Once I would have followed the results of these midterm elections closely. I regarded and still regard myself to be very politically active. My memory goes back to a time when, at least for a privileged white guy like myself, our country’s political system seemed, despite its many flaws, to be right, solid and unshakable, to be able to correct itself, and to be an example to the world of how a country should be run.

But now, to have an entire political party led by a former president who lacks the emotional maturity to admit that he lost an election and whose central political agenda is an attack on the democratic process itself and for his party to have enough popular support to have even a chance to recover control of Congress, all seems to make these midterm elections an existential crisis for this country regardless of their outcome. 

All I can do is send my verbal and financial support to the party and those candidates who deserve to win, to vote and then to close my eyes and pray for a miracle. I can’t even imagine any informed citizen who is proud of this country and loves it the way I do voting for a Republican. Regardless of the outcome, those of us who value representative democracy as a form of government are engaged in the same kind of battle against authoritarian rule that is going on all over the world.

Donald Brasted-Maki

Eugene