Twelve Steps to Stop the Mad King
The 2026 Midterms and Beyond
The nation is less than two months away from the 2026 midterms and an opportunity for the Democratic Party to stop Donald Trump, the Mad King, from signing wacky executive orders, making asinine comments, and wasting time renaming oceans, lakes, and states.
The Democratic Party needs to flip four seats in the Senate and three seats in Congress to regain control of Congress. Many Americans focus on presidential elections, but, as people are going to find out, midterm elections are just important as presidential elections. For example, Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election and signed off on the Affordable Care Act (better known as Obamacare), but in 2010 the Democratic Party lost 63 seats in the house. I do not anticipate the Republican Party losing 63 seats, but, according to most experts, the Democrats should win the house.
But what are the next steps? Many Americans are winning and losing dollars on the prediction markets, but to guarantee this Democratic takeover and to prepare for the 2028 presidential election, here are 12 easy steps to stop Trump, the Republican Party, MAGA madness and allow the Democratic Party to step up and serve the people:
Step 1: Check your voter registration. If you have moved or plan to move at the end of the month take the necessary steps to ensure you have the proper identification to vote in your precinct. You can go online to check, but, if you are old school and can make time to visit your county election offices, please go to make sure. Check your mailbox to see if there are any last-minute poll station changes.
Step2: Find out the last day to register. Each state establishes their own dates, and in many states the last day to register is 4 to 6 weeks away from November 3rd. For example, October 5th is the last day to register to vote in Florida, approximately one month before the general election. 21 states have same-day voter registration. Click on this link to see if where your state is on the list.
Step 3: Donate money or volunteer for the candidate of your choice. In order to compete with the multimillion-dollar Super Pac’s, thousands of donations from everyday people can be just as powerful as millions of dollars from Elon Musk, who continues to spend millions on Republican candidates.
Step 4: Avoid believing any CNN, Fox, MS Now polls or any white guy in khakis going to the board flashing blue and red voting projections. If you hear your candidate is up by 5 points, and you waited to the last minute to vote, you may say, “I’m just one vote, and the polls said my candidate is up by 5 points so I will not go and vote.” With social media, Russian bots, and AI, there are tons of fake polls causing confusion and keeping some people from voting.
Step 5: Try to encourage 1-5 friends or family members who do not consistently vote to vote this time. Many low propensity voters argue that the candidates fail to represent their interests, and that the political system does not work. But if you have a decent relationship and have honest conversations, you may be able to get one or more low propensity voters out to the polls.
Step 6: VOTE EARLY. My early voting location is at the Reitz Union at the University of Florida. Early voting in Alachua County is from October 19 to November 1; and there are no lines. The process takes five to ten minutes. I get my “I voted sticker and move on.”
However, Republican state legislators in North Carolina removed the polling station form North Carolina A&T, a Historically Black College and University. Students have protested, pointing out there are polling stations at predominantly white universities. Many students do not have cars, and, as we all know, the rural South does not believe in public transportation. Early voting for students at PWI’s take a minute, but for Black NCA@T students it takes longer, a tactic to suppress the vote. NCA&T faculty, students, and staff need to develop car-sharing strategies similar to the1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott where African Americans established ride shares before Uber and Lyft to get African Americans to workto increase student turnout. For African American students in flagship universities in Republican states, I am confident there are polling places on campus. Go vote early and get it done.
Step 7: Many Americans use the mail in ballot, but with all the confusion caused by the Mad King, I encourage voters to vote early and try to avoid the mall in ballot. If you must use the mall in ballot, please make sure you follow all instructions and do not wait until the last minute.
Step 8: Develop a voting plan. If you wait until Election Day—which many hosts on Sirius XM 126 The Power warn is “late voting,” try to select a time where there is least resistance, such as traffic or potential long voter lines, particularly in Black communities. If you anticipate long lines, make sure you have all your responsibilities, such as child or elderly care, addressed. Do not assume the voting process will be quick, and you will be right back home to take care of your family. Some people advise using your sick time or take off work, but if that is not an option, you have days off between now and November 3rd. You should use them to vote early; whatever hobby or project you had scheduled for that day may must be delayed so you can vote.
Step 9: Get a copy of your ballot a week before you go to the polls. In addition to seeing the candidates, there may be several initiatives or referendums that are written in language most Americans do not understand. If you are unsure about how you should vote for an initiative or referendum go online to an organization that shares your political views such as the National for the Advancement of Colored People, League of Women Voters, or the Working Families of America. Each organization will provide its endorsement of an initiative or referendum.
Step 10: Have Realistic Pragmatic Expectations (RPE) for the Democratic-lead Congress. If the Democratic Party takes control of the Senate and House, they will have a slim majority, and John Fetterman DINO (Democrat in Name Only) and several other moderate Democrats may still vote with Republicans on some issues. In other words, do not expect Medicare for All, decrease in home prices, a 32-hour work week, increase of the federal minimum wage, the rehiring of all federal workers, or affordability, a decrease in consumer goods prices, and interest rates. The Democratic Party majority is designed to make the Mad King a lame duck president and plug holes in the dam of democracy to keep it from total collapse. At the very least a Democratic Party majority can start an article of impeachment and start investigations into Republican Party leadership war crimes and corruption
Step 11: Expect Fox News and right-wing podcasters to go on a two-year rant disparaging the Democratic Party and trying to convince independent (white) and rural voters (white) who voted for a Democratic they have made a mistake. Within the first six months many of those voters will say, “you see, I gave the Democrats a chance and nothing has changed.” God forbid an undocumented person commits a major crime or a transwoman athlete wants to compete in women’s sports. Fox News ratings will go through the roof if the Democrats win the Senate and House. An analogy from sports talk radio applies here: sports talk ratings and caller participation increase when the home team loses, and this happens in politics too.
Step 12: Rinse, Wash, and Repeat. This is the same preparation for 2028, and if your elected official is not doing a good job, just primary their ass.
