While it may be pretty hard to tell who’s on first and who’s on second in today’s politics, another at-bat always occurs. That is, the opposition team always gets another swing as long as the game goes on.
Though the Trumpites (and Elon Musk) seem to be winning in a shut-out right now, that could prove to be a mere optical illusion. Sure, Mr. Trump just got his funding wish satisfied in the latest dust-up in Congress (the passage of the Continuing Resolution to keep funding the government until September, 2025), but the legal team players from the U.S. courts seem to be rustling louder and louder in the bullpen and vying for attention. Mr. Trump may have to simply try to put on a red cape and declare himself a superman king in order to finish whatever takeover project he’s pursuing currently. And the Democrats play on.
One slim, but still present opportunity to turn the tables significantly (and bring in a little kryptonite) is a last bat opportunity in the three coming Special House Elections in April: two in Florida and one in New York. Certainly, these were Republican held seats made competitive again due to Trump’s choices for his Cabinet selections. Republican candidates are fully expected to win again and to increase the slim Republican control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
But, the fact is, this is still an on-going game. And as long as there are still chances at bat, the losing team can yet overcome the odds and pull off a spectacular upset. All kinds of sports-related examples are in the literature proving that the race is only over, when it is actually over. Until then, a sudden smashing home run, a slashing touchdown run or a long three-pointer can dramatically change fortunes instantly. Unexpectedly winning those three contests (or even 2 out of 3) would be dramatically game-changing for the American public.
If the Democrats are smart and unified enough to push hard on the clear possibility that the current U.S. government intends to—and has already started to—attack and try to dismantle the Social Security system in the U.S., the two Democratic candidates in Florida can actually win the two open seats. Florida is a bastion of Social Security recipients and the state’s voters will not sit still for a pointed attempt to defund that program. Already, Elon Musk, the unelected despoiler of popular programs, has called Social Security a ponzi scheme and has already directed some of his computer raiders to disrupt Social Security operations in the country. Some prior recipients have even had their checks discontinued.
The issue is ripe, the time is short, but the game is still afoot. Can Democrats pull a rabbit out of a hat and change the nature of the game?
This is about as exciting as it is going to get for the two-party system in the U.S. for the foreseeable future. Without a sudden change in the numbers, the Trump team is poised to bring tremendous strife and nastiness to the U.S. Yes, the courts will try to slow the Trump train down and keep it within reasonable bounds, but so far, the Trump administration just seems to be brazen enough to defy federal legalities and simply so whatever the hell Mr. Trump and Musk want.
We better stay glued to the optics of all this for now. The tension continues to build and a pretend-King keeps increasing his boldness. Can there yet be a thriller in Florilla to excite the people?
Professor David L. Horne is founder and executive director of PAPPEI, the Pan African Public Policy and Ethical Institute, which is a new 501(c)(3) pending community-based organization or non-governmental organization (NGO). It is the stepparent organization for the California Black Think Tank which still operates and which meets every fourth Friday.