By Ray Cardello for November 2, 2021 Season 6 / Post 43

My girlfriend and I had the chance to spend Saturday night with two couples of similar conservative thinking. It is rare that Sharon and I get a chance to spend quality time with friends without having to squelch our thoughts. We have many friends who are liberal, and you have to think twice before offering thought for discussion. Tonight, ideas flowed freely, and the food and drink were pretty good, too.

It was interesting to see the range of topics discussed, from local to state to national concerns. We discussed each on their merits or, in some cases, the absurdity of the issue. It was not emotional, and the discussion focused on the facts.

Locally, we talked about the winter trash removal, concerns about road access during the snow months, and the various regulations in place for the pond where we all have vacation homes. We talked about the ballot for Tuesday’s state election. One ballot question, in particular, was to affirm the right of the people of Maine to be able to garden and grow vegetables for personal consumption. On the surface, this seems like a superficial and unnecessary question for a statewide ballot. But then we realized that some environmental groups wanted to ban home gardens because of their negative impact on the environment.

This question is not a joke. But it does show how a few people can impact all. People have been planting and growing vegetables in America since before the Pilgrims landed. The Indians gave the Pilgrims some pointers on gardening in the new world. Now a few people claim the gases emitting from our small gardens are harming the ecosystem. In response, a ballot question needs to be considered. Such a waste of energy and shines a negative light on the election process.

When the conversation evolved to Biden and his impact on the country, the talk was more general than specific. We all agree that there have been only bad decisions to this point. Whether Afghanistan, energy, the Border crisis, Vaccine Mandates, or even his choice of people in his Cabinet, nothing has worked out for the country. We concentrated more on our feelings about the state and direction of our country. I think there was a commonality in our thoughts, and that was anxiety. We are all nervous that we are on the wrong track and that there is no indication of a correction by Team Biden.

Our thoughts seem to align with the current polls that show over 70% of Americans believe that Biden has us heading in the wrong direction. More concerning is that 55% of those polled do not feel that Biden is competent to be President. Job approval numbers can move quickly, but trust and competence are more rigid. When they start sliding downward, it is difficult for the President to get support for any decision.

This consensus has us all in a frustrated frame of mind. Our anxiety is because we see the country losing ground on all fronts and that Biden seems to be losing his mental acuity at a rapid rate. If something were to happen to Biden, the options might put us in an even worse position. Even being optimistic about Republicans taking back the House and Senate in 2022, there is little we can accomplish with the Biden administration controlling 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue until 2024. The best we can hope for is to stalemate the Federal Government and neutralize Biden. That may not be changing direction, but it will stop the bleeding.

We were all young during the Carter Presidency, but we remember the impact on the country and the people’s psyche. We are experiencing a bit of deja vu, and it does not feel good. Americans are resilient, and there are some excellent people in the Republican bullpen. Hopefully, one of them will step up and be Reaganesque and turn this ship around. In the meantime, unfortunately, it may be time to worry.

This article was first published on The Liberty Loft thelibertyloft.com