone who has not already been rated the second worst president in the history of the United States? He doesn’t deserve the chance to prove he’s the worst.

These are the threatening trends that tell me the country is headed in the wrong direction. A totally unembarrassed, unashamed, unprincipled, untethered and unhinged Republican Party is the reason I’m worried about this country.

On the economy and education … on the environment and energy…on health care and climate change…on the explosive yet subtle world of foreign affairs…on decency, honesty and common sense…this country is much more often than not headed in the right direction under its current leadership. What worries me is that the other guy and his crazy party might get back in charge. Then this country will really be headed the wrong way…in very dangerous directions at very precarious times. 

JER