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Articles by Larry Anderson
Notebook: Big changes ahead
That rumble you hear in the distance is Democrats beating a hasty retreat. The recent election proved a repudiation of all things liberal. American common sense is back in fashion and long overdue. Things are suddenly different. Sure, Democrats have lost elections before, but not like this. They kicked over a hornet’s nest of public scorn. Contempt has replaced uneasy tolerance for goofy ideas, and patience with their corruption and failure has vanished. We wanted better and will have it.
Notebook: Trump’s important work
Donald Trump will be president in a few days. He will replace arguably the worst president in modern times. One only has to look closely at Biden’s behavior in recent days for confirmation of how bad the left has been for this country. Trump will enter office a different man. He has learned a lot about the left the last eight years, how they manipulate, lie and exaggerate, and how negatively they view this nation of freedom and opportunity.
Notebook: Crime and punishment
Crime is as old as civilization and until fairly recently biblical in its punishment. Civilization should measure justice by fairness and balance. In other words, punishment should fit the crime. No one should be exempt from society’s judgment due to social, political or financial position. Law should embrace equality. Judgment should be logical, not cruel or calculating. The determining factor in meting justice should be the crime itself, its nature, the harm caused, and by precedence.
Notebook: A new sheriff in town
In the movies when a new sheriff arrives in town, the bad guys either head for the hills or hunker down in a corner of the Long Branch with a warm beer and a shooter holstered but itchy. Donald J. Trump is the new sheriff in the sense of being recently elected president, but he is also the old hand at roundup. Indeed, he is only the second president in our history to be elected twice in non-consecutive terms. Experience is one reason he’s coming in strapped this time with jaw clenched and hand low.
Notebook: The need to communicate
Ronald Reagan understood the power of communication and achieved it with the relaxed ease of a man with a hefty background in radio, television and films. Indeed, he was labeled The Great Communicator for good reason. He got his message across and was awarded the presidency twice. Reagan was popular with all but the miserable left, and his ability to clarify had a lot to do with it.
Notebook: Outrageous proposals
The interim between the Biden regime and the Trump administration offers opportunity for reflection. Much will change starting in January but permanence is doubtful. Our politics are cyclical, you see, and mercurial; therefore, the opportunity for reform is brief. Let’s ponder a few outrageous proposals, so identified because they are unlikely to take hold but are still worthy of consideration. Improvement has to begin somewhere, and what may be dismissed now could find footing later.
Notebook: Outrageous interpretation
By the time this column goes to press, the national election will be over. From that standpoint, it serves no purpose to continue battle with Karen Fulton over points that are moot, but I will defend what I have already written. Otherwise, I am content to wait for final election results before moving on. Fulton wrote the following on October 31: “Anderson’s argument on the linkage between illegal immigration, the low birthrate and the abortion issue is appalling.
Notebook: We can do this
Karen Fulton responded October 17 to an earlier column of mine. Her points were defended and documented but are nevertheless open to further comment as America edges toward another election. I will oblige because that’s what I do. Early in the letter Fulton stated my remarks were standard issue concerning immigration, the economy, and liberal positions. Well, that is what I wrote about, but these are the things that concern voters and readers the most.
Notebook: A reality check
A reality check is always a good thing in an election year. Let’s start with a response to Karen Fulton’s lengthy September 19 letter to the editor designed to counter a column I wrote earlier supporting Donald Trump’s candidacy for president. Fulton has her views of Trump and I have mine, and it is unlikely there will be a meeting of the minds. Therefore, I will just do a reality check on a few points Fulton made.
Notebook: What do you want?
Elections raise the question what kind of country do you want? Do you want a strong nation grounded in tradition but forward looking, or do you want a country following a disproven doctrine that will continually test your rights and freedoms? Those are our options in a nutshell, like it or not. I think most Americans have made up their minds concerning whom to vote for in November, but there may still be some weighing their choices and perhaps caring for neither.
Notebook: Trump deserves a second term
When the presidential race was wide open, I favored Ron DeSantis, the able governor of the key state of Florida. I liked his youth and energy, his decisive, articulate grasp of the issues, and how he handled his state’s affairs, especially during the COVID episode. Furthermore he would’ve been eligible for two terms in office. For all his excellent qualities, DeSantis was thumped by Donald Trump.
Notebook: Voters will decide
To me voting is a commitment. It speaks to citizenship, responsibility and purpose. It is an exercise in fundamental democracy, and through it we have a say in who governs us. Voting should not be taken lightly or for granted. Voters determine the future. The choices we make may be on the nose or become a disappointment. It’s a gamble for citizens because the future and destiny are unknown, but that doesn’t mean one should toss a dart and hope for the best.
Notebook: What will happen
I recommend everyone read Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance, the Republican VP nominee who is an accomplished writer as well as able politician. The book is about Vance’s dysfunctional upbringing in the Rust Belt where opportunity has been shrinking for decades due to the loss of sustaining industry. There are other life factors vividly described too. Hillbilly Elegy was a best seller when initially released and was recently number one again in hardback and paperback sales.
Notebook: The great upending
I was wrong, darn it. I thought President Biden would hang on despite the typhoon of pessimism during the latter days of his tenure, but Joe gave it up without so much as a whimper. The Big Guy is now the lamest of ducks with little impact behind his endorsements and no interest in his opinion or power in his threats. He’s just there, vacant, listless and finishe. There’s a vacuum presently. Who’s the boss?
Notebook: Stuck on Joe
Last election Joe Biden was viewed by the left as the sure-fire solution to the horrible, awful Donald J. Trump. Biden was the second coming of Obama, the torch bearer of liberalism, and the senior Democrat most deserving of reward. The party got behind the old boy and pushed him over the goal line. Uncle Joe became number 46; Trump grumbled toward the exit.
Notebook: Shades of gray
I want to recommend an important book that examines what has happened to the American military during the Obama/Biden tenures. The book is The War on Warriors written by experienced soldier/officer Pete Hegseth, now a Fox News personality. Hegseth explains how progressivism has corrupted and weakened the purpose of the American military and essentially changed its dynamic. Read it with a critical mind. It’s an eye-opener and disturbing. Now the good stuff.
Notebook: Rolling the dice
There has been speculation from the bleachers that Joe Biden might be replaced on the Democratic ticket for the 2024 election. The Dems’ problem is a dearth of desirable candidates who can challenge both the incumbent and Donald Trump at this juncture. Vice President Harris is wildly unpopular and California Governor Gavin Newsom has dug a hole for himself and his state. Either would be a hard sell to an impatient public looking for answers, but these two have the highest profile.
Notebook: The right to speak
If you are a Kansas City Chiefs fan, you know of Harrison Butker, the team’s ace kicker. Even if you aren’t a Chiefs’ loyalist, you may have heard about the controversy that recently embraced Butker. No, he wasn’t busted for being under the influence, or for womanizing, or for driving too fast. Those can be excused.
Notebook: Potential for moving right
The final outcome of Election 2024 is impossible to predict six months preliminary. The best anyone can do is look at where things are now. November will be a three-way race between Democrat incumbent Joe Biden, former Chief Executive and Republican Donald Trump, and Independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as potential spoiler. Kennedy should not be dismissed. He could do okay in the heavily liberal Northeast and with environmental groups.
Notebook: To peaceably assemble
I am reasonably tolerant when it comes to demonstrations. After all, the right to peaceably assemble is guaranteed by the First Amendment, and protest was a big part of how the country came about. Indeed, the Boston Massacre was triggered by activism, and the Boston Tea Party was a lively demonstration against authority and injustice. Dissent can lead to something bigger. I was an undergraduate student from 1969-73.
Notebook: The big lull
America is currently in a lull before the next election begins in earnest in late summer. During this time both sides are huddled while gathering donations, laying out their respective media assaults, and determining how best to diminish the opposition. It might be easy to stop thinking about certain issues due to quieting, but this is not the time; indeed, now is the opportunity to look closer at liberal tactics. Democrats are experts at halting attention on things not going their way.
Notebook: A threat to democracy
There are certain principles in politics that are routinely followed because they are effective. All have been covered in this column, but that doesn’t mean some new dimension won’t jump out in an election year. Before getting into that, let’s review several old standards. First, identify the enemy. Second, instill fear and suspicion concerning the opponent by presenting the individual as a threat, thereby jarring our collective sense of security.
County is asking for too much
By Larry Anderson Skagit County residents received a EMS levy flyer in the mail last week. It made it sound like it was reasonable to ask for $0.47 per $1,000 of assessed value since the levy six years ago was approved for $0.44 per thousand and the owner of a $555,000 (median assessed value) home would only pay an addition $94.35 per year or $7.86 per month.
Note: Disaster could happen
There are 435 members in the House of Representatives. Presently 218 are Republican while 213 are Democrat with four vacancies. The Republican majority is thin as a wafer, especially with another Republican abandoning his seat in April. The Senate is just as skinny but for the Democrats. There are 49 Republicans in the Senate and only 48 Democrats, but there are also three independents that caucus and vote with the Democrats, thereby giving them an uneasy edge.
Notebook: What will happen?
Precedence points to probability when it comes to elections. Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican candidate for president, is gaining ground like a determined fullback while decrepit Joe Biden, the incumbent Democrat, is floundering in unpopular idiosyncratic policies, failing public confidence, and dangerous stupidity. These two will be the match unless something unforeseen happens.
Ukraine continues to struggle against Russian occupation
We have entered the second year of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. There are many ways to look at this war. The citizens of Ukraine are doing their best to try to keep their lives resembling some sense of normal. I don't know what that looks like now. In the cities I have visited, the performing arts are doing well. People need to have a chance to be civilized and gentle with each other. My friends have said the most significant change is that people seem happier. It is their country again.
Major Michael Vershynin
We have entered the second year of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. There are many ways to look at this war. The citizens of Ukraine are doing their best to try to keep their lives resembling some sense of normal. I'm not sure what that looks like now. From the cities I have visited, the performing arts are doing well. People need to have a chance to be civilized and gentle with each other. My friends have said The most significant change is that people seem happier. It is their country again.
Notebook: We need football
We need football. Oh, we don’t need it the way we need oxygen, but we do need it for sustenance of the soul. It is a pigskin rescue for the marrow of our beings. Sure, this season has ended in a faded crescendo of distant crowds, but the significance lingers. Battles were fought. Victories were won and triumphs savored. Wounds were bound and broken hearts mended by the prospect of a more rewarding season forthcoming. The quick will become faster next year and the strong stronger.
Notebook: Images of change
Things have changed as they will and must. On the other hand some things never seem to change as they should. One recent change is the Iowa Republican caucus knocked out Ron DeSantis who couldn’t get over the Trump bump in the bellwether state. I liked DeSantis for his proven ability as Florida’s governor, his stance on critical issues such as illegal immigration, his age (45), and his clear understanding of the left. I still see enormous potential in DeSantis, but it will have to be another time.
Taking a close look at levies
Mount Vernon voters are being asked to vote on levies this month. The School Board states "These two levies replace expiring levies and are not new taxes." They are not saying that your taxes will increase because they are asking for more money than the previous three-year levy voted on in 2021.
Notebook: A simple solution
“Stupid is as stupid does.” You may recall that memorable line from Forrest Gump, one of the best films about America ever. It is on the nose with its pithiness and truth, but it is also blunt. Sometimes blunt is what we need. The remark reminds us what we do is who we are. Once done we either move on wiser than before or maintain the status quo, having learned little or nothing. The end result is even money, but whatever it is becomes history until urgency demands reform.
Notebook: Don’t get comfortable
“When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground.” I wish I had said something that profound, but I got it from Craig Johnson, author of the Longmire series of novels, who got it from someone else. It resonates no matter the origin and has some bearing on this column. Joe Biden, 81, is still with us of course, and that’s a good thing.
Notebook: Are you ready?
The interim between the Republican debates and the Iowa/New Hampshire caucuses is a good time to review how America is trending politically. Much could change by November but let’s take a pulse anyway Presently, the likely choices for president are incumbent Joe Biden for the Democrats and Donald Trump for the Republicans. It is not the matchup I want, but that hardly matters. What counts in the final determination is how the parties react and align and how voters respond to their options.
Notebook: A grand strategy
With the 2024 election nearly a year away, it is impossible to predict outcome. It isn’t, however, too early to comment on Democrats’ election strategy as it pertains particularly to Joe Biden, assuming he remains his party’s candidate. Liberal cards will be placed on the table next year. Much will be determined by what lefties have practiced already, but some will be introduced on the basis of what they think they can get away with. Little will reflect honesty or integrity.
Notebook: Our greatest problem
It may be hard to agree on America’s greatest problem because there are so many. Is our greatest problem our Southern border which leaks thousands of immigrants every day with the passive approval of an ineffectual government that offers no explanation or solution to why it is the way it is? Is that the one? Could be, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Perhaps America’s worse problem is our impressive national debt. Here’s our national debt in round numbers: $34,000,000,000,000.
Notebook: It is okay to laugh
One of the oldest tenets of politics is to divide and conquer, and no one is better at the game than America’s hard left which has found success by pitting one against another on the basis of race, economic differences, or social preferences. The purpose is to provide a banner under which to gather while villainizing the opposition, notably those who are conservative.
Notebook: We are too nice
If one reads this column regularly, it might be assumed I dislike Democrats, but that would be wrong. Many of the people I know are on the left, and I like them fine. We have things in common. It is the leftist agenda and the manner in which liberals pursue it that I don’t like. In that area we have nothing in common and likely never will, but I also recognize many Democrats are moderate in their thinking and just as American as I am. They aren’t the problem nor am I.
Critical to the homelandNotebook:
Let’s dump Biden next year. Seriously, we should adios the old boy because things are getting critical in the homeland. Sure, I’m at heart a Republican in search of renewal in the aftermath of leftist recklessness, but problems are worsening instead of improving as promised. It doesn’t have to be that way, but change is up to voters.
Notebook: Shooting from the hip
Rather than focusing on one subject, I will shoot from the hip this time. The following are a few random problems on which to ponder. Please investigate further. In 2025 the Trump tax cut will expire. If Congress is Republican, there is an excellent chance the cut will be extended, but if Congress is Democrat, it is certain liberals will let the relief expire, an act consistent with their goal of erasing all things connected to Trump.
Notebook: He is too old
The founders did a darn good job with creating our political system, but they erred twice in my opinion. One oversight was in not naming term limits for members of the House and Senate; the other was not placing age limits on the same bodies, SCOTUS and the presidency. I realize at the time the founders were empowering the vote and the weight of unencumbered appointment, but that was also a time when life expectancy was shorter and there was an emphasis on service over career. Things have changed.
Notebook: A third party
Next election I expect to vote Republican. It is what I do, but there have been a few instances of crossover through the years when I felt an individual was capable beyond party restraints. It is part of the elective process to look around and to weigh the possibilities. That stated, I believe America is ripe for the emergence of a third party, one not as radical as the Democrats or as defensive as the Republicans.
Notebook: Vanishing America
America isn’t going to disappear physically, but the left is working every minute of every day to force this country to become what it was not intended to be. I hope that never happens, but there’s no guarantee. Decay and indifference can be hard to mitigate, and the skid is greased with leftist corruption, arrogance and activism. How is America vanishing? Well, for one thing we are losing our national autonomy. Biden’s claim that our southern border is under control is a lie.
Notebook: Homelessness and honesty
Los Angeles County, California, has a population rubbing on ten million.Within that number abides 75,518 who are homeless. This stat comes from the Los Angeles Homeless and Services Authority (LAHSA). Homelessness within the county has increased by nine percent in the last year; within the city it has risen 10% to 46,260. These increases demonstrate the trend toward acceptance by liberal city and county governments that condone, excuse and facilitate the problem.
Notebook: On fighting back
It is evident America is starting to resist when it comes to the left’s plans for an America makeover. Citizens are digging in and fighting back. When Bud Light carelessly joined the so-called woke culture, droves of Americans stopped buying the beer, thereby causing Anheuser-Busch to lose billions in revenue and plenty of market share.
Notebook: Saving our villages
The American village needs to be saved. I’m not talking about Maryville, a solid town that is economically diversified. Here we have agriculture, education and industry contributing to development and healthy employment. The standard of living is good and the overhead modest. Maryville has good conservative leadership and management. The streets are excellent and the parks plentiful and attractive.
Notebook: On being conservative
Politically and economically speaking, I have always been conservative. I am also a social moderate willing to accept thoughtful evolvement when necessary or justified. I am not liberal in anything because I have not lost my mind. Conservatives have been getting a bum rap for a long time from their liberal opponents and from big media which claims tolerance and objectivity but practices neither. This steady bombardment of negativity has distorted who conservatives really are.
Notebook: I have questions
I recently watched a politician being interviewed on television. Asked a direct question, he gave a lengthy, detailed, even eloquent, reply. When finished, he smiled big.“You noticed he didn’t answer the question,” observed my attentive spouse. I noticed. Too often what we ask goes unanswered by those we elect to represent us. The dodge is as old as sin, the spin as practiced as a batter in the box. The objective seemingly is to talk much but to say little.
Notebook: The Golden State
California entered the Union in 1850 amid a population boon triggered by a monster gold strike. Since then, it has become renowned as the Golden State for its abundance of natural resources, sunshine, and 900 miles of scenic coastline. For decades California has been the place to go, to be seen, to strike it rich. Its climate has been mild and its arms widespread.
Notebook: We have changed
Most would agree change is necessary and inevitableWithout it looms stagnation, but any goal regarding social improvement should be prompted by the recognition of wrong-doing or pressing need. There is usually plenty of that. If you are older like me, you will recall in the 1950s-60s and beyond black people were virtually left out of popular media whether television shows, advertising, print or films. It was as if they barely existed, their presence and contribution negated.
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