"Country over Party" heroes give me hope

And Substack political writers have sustained my belief in our ability to weather this storm

We are not a perfect country. And, our political leaders have not all been, nor will they ever be, perfect people. However, we have been gifted with a constitution that, while also not perfect, established some guardrails that have served us well for almost 250 years.

And, in our times of crises, heroes have always stepped forward and across party lines. If Liz Cheney were in the presidential campaign and was running against a wannabe dictator/Democrat (unlikely, but possible), I like to think I would be one of the many voters crossing party lines to vote for Liz.

Imminent danger of another Trump presidency

Mika Brzezinski, co-host of "Morning Joe" and founder of “Know Your Value" wrote recently in an op-ed:

“Here we have two women from two extremely different backgrounds, with opposing points of view on many core political issues—including abortion, gun control, foreign policy, and much more — coming together to try and save America from the imminent danger of another Trump presidency.

Liz Cheney is a hero. She is doing what’s right, no matter the cost.”

Cheney chaired the Congressional investigation into January 6th and her outspoken condemnation of Trump resulted in the loss of her career and position as one of the leaders of the Republican Party. Her decision to put country over party as well as the endorsements from other Republicans has given me tremendous hope.

More heroes: 100 ex-Republican members of congress and national security officials endorse Harris/Walz

Newsweek: In a letter to the public, over 100 ex-Republican members of congress and national security officials from the Reagan, H.W. Bush, W. Bush and Trump administrations argued that while they might "disagree with Kamala Harris" on many issues, Trump had demonstrated "dangerous qualities," such as having an "unusual affinity" for dictators such as President Vladimir Putin of Russia and "contempt for the norms of decent, ethical and lawful behavior."

Wikipedia offers extensive lists of endorsements for Harris/Walz from both parties. Of course, there is also a page of Trump endorsements; however, I didn’t see any cross-party endorsements on that page and it seems significantly shorter than that for Harris/Walz.

The many tireless Substack heroes working in this election and warning us about Donald J. Trump make me proud to be part of this community:

Heather Cox Richardson

, six days a week she reminds us of the history of our democracy. She has earned her credibility and our loyalty, however, each of her posts also include a long list of sources in case readers want to dig deeper.

John Pavlovitz

: “Kindness is woke. Compassion is woke. Generosity is woke, Love is woke. To those who traffic in this latest culture war cry, to be woke is to be deeply human. And that humanity will be the foe they cannot defeat and are right to fear. Woke will win.”

Robert Reich

illustrates and informs us on some of the more complicated aspects of our government. Here’s the promise he makes on his About page: Here’s my deal. I’ll continue to give you the facts and arguments, even sprinkle in drawings and videos. I’ll do whatever I can to help strengthen your understanding and resolve, and give you the information you need. He keeps his promise.

Dan Rather

has earned his credibility and respect over the many long years of his career. Now, while he could be basking in the glow of our respect, he’s still trying to save our country.

Simon Rosenberg

is a consistent source of deep insight. The following comes from his About page: Though I’ve been in politics for a long time, my journey fighting the “red wave” over the past year changed my understanding of the work that needs to get done to defeat MAGA, tell our inspiring story more effectively, and ensure that freedom and democracy prevail.

Joyce Vance

’s legal voice and guidance may grow even more important after the election when all signs point to its validity being called into question. The blue blowout needed to quash the doubts might still happen … however, the more likely outcome is additional months of court-dominated maneuverings where we will need voices such as Vance’s to keep us stedy.

I could go on in this listing of amazing and wise authors here on Substack who have helped us get through these trying last weeks of this election cycle … but I’d rather hear from you.

Whose writings have helped you understand and survive these strange times? Which Substack authors do you turn to for guidance in our political times?