Take the Brioche, Leave the Champagne

Europeans had better keep their champagne on ice

Stephen Helgesen

Europeans had better postpone their celebrations and save their party hats and noisemakers for a couple years. Despite the dramatic losses of congressional and senate seats not to mention governorships there are still plenty of conservative Republicans, independents and MAGAns that are ready to man the parapets and defend the conservative agenda for the next two years. Europeans should not expect to see the social democrats' flags raised at the capitol any time soon.

The recent mid-term election has set the stage for the next chapter in the continuing war for the heart of the American republic. The war will be a multi-front one fought between several groups: Republicans versus Democrats, traditionalists versus the new-age democratic socialists, the younger generation versus the old, the dominant White culture versus the growing Hispanic and Black cultures, the haves versus the have-nots and the politically active versus the politically disillusioned and apathetic.

In short, just about everybody will be fighting somebody.

Both Democrats and Republicans will be fighting among themselves for party dominance. The Dems will be trying to wrangle a coalition with the ultra-left wing of their party which includes new Democratic Socialists (DS) and the Progressives together with the remaining moderate Democrats of which there are precious few. The party is energized, motivated and ready to storm the palace gates and hang the emperor. Their bloodlust is blinding them…for the moment.

On the other side are the Republicans who are licking their wounds and desperately trying to understand how so many of the 77 million who voted for Donald Trump in 2024 could have deserted Republican candidates on November 3^rd. They, too, are going to their separate corners and marshalling their forces for the ultimate battle for the soul of the new Republican Party, post-Trump. These include the MAGA wing and the remnants of the more moderate, old-school Reagan Republicans.

The President has indicated how he will fight by naming Stephen Miller as his new Chief of Staff. The anticipation of an onslaught of Congressional hearings of the President, his family and many of his cabinet secretaries will be realized in short order as the Democrats ready themselves for January. The threat to the President, his administration and his agenda is real which is why he chose Miller as the Praetorian Prefect or head of the new Trump palace guard that will protect the President and everyone that stands inside the White House circle.

Miller has proven himself to be a loyal and dependable defender of Trump policies and will now be charged with defending the administration's fortress of policies. Under Miller's orders, MAGAns will be standing sentinel at the gates of Trump's political citadel and will be ready to counter any attack aimed at unraveling the foreign and domestic gains made during the last two years.

There is some division among Democrats as how to proceed. Some believe that a wounded animal (Trump and the Republicans) is at its most vulnerable. Others know that a wounded animal will fight to the death for its very survival. Anyone believing the opposite has never watched "Animal Planet." This conversation is happening all around Washington DC and throughout the country. Like generals in a war, some Dems are not yet committed to an all-out offensive while others smell blood in the water and are ready to do battle with the Administration even before the swearing in of the new Senators and Congressmen in January.