Waking up to the shocking realities of Tuesday’s election—confused, resentful, and a bill of long-avoided realities—one might say we have all the conditions of a blackout or a hangover.  Let us then take cues from those 12-Step programs—and realize there is a problem, we are its cause, and our principles must be put above personalities.  2026 is a rude awakening, but it can commence our recovery.  Our nation, and the West, cannot afford denial.

The party’s and the movement’s ideals, taught from Lincoln to Coolidge to Reagan to Trump—as he campaigned in 2016 and 2024—are still commonsense and favored. Living up to them and articulating them are what suffered, along with too many Pied Pipers of Podcastistan masquerading as having the country’s best interests at heart and taking a lot of youth with them.

Electing so many Marxists/Islamists in the year of our own country’s birthday, celebrated anemically at best, is the unkindest cut of all. But a serious recommitment to what we’ve long preached is the path to renewal.