As we approach the white house return of Donald Trump, there seem to be two distinct views of what it portends. On the left, it means a mass roundup of illegals and their placement in concentration camps awaiting export—the economy in shreds without adequate labor. Inflation is roaring upward, fed by tariffs and rising prices. Tax cuts add to the flames by producing huge deficits. The resulting high interest rates put homes and much else out of reach.

Inequity will rise, with Trump’s billionaire friends growing richer while the rest of us fall further behind. Efforts to make businesses and institutions more diverse and inclusive are stalled or reversed. According to Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, instead of a progressive, forward-looking society, we’ll be in the hands of the backward-looking “regressivists.”

Ukraine turned over to Russia’s tender mercies while our former friends and allies abandoned us. Belittled by Trump and harmed by his high tariffs, they retaliate, plunging the world into a deeper recession and raising the danger of World War III. Trump claims dictator powers.

While Gaetz withdrew from consideration as Attorney General, others nominated, such as Pete Hegseth for Defense, Robert Kennedy Jr. at Health and Human Services, and Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence, confirm the left’s fears that inexperienced extremists will run the government.

In fear of these horrible outcomes, blue states are checking their resistance options. The governor of California has even called for a special session of the state legislature to raise funds for legal action. Others are seeking ways not to cooperate with or impede the federal government.

For those looking at it from this progressive point of view, the future looks bleak. However, the landscape might be more favorable for success from a right-of-center perspective.

While waiting for Trump to name his vice presidential pick at the Republican Convention, followed by the inevitable dumping of Joe Biden, it’s an excellent time to identify the issues the new Democratic ticket will run on. One might think the economy, including inflation, the border, and the decline of many cities with rising crime and homelessness. Still, you’d be wrong—troubles abroad, with wars in Ukraine and Gaza with the attendant rise in antisemitism, not so much. The new candidates will finesse all these, saying we will reevaluate our positions on these issues.

Of course, Kamala Harris isn’t eligible for this option as an integral part of the Biden administration. Hence, she will follow Joe off the ticket. Rather than draw attention to Democratic failures, the area of attack besides abortion is fear of that monster, Donald Trump. They tell us the ex-president “will be a dictator on the first day” of his return. Democracy as we know it is over-Political opponents charged with various crimes—executive orders flying in every direction. The future of our “Democracy” is now a significant election issue.

Unfortunately, Democrats aren’t the only ones seeing attacks on democracy. Republicans, already suspicious of election-voting shenanigans, have seen their candidate subjected to “lawfare” on an unprecedented scale. Had the Supreme Court not declared the president immunity for presidential acts, a New York court could’ve sentenced Donald Rump to prison just before the convention declared him the Republican presidential candidate.

While Democrats claim Trump will take revenge on his political opponents, everyone can see the progressives are already doing it to him. Putting a presidential candidate in prison is the stuff of banana republics.

Upset about their collapsing lawfare attack, the Democrats are now threatening the Supreme Court with investigations and packing for having protected present and future presidents from being imprisoned by their opponents. Who is attacking democracy?

Still, Trump’s continuing unpopularity with the majority of the public is the only line of assault; the Democrats and their media allies have to find something new to strike fear in voters’ hearts. They are basing their latest offensive on “Project 2025,” a proposal compiled by the right-leaning Heritage Foundation suggesting how a second Trump presidency should proceed.