The GOP has never been about the man.  The pivot to a party of Trump and its cult of personality as a response to the identity politics of the past decade was something to behold.  I myself have been caught up in it all too often.  The policy achievements were astounding to behold but in the end the chaos at the capitol has undone the legacy of President Trump.   I was a reluctant Trump voter who joined the Trumptrain somewhere around 2018 and I have now jumped off that train.  

I am not ashamed of my decisions and actions and I am not to blame for the actions of the idiots at the capitol or the many #idiotsincharge all over DC but I am accountable for my example. I hope and believe that my words matter. I hope that some may listen to them, read them, and learn from them.  I'm not an expert in politics, but I am experienced.  From my corporate consulting career, to 25 years in music and worship ministry in churches of many denominations, the power versus authority struggle is never-ending.   Decisions and actions are required as the train of grievances continues down the tracks.  

What do I think should happen now?  
1. President Trump should resign from office immediately hand the reins of power to VP Pence allowing for an honorable and truly peaceful transition of power devoid of the divisive and toxic rhetoric in the center of our national discussion.  
2.  The GOP should unite behind this action condemning the rhetoric of President Trump but applauding his policy achievements.   We the people can focus on vaccine distribution and restoring trust in the election system... it will take time but it will unify and heal in action and achievement.  
3.  That same GOP must publicly do a mea culpa to its base for losing the Senate and the Presidency..  Yes the Dems will howl at their moon and take victory laps.  The media will trumpet their victory and moral superiority, and the adults in the room will sit and take it allowing them to show their true partisanship and elitist nature.  
4.  The GOP minority would then be positioned to shift the national attention to the incoming Biden/Harris administration and what will happen in place of what did happen.    The policy failures of the socialist democrats will become obvious soon enough. The slim margins should allow for solid obstruction of the most radical agenda items, and for a delay strategy.  
5.  The populists, conservatives, and libertarians should unite and take control of both the house and the senate in 2022 under the banner of a new GOP..  unified in purpose, policy, and principles.   

It will take decades to undo this damage.  We might as well start now.

74 million Americans voted for Trump and we lost the election. Vast majority of the protestors yesterday were peaceful proud Americans. The radicals who rejected rule of law and stormed the capital building violently were criminals and were indeed a vast minority. There are radicals on both sides of every issue and they must be treated with equal disdain and disgust.

President Trump again acted recklessly with his rhetoric yesterday and Americans died. The escalating violence over the last year could have been stopped by Democratic and Leftist leaders but they acted recklessly in appeasing violence for votes and Americans died.

Our system of govt is fully intact. We have a republic if we can keep it. Governing authority is derived from the people. Power is wielded by the people for the people by “the government” in DC and the states. We the people will always disagree. The mechanism for progress and prosperity is voting, and adherence to rule of law outlined by our constitution, enforced by our government. This is the way.

The rush to blame and group is natural but wrong. 74 million maga Americans did not storm the capital building yesterday. An Illegal, incited, mob did. It was allowed to escalate out of control and Americans died. This story has been told over and over through 2020. It must not be told any more in 2021.

Sadly, I’m not exactly hopeful that this is feasible.
Something broke last year. It may not be repairable en masse. I pray that God is making something new in all of this. As for me and my house, we serve and we sing. This is the way.

​The election is over. VATENOR has spoken.
The mandate to the People of the United States (potus) is to make America great again. 100%. Congratulations to President elect Biden. POTUS elect.
​
I think the next 4 years will be rough but they won’t be any rougher than the last four were for Democrats. Extremism on both sides is the enemy. Conservatives must stand and fight inside the system. Keep the senate. Obstruct the leftist agenda wherever possible. Investigate corruption and fraud. Protest peacefully in the streets. Adhere to the rule of law but be willing to stand and be counted as soldiers against the words and rule of the media elite communism tenets which have such a strong foothold in society.
I hope the Harris Biden administration can be kept in check to conserve the policy progress of the last 4 years while restoring some sense of unified purpose. We the people who voted for Trump will not come to heel but we are supportive of HEALING.

​Mechanisms for disagreement are built in: VOTING and rule of law.

Rigging, manipulation, and influence are not the same thing as a global illegal conspiracy. It seems to me that we the people have bowed in fear and outsourced our intellectual and physical freedom. It is indeed time to circle up and plan legal protests with local civil disobedience coupled with disciplined planning for the next elections. The media and big tech will NOT play fair. 72 million Americans is a strong start. We, conservatives, must align and look to the future.

I’m disappointed that my fellow Americans have embraced this systemic threat to individualism and liberty in favor of corporate communism back by force and fire of government. Cest la vie. When these policies fail in coming years, I and many like me will be far less tolerant, likely less civil, and follow the protest playbook we have seen as a roadmap. Times ahead could be pretty vicious. It seems we are at war for the souls of our states and thus our republic.

Biden’s DARK WINTER is indeed coming and will extend well into 2021 and beyond. Consequences will be far reaching beyond just surviving Covid. We have >99.8% chance of surviving that threat. The societal threats could be far more deadly as families churches and businesses are literally blown up. The blame game is done. We must look to the future. Let’s roll.

A Biden Harris 2020 win could be disappointing but it should not be devastating.  There is a path no matter the outcome in coming hours/days. 

1. The GOP held the US Senate. This is the key.
2. Conservatives have a solid majority on SCOTUS to ensure constitutional compliance. 
3. The razor thin margin win is a repudiation of radical principles on either side. Most importantly, the concept of restructuring a GreenGreat2020+ socialism driven society is not going to happen en masse ANY time soon. 
4. Biden really is an incompetent bumbling elderly puppet.  Harris and the squad’s will not win nationally due to the previous point so her candidacy for future is likely dead. 
5. Republican bench of policy driven, populists with more moderate communications skills is deep. 
6. The Trump loss will allow the NeverTrump Rs to come back to the right where they should have always been.  
7. The GOP can hold the Senate in next election and very possibly take the house as the Biden Harris administration will be doing almost nothing effectively.  
8. The massive tax increases promised will go nowhere. 
9. The media and entertainment industry must come to grips with the fact that the United States is solidly split and partisan.  Continuing to demonize and demagogue conservatives as evil, misogynistic, racist bygones will fall on deaf ears.  A new message must emerge. 
10. The GOP will be emboldened and empowered to fight right more aggressively following the Trump models, but staying more tempered in message. 
11. The CovidCrisis will end, and every day Americans will see that Biden did nothing significantly differently from Trump in practical application. 
12. State and Local races will be much more impactful for average voters going forward. From school board meetings, to economic development/zoning, to funding and support for police, the people will be motivated to engage and make changes local local locally.
13. Free speech will remain free… and violent protests/actions against conservatives will be repudiated.  This might be a stretch, but I am hopeful. 
14. The liberty minded conservatives across this nation will be bolder. As Dem policies are tested for scale and duration, they will fail and the DNC will not be able to run and hide. 

Diseases. Not new.
Death. Not new.
Partisan division demagoguery and misinformation dissemination. Not new.

Americans celebrating their utter dependence and conformity to “the government” - experts, leaders, academics... NEW

My country and world view is built on a foundation of self reliance, work ethic, faith in God, and an overwhelming desire to better myself in pursuit of success. The descent into dependency and fear over the past months is staggering. We the people have allowed and encouraged a narrative which preaches that contact with neighbors and family will literally kill you. The pervasive spirit as of May 16 is that the government will save you if you just follow the rules.

Government leaders do NOT know the answers nor the way forward for me and my family. I am not dependent on them, they are dependent on me. This paradigm shift is core to the American dream. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.... give me liberty or give me death... Why are 300 million Americans acting like sheep? They have forgotten what it means to BE American. Our wealth and entitlement lifestyle has insidiously infected us with a self focused fear. In place of rugged individualism, we the people now lift up and celebrate conformity, collectivism, and consumerism as the apex of a fallen culture. This is not American. This is not the way.

I will not comply. Perhaps I never really did, but at least I see more clearly now. The future is built on faith and family and Americans acting like Americans, taking care of one another, stepping up boldly and leading the world.

sheeple, snowflakes, Karens, and cowards should step aside and follow. American? Yes, yes I am and I approve this message.