Saving America for Those Who Love Their Country by Johnny O’Brien

This Mid-term Election is not the typical contest between Republicans and Democrats. It is far more important than that. It is about saving the soul of our precious Republic. And that will require electing enough candidates to Congress (the people’s House) to provide checks on a President who is completely unchecked, unhinged, and a self-declared dictator.

Our crisis is fueled by a dangerous lack of “leadership character” — the very thing my life’s work has been about. I have had the privilege of coaching hundreds of Fortune 500 executives and thousands of their managers.

Guess what turned out to be the most important trait for successful leaders? It is simply that they command from strong, moral character, built around core values. You will recognize these leadership principles, because we share them: honesty, trust, caring, decency, service above self. You expect them in your kids’ teachers, your clergy, your community leaders … and your President.

Unfortunately, President Trump lacks all of these virtues.

It is no accident that America’s most revered Presidents — Washington and Lincoln — were known for their character strength. For their honesty, self-sacrifice, fierce commitment to Country (ALL countrymen), to free speech, and the rule of law.

And no accident that President Trump, lacking all of these, is rated near the bottom 10% of all U.S. presidents (with about 2/3 of Americans currently disapproving of his performance).

Trump is known to be a selfish coward. Leaders look after their people. Cowards, like Trump, look only after themselves (grifting $100’s of millions of your dollars — billions more for his vanity projects — sending our brave soldiers off to die in a war on his whim — and having Americans killed in their neighborhoods).

Never in America’s history have we had such a selfish and cruel president coupled with blind obedience from Congress, the executive branch, and, to some extent, the Supreme Court.

His vengeance and vanity are costing us: our freedom of speech, rule of law, government of and by the people, and trust at home and abroad — to name a precious few.

Unless enough patriotic Americans vote to rein in our dangerous president, it will get far worse in his final two years. He will be older, meaner, and more unhinged.

If not for ourselves, imagine the character damage he will inflict upon our kids and grandkids. They have already been subjected to his cruelty, selfishness, and chronic lying for six years. Long enough for his moral rot to penetrate and infect.

Some of their core lessons from Trump:

1. Lying is smart.
2. Bullying is cool.
3. Helping others is dumb.
4. Your word doesn’t matter.

Without reasonable checks and balances, our “Commander-in-Chief” will poison the moral fiber of a whole generation of our children!

Unless we vote for guard rails, we will suffer more “wars of whim,” pardoning and paying January 6 criminals, and billions more in graft and vanity projects. And even the elimination of free and fair elections.

Trump and his thugs are already undermining the integrity of these Mid-Terms. When asked about his unchecked power, Trump brags, “My own morality is the only thing that can stop me!”

In a matter of days, you and I will have a precious opportunity to at least slow his destruction. BY VOTING FOR CANDIDATES WHO WILL STAND UP TO HIM IN THE SECOND HALF OF HIS REIGN!

I am an Independent who, on this Election Day, will be voting for “Servant Leaders” who want to honestly serve all Americans. And who have the moral and spinal strength to stand up to this “pretender.”

SO:

For DEMOCRATS who think their vote and voice won’t count:

America’s soul and our Democracy are on the ballot. Never has your vote counted more than since 1776.

And please find at least one more person — of any affiliation — to vote for restraint.

For INDEPENDENTS:

Ditto! We have always prided ourselves on keeping checks on extremism.

For moderate, patriotic REPUBLICANS:

More than ever, please place Country above Party. You can help save our Republic and still be assured that at least 2 and perhaps 3 of the 4 “chambers” of our government will remain in Republican control.

To repeat, we desperately need patriotic Americans to vote for candidates who will bring balance and sanity to our country.

This is an epic struggle between good and evil. It is critical that we rein in the dangerous dictator in the White House for the next two years.

If we fail to do so, the damage to our Republic may be beyond repair by 2028.

Johnny O’Brien was tragically orphaned at the age of three and raised at the Milton Hershey School. He earned degrees at Princeton University (where he became a Trustee) and Johns Hopkins. O’Brien founded Renaissance Leadership in 1978, a firm that pioneered executive coaching at major corporations. In 2003 , he returned to Milton Hershey as its President. He currently lives in Easton, MD.