Yes, They Hate Your Guts

If corporate media didn’t exist, there would only be one political party holding power anywhere today.

Say what you will about titles, but I am a fighting First Gentleman here in Arizona’s 17th Legislative District. I have been busy zipping around the Tucson area attending events with Rachel and, most recently, collecting signatures to get her back on the ballot (which even incumbents here must do). Yesterday, I was in Oro Valley, an affluent suburb north of Tucson nestled against the Santa Catalina Mountains. I joined Roger Score, one of the best volunteers anywhere in America, and we got dozens of Republicans to sign our petition forms.

Oro Valley is a tough area for Republicans these days. It used to be ruby red in the McCain days, and there are precincts Trump won in 2024; however, the leftward drift is evident in the numbers I study, and also in the real life interactions with library patrons yesterday as they passed our table.

I realize many of you reading this newsletter today are senior citizens, so please don’t take offense as I ponder aloud why so many in the 65+ demographic suffer from peak Trump Derangement Syndrome. Watch the video above. Due to the way the recorder was pointed, it’s hard to hear me (I am behind the guy in the red shirt, Roger), but I’ll caption the interaction - which was one of the milder ones we had:

Guest: Would you vote for Trump tomorrow?

Me: Yes.

Guest: Is there anything that he could do that would tell you ‘no, I can’t vote for this guy.’

Me: Become a Democrat.

Guest: Ffff*ck. (Walks off)

The primary interaction type, from men and women alike, was to chew us out over what Trump is supposedly doing to the country, how ashamed they are that they were once Republicans, and of course, how we should be ashamed of ourselves. One guy gave us a sarcastic “good luck” with a grimace out of a horror movie, only to be informed by me, acting in my capacity as First Gentleman, that we had dozens of signatures already and they, despite their persistent hostilities, were outnumbered by people capable of interacting with other humans and peacefully expressing their own viewpoints in a measured way.

This experience in Oro Valley was a perfect warm-up for last night’s State of the Union address by President Trump, which I previewed in Monday’s article (which I’ve now opened for all readers):

Disclaimer: Yes, I understand your kid’s teacher in Waterloo, Iowa, is a Democrat and she is nice, and maybe your librarian in Troy, New York, too. I hear you that your church friends have a mixed political marriage that has outlasted that of your two ideologically aligned friends. There are even local or state elected officials, including Sheriffs, that retain a (D) behind their names that are decent human beings. This article is not about the exceptions, but the overwhelming standard of evidence presented before the American people last night should really cause these “decent” Democrats to take a long, hard Gabbard-like look in the mirror.

Before I dive deep into the opinion portion of this article, Trump’s speech was a home run. You know how I know? Because some of the most critical, yet Trump-supporting, people I know have found very little room for disagreement with anything he said. They may not agree with “Golden Age” messaging, or may be wary of any war drums, but the antics of the “other side” were a much-needed slap in the face to those who require periodic reminders of just how much rot and destruction the Democrat Party promises for the American Future.