Jimmy Carter broke up The Eagles – and other lessons from a Georgia peanut farmer

 With the recent passing of President Jimmy Carter, news outlets and historians are proffering their views on his Presidential legacy. Among these is his “Malaise Speech” and notoriety for being the first rock n roll president. Fans of the Rolling Stones will recall that the band memorializes the accessibility of rock musicians by the Carter Administration to “the White House lawn” in their song Respectable from their 1978 album, Some Girls.

Because of Carter’s precedent, celebrities shilling for candidates became a common occurrence. For example, it was due to events at a Presidential fundraiser that The Eagles broke up.

Well, I heard some people talkin' just the other day. And they said you were gonna put me on a shelf. But let me tell you I got some news for you, And you'll soon find out it's true. And then you'll have to eat your lunch all by yourself. (The Eagles, Already Gone)

Originally from Gainesville, Florida, multi-instrumentalist Don Felder had been brought in to supplement The Eagles sound and, indirectly, replace another Gainesville resident and founding member of the band, Bernie Leadon. As an aside, Felder claimed to be the guitar teacher of another Gainesville rock n roller, Tom Petty. Petty suggests Felder actually taught him how to play the piano. Furthermore, the brother of Eagles founding member Bernie Leadon, Tom Leadon was in Petty’s pre-Heartbreaker band, Mud Crutch. Anyway, during a fundraiser for presidential candidate, Alan Cranston, after being thanked for his support, Felder replied, “You’re welcome – I guess.” An argument ensued while the band was on stage over Felder’s comments and an infuriated Glenn Frey disbanded the group for 14 years.

Another legacy of Carter’s time in the White House was his call for the American people to engage in self-sacrifice. Notably, it was in his Malaise Speech that Carter asked the American people to choose self-sacrifice in the interest of the nation. After the speech, Carter’s approval ratings briefly went up and then plummeted: being easily replaced by Ronald Reagan in 1981. A lesson learned.

Readers will recall that in his inaugural speech, John Kennedy famously stated, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Similar calls for sacrifice were proffered by Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and Dwight Eisenhower. But not today.

The letter that you wrote me, made me stop and wonder why. But I guess you felt like you had to set things right. Just remember this, my girl, when you look up in the sky, you can see the stars and still not see the light.

Continuing with the rock motif, Jim Morrison, singer for The Doors, captured the state of the American mind today when he said, “I don’t know what’s gonna happen , but I hope we get our kicks before the whole (outhouse) goes up in flames.”

During his tenure in the office, Lyndon Johnson’s Guns & Butter policy argued that Americans could simultaneously fight poverty by supporting his Great Society program (butter) and fight the Vietnam conflict (guns) without sacrifice. Both ventures came up short.

Well, I know it wasn't you who held me down. Heaven knows it wasn't you who set me free. So oftentimes it happens that we live our lives in chains, and we never even know we have the key.

In the modern era, we can fight wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and, at the same time, lower taxes. During his time in the White House, George W Bush added $500 billion to the national debt every year: annually Obama added $1.08 trillion, Trump added $2.1 trillion, Biden added $1.8 trillion. Gone are the days of self-sacrifice and heaven help the elected official who suggests otherwise.

And I'm already gone: and I'm feelin' strong. Woo-hoo-hoo, my, my, woo-hoo-hoo

Today, we lionize Jimmy Carter’s post-Presidency for his compassion and simple life. And yet today, despite a $36,000,000,000 national debt, amid a government that asks nothing of us, we stand in line to embellish our grievances and bemoan the state of the Union.  Perhaps we should install a tax to pay off the national debt. Something like a ½ of one percent tax on wealth every year that goes strictly to pay down the national debt. Now I know what some are thinking, another idea from a tax and spend liberal. To which I respectfully reply, no brother, you’ve already spent the money. I’m just asking you to pay for it.

- 

Well now we're respected in society
We don't worry about the things that we used to be
We're talking heroin with the president
Well it's a problem, sir, but it can't be bent
Uh yes!

Well now you're a pillar of society
You don't worry about the things that you used to be
You're a rag-trade girl, you're the queen of porn
You're the easiest lay on the White House lawn
Get out of my life, don't come back
Get out of my life, don't come back

She's so respectable
She's so respectable
She's so delectable
She's so respectable
Get out of my life
Don't take my wife
Don't come back
Get out of my life
Don't take my wife
Don't come back
What I say!

From Prairie Populism to Partisan Politics - Nebraska and the Evolution of the Republican Party

Rick Galusha, Ph. D.

Nebraska, the 37th state to join the Union, emerged during a period marked by the contentious issue of slavery and the formation of the Republican Party. The state's admission process was intricately linked to the broader political landscape that ultimately led to the American Civil War. Throughout its existence, the state has reflected the many twists and turns of the evolving platform and ideology of the Republican Party.

The path to statehood in antebellum America was heavily influenced by the Missouri Compromise of 1820. This agreement sought to maintain a delicate balance between free and slave states. The compromise allowed for the simultaneous admission of Maine as a Free State and Missouri as a slave state, thus preserving the existing balance in the Senate.

A key provision of the Missouri Compromise was the prohibition of slavery in territories north of the 36°30' parallel, with the exception of Missouri. This geographical restriction had far-reaching consequences, including the distinctive shape of Texas's "panhandle."

However, the political landscape shifted in 1854 with the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. This legislation effectively nullified the Missouri Compromise by introducing the concept of popular sovereignty to the territorial admission process. Under this new framework, the residents of prospective states were granted the authority to determine the status of slavery within their borders.

This significant change in policy reignited the national debate over slavery expansion and increased tensions between the North and South.

In 1854, Senator Stephen Douglas, perhaps best known today for his debates with Republican abolitionist Abraham Lincoln, introduced the Kansas-Nebraska Act. This pivotal legislation, while ostensibly designed to organize new territories and facilitate transcontinental railroad construction, had far-reaching consequences for the nation's delicate balance over slavery.

Douglas, though not explicitly pro-slavery, advocated for popular sovereignty, allowing settlers to determine the status of slavery in their territories. He anticipated that Nebraska would likely reject slavery, while Kansas might embrace it. However, this approach inadvertently set the stage for a violent confrontation that would foreshadow the impending Civil War.

The period from 1854 to 1859 saw the emergence of "Bleeding Kansas," a series of violent clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in eastern Kansas and western Missouri. This tumultuous era transformed Kansas into an ideological battleground, with both sides vying for control through a combination of electoral fraud, raids, and outright violence. Despite the turmoil, Kansas ultimately rejected slavery. The territory's admission to the Union as a free state in 1861 was facilitated by the absence of Southern senators, who had withdrawn or been removed from Washington, D.C., at the outset of the Civil War.

In contrast, Nebraska was assumed to be an anti-slavery state. It would be the proving ground as the burgeoning Republican Party replaced the floundering Whigs. The probability of Nebraskans limiting the spread of slavery weakened the Whig Party as northern Whigs rejected slavery. Voters solidified the future of the GOP in the Presidential Election of 1856. Republican John Fremont secured 33% of the popular vote in an election that would see James Buchanan win over Fremont and Know Nothing/ Whig nominee Millard Fillmore. Former President Fillmore's paltry eight Electoral College votes signaled the death knell of the Whigs and the rise of Republican abolitionists.

Nebraska became a state in 1867 when legislators overrode President Andrew Johnson's veto of the state's admittance to the Union. Johnson had vetoed the admission because, in his view, congress had overstepped its authority by requiring, as a condition of admission, that the Nebraska Constitution removes restrictions on suffrage for African American males. Out of this conflict, Nebraskans chose the state motto, Equality before the Law.  One day later, Nebraska voted to support the passage of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, assuring voting rights and liberties for formerly enslaved Americans and American citizenship for those born or naturalized in the United States.

Since its inception, the nature of Nebraska's prairie populism was to send moderate, fiscal conservatives to serve in the U.S. Senate. Historically, except for two periods, Nebraskans have sent Republicans. During the Great Depression (1933-1941), Nebraskans sent Democrats to serve under Franklin Roosevelt alongside "raging liberal," progressive Republican George Norris (1913 – 1943). Norris, along with William Jennings Bryan, is considered to be Nebraska's most influential political figures. Notably, Norris left the GOP and served as an Independent for his last term (1937 – 1943).

The second period when Nebraska elected Democrat Senators was from 1976 to 2013. Pro-business Democrats including Ed Zorinsky, Jim Exon, Bob Kerrey, and Ben Nelson were sent to Washington D.C.  Despite a rural hegemony over state politics, Nebraska's current senators come from population centers: Deb Fischer from Lincoln and Pete Ricketts from Omaha. Like Exon, Kerrey, Nelson, and Mike Johanns, Ricketts served as Governor before becoming a U.S. Senator.

Today, like much of the rest of the nation, Nebraskans are embracing a new form of Republicanism. At the moment, Nebraska politics is driven by debate over the Electoral College ‘blue dot’, the "1000 pound gorilla" of Joe Ricketts's money (Bamer 2024), and the conflicts and collapse of the Nebraska Democratic Party.

In 1992 Nebraska followed Maine when Unicameral Senator DiAnna Schimek (D) spearheaded a law splitting Nebraska's five electoral college votes (Rembert 2024). The bill was signed into law by then Governor and future Senator Nelson. Schimek believed the legislation would result in a fairer, more representative, and more energizing approach to voting, and bring the state’s voters more attention from presidential candidates.

The Blue Dot references the image of an isolated blue dot over the Omaha area amid a sea of red on election maps depicting Electoral College results. Political lexicon associates the Republican Party with the color red while Democrats are associated with blue. The representative meaning of the blue dot is when voters in Nebraska's 2d Congressional District award a single Electoral College vote to the Democrat Party's Presidential candidate.

Considered to be one of less than 30 congressional swing districts, results in the 2d District suggest Schimek's idea performed as described. Since the law’s passage, Second District voters chose a Democrat Presidential candidate and a Republican Congressional Representative in 2008, 2020, and 2024. In the 2024 election cycle, both Vice Presidential candidates stopped in the district, Walz had two appearances, and some estimate exorbitant expenditure increases also flooded into the 2d District (Open Secrets: Nebraska District 02 2024 Race n.d.). In December 2024, Governor Jim Pillen prioritized returning the state to a winner-take-all approach in his legislative agenda (Bamer, Omaha World Herald 2024).

Another center of Nebraska politics is the activities of multi-billionaire Joe Ricketts, father to Senator Pete Ricketts. Directly or indirectly, Joe Ricketts and his family are among top campaign donors. Former Governor and U.S. Senator Kerrey described Pete Rickett as "a genuine human being who cares about Nebraska." He further described the Ricketts family political expenditures as a "flood" that is “consistent, continual, relentless, and doesn't stop” (Media 2024). Others have not been as kind (Gentzler and Richards 2024). Rickett's money has recently shifted from a statewide focus to a national and international focus. Former Nebraska Democratic Party Executive Director and University Professor Paul Landow, PhD, suggested this shift signals Senator Rickett's interest in a run for the White House. The Omaha World Herald reports that in 2024, Senator Ricketts made $4.2 million in political contributions to candidates and ballot initiatives, while his father gave $5.9 million and his mother, Marlene, gave $15 million (Press 2024). Most of the approximate $25 million went to races outside of Nebraska.

Based upon the family's donations, their primary interests are protecting a 12-week ban on abortion and school choice and restricting the expansion of access to medical marijuana. However, while voters upheld the 12-week ban on abortion, they moved against the Ricketts agenda by passing an initiative to legalize medical marijuana and killing efforts to use taxpayer money to support private and religious K-12 tuition. Past victories for the Ricketts collective included successful citizen-driven referendums on Voter ID and overriding efforts to end the death penalty.

Today, Ricketts is a consummate politician. However, as a new governor, Ricketts suffered numerous veto overrides by the Unicameral, including "a hike in provider rates, community corrections programs, urban housing, and the completion of a bike-hike trail" connects Omaha and Lincoln (KMTV 2022). Funding was restored over Ricketts's veto to increase pay for service providers for mental healthcare and those developmentally disabled and the state's aging population, including, according to Unicameral Senator Stinner, nursing and veteran homes, prisons, and other 24/7 facilities (Hammel 2022). Ricketts's effectiveness as the state's Governor was challenged when the Unicameral rejected his proposal to build a new, larger prison in 2021 (Hammel, Criminal justice reform bill goes down in flames after lengthy debate 2022). By August 2023, Pillen was able to buy the land and begin the state's new $350 million prison.

While not known for making controversial comments among centrists and those on the political left, Ricketts is heavily criticized. In 2022, as he termed out of the Governor's office, Pete Ricketts supported his replacement, Jim Pillen, with a $5.4 million donation, effectively blocking Trump supporter Charles Herbster from moving into the Governor's mansion. At the time, Herbster was the state's largest political donor, albeit most of his donations were to self-fund his failed gubernatorial campaign (Sanderford 2022). Despite strong denials, in what some allege was a quid pro quo, Pillen appointed Ricketts to the U.S. Senate, replacing Ben Sasse (Weaver 2023). Over the past quarter of the new century, the Peed family became a significant player in Nebraska's political donations, contributing nearly $22 million since 2000 (Hoffman 2023).

Despite supporting conservative causes and Nebraska politics, the Ricketts family stopped supporting the Nebraska GOP in 2022. At that time, the State Party formally ejected Ricketts supporters, including Party Chair Dan Welch, and replaced them with candidates less aligned with the family's "outsized influence" on the party to reduce Ricketts's influence on state politics (Sanderform 2022). Media outlets suggest the ouster of Ricketts loyalists was an attempt by the party to move further to the right and align more closely with Donald Trump's vision for the GOP.

Nebraska's unicameral system was designed to be more efficient and directly responsive to voters, using a relatively nonpartisan, and more open, and transparent approach than traditional bicameral legislatures. However, using strategic donations, Ricketts's influence on the Unicameral has been especially pointed, including $624,000 to preferred unicameral candidates and $1.6 million to the State Republican Party. In what signals a harrowing rift, in the 2024 Primary, the State GOP Party endorsed against their incumbents, including Ricketts and Congressmen Don Bacon and Adrian Smith (Nebraska GOP n.d.).

Among the many issues facing Nebraska is the increased demand for water. Nebraska's economy is driven by agriculture. And that means water usage is highly politicized. The concern for water is heightened due to human-driven climate change. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, in December 2024, 84% of Nebraska was experiencing drought conditions; while another 10% was abnormally dry (NOAA National Integrated Drought Information System 2025).

In April 2022, during the Ricketts Administration, the Unicameral approved $628 million for funding the Perkins County Canal (Smith 2024). The canal construction is based on a 1923 water rights agreement between Colorado and Nebraska. If it is built, water diverted into the canal will put strain on Colorado's front-range population, which is expected to grow from 3.8 million to 6 million residents by the mid-century. According to Nebraska Public Media reports, the water flowing into Nebraska will stifle Colorado from replenishing its groundwater levels. However, in addition to supporting Nebraska's agricultural industry, the enhanced flow will stabilize water levels in Lake McConaughy, support hunting and recreation, and support threatened and endangered bird species, including the Whopping Cranes and Piping Plovers.

At the same time, much of Nebraska sits atop The Ogallala Aquifer. The aquifer is the size of Lake Huron and underlies 175,000 square miles, running from southeast Wyoming through nearly half of Kansas and encompassing the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles. Currently, 94% of the body's groundwater is drawn by farming and supports 1/5 of the United States' agricultural harvests (Texas Water Development Board 2016). Recent reports indicate the aquifer water levels have fallen as much as 300 feet in some areas due to over-pumping and climate change. Recent efforts by the Nebraska Resources District to address the falling water tables include enforcing water usage caps, drilling restrictions, and ongoing monitoring. The NRD reports aquifer water levels have fallen on average 38" since 2020 (Young 2024 ).

And while Republicans suffer from a rift between the Ricketts family and the State Republican Party, a similar ongoing rift occurs among Democrats. After Nebraska's brief dalliance with Democrat Governors and Senators in the 1970s and '80s, any success they find today tends to be electing a minority of Unicameral Senators and elected officials in Omaha and Lincoln. Despite overwhelming numbers in opposition, the party currently suffers from an internal schism between State Party Chair Jane Kleeb and Omaha-based Crystal Rhodes. According to news reports, in 2018, Rhodes, then Douglas County Democratic Party Chairwoman, accused Kleeb, the Nebraska Democratic Party Chairwoman, of using African Americans as props in photos and presentations (Jordan 2018). Precious McKesson, at that time the party's Constituency Director and an African American, defended Kleeb in a "ripping" email to Rhodes. The interparty feud escalated as each accused the other of orchestrating efforts to remove them from their respective party office.

Again, in 2020, a Facebook post renewed the conflict between the two women, each accusing the other of undermining their influence with party donors (Wade 2019). At that time, Douglas County was home to 37% of the state's registered Democrats. While Kleeb continued to espouse a unified state party, including fundraising, Rhodes argued Douglas County Democrats are doing well and do not need unwanted interference from the state party. Some say that Kleeb's leadership roles in the state party and as the founder of Bold Nebraska, which advocates against building the Keystone Pipeline, create unnecessary conflicts. Ultimately, at the heart of the issue is money and political philosophy. Kleeb advocates for a big tent party that includes moderates, while, according to the Omaha World-Herald, Rhodes is pushing for a more progressive and exclusive Democratic Party where "real Democrats" are not afraid to take stands.

Recently, big-name Democrats, including Unicameral Senator Mike McConnell (Sanderdford 2024), a likely 2025 candidate for Omaha's mayoral race, and Don Kleine (Mastre and Dvorak 2020), the Douglas County Attorney, switched party affiliation to become Republicans after they were publicly criticized over their positions on abortion and the choice to not prosecute a white bar owner over the death of a young African American engaged in rioting and filmed destroying private property. In addition, former Senator Bob Kerrey had his name removed from a significant statewide fundraiser, describing the state party as "pathetic” (Walton 2024).

Among the up-and-coming political figures in Nebraska are former Unicameral Senators Brett Lindstrom, Tony Vargas, and Adam Morfeld, as well as Dan Osborn, Nick Batter, Derek Oden, Harrison Johnson, Precious McKesson, LaVonya Goodwin, Amy Melton, Pete Peterson, Brinker Harding, and Eric Underwood.

In conclusion, amid the turmoil of national politics, Nebraska faces numerous challenges, including rising property taxes, a projected budget shortfall of $432 million (Open Sky Lights November), access to health insurance for the 101,000 Nebraskans currently using the Affordable Care Act (KFF The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation 2024) amid the Republican Party's threat to end Obamacare. Other ongoing concerns include the escalating annual Brain Drain of young college graduates (Schafer 2022), a lack of affordable housing, forging a viable plan that responds to employment changes caused by artificial intelligence, and an economic dependency on immigrant ag workforce in the face of President Trump's threat of massive deportations. In addition, Trump’s threat of tariffs presents the possibility of a tit-for-tat response from trading partners and the accompanying drop in ag industry exports. At the same time, land prices are rising due to consolidation and an increase in farm size, resulting in fewer rural jobs and a declining tax base as consumption falls. Small towns already suffer from a shortage of healthcare providers, but demand is increasing due to retirement and aging boomers.  As Nebraska’s median age goes up, expanded Medicare costs is putting increased pressure on state budgets. Higher education costs have increased, while K-12 education pushes for greater internet access in rural areas. Finally, as discussed above, the national and state governments are ignoring the effects of human-caused climate change, which has caused numerous extraordinary weather events in Nebraska, evolving weather patterns, and statewide drought. As the state experiences a widening divide between the MAGA Republicans, moderates, and the progressives living in Omaha and Lincoln, the increased partisanship in the Unicameral means cooperation and compromise are less likely, thus hindering the ability to effectively address many of these issues. Perhaps the spirit of George Norris’ idealism will come to our rescue, but, sadly, reasonability seems so “20th century.”

Works Cited

Bamer, Erin. Omaha World Herald. October 29, 2024. https://omaha.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/elections/pete-ricketts-family-donated-more-than-25-million-to-2024-conservative-campaigns-causes/article_2d0ff57e-92da-11ef-87d7-736543f37940.html.

—. Omaha World Herald. December 23, 2024. https://omaha.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/taxes-defining-gender-blue-dot-among-nebraska-gov-jim-pillen-2025-legislative-priorities/article_fd0ceac8-bc99-11ef-bfec-bf66462fcda2.html (accessed January 9 , 2025).

Gentzler, Sara, and Alex Richards. Nebraska Public Media. September 20, 2024. https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/ricketts-riches-wealthy-governor-billionaire-family-changed-nebraska-elections/.

Hammel, Paul. Criminal justice reform bill goes down in flames after lengthy debate. April 6, 2022. https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/06/criminal-justice-reform-bill-goes-down-in-flames-after-lengthy-debate/ (accessed January 9, 2025).

—. Nebraska Examiner. April 7, 2022. https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/04/07/nebraska-lawmakers-vote-to-override-gov-pete-ricketts-vetoes/ (accessed January 9, 2025).

Hoffman, Ryan. A new megadonor is changing Nebraska politics, and declining to say why. April 23, 2023. https://flatwaterfreepress.org/a-new-megadonor-is-changing-nebraska-politics-and-declining-to-say-why/ (accessed January 9, 2025).

Jordan, Joe. Exclusive: Democrats’ Family Feud Reaching Boiling Point Amid Charges of Racism. October 18, 2018. https://sandhillsexpress.com/local-news/exclusive-democrats-family-feud-reaching-boiling-point-amid-charges-of-racism/ (accessed January 9, 2025).

KFF The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Health Care in Nebraska. 2024. https://www.kff.org/statedata/election-state-fact-sheets/nebraska/#:~:text=138%25%20of%20poverty.-,ACA%20Marketplace%20Coverage,help%20them%20pay%20their%20premium. (accessed January 9, 2025).

KMTV, 3 News Now. Nebraska lawmakers override Ricketts’ vetoes including funding for housing, healthcare and hiking. April 7, 2022. https://www.3newsnow.com/news/political/nebraska-lawmakers-override-ricketts-vetoes-including-funding-for-housing-healthcare-and-hiking (accessed January 9, 2025).

Mastre, Brian, and Gina Dvorak. Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine joins Republican Party. October 20, 2020. https://www.wowt.com/2020/10/07/douglas-county-attorney-don-kleine-joins-republican-party/ (accessed January 9, 2025).

Media, Nebraska Public. Ricketts' Riches: Record election spending shows senator's family far from done in Nebraska. December 26, 2024. https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/ricketts-riches-record-election-spending-shows-senators-family-far-from-done-in-nebraska/ (accessed January 9, 2025).

Nebraska GOP . 2024 (Primary) Endorsement. n.d. https://ne.gop/2024primary/ (accessed January 9, 2025).

NOAA National Integrated Drought Information System. Drought Status Update for the Missouri River Basin. January 8, 2025. https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates/drought-status-update-missouri-river-basin-2025-01-08#:~:text=The%20most%20intense%20conditions%20are%20in%20Montana%2C,months%20of%20the%20water%20year%20(October%E2%80%93December%202024). (accessed January 9, 2025).

Open Secrets: Nebraska District 02 2024 Race. n.d. https://www.opensecrets.org/races/outside-spending?cycle=2024&id=NE02&fbclid=IwY2xjawHs7VVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHcQCRA8cmGXBIf2xm1xnZqSLL_Imww1UuD_VXSu0Al4LWsYvVhcyYAI5QA_aem_F_x_w2_FWM2PDzi8ipyOTQ (accessed January 9, 2025).

Open Sky Lights. OpenSkyLIGHTS: Focus on Nebraska fiscal policy (11/22/24). 22 2024, November. https://www.openskypolicy.org/openskylights-focus-on-nebraska-fiscal-policy-11-22-24 (accessed January 9, 2025).

Press, Flatwater Free. Ricketts’ Riches: Wealthy governor, billionaire family changed Nebraska elections. September 19, 2024. https://flatwaterfreepress.org/ricketts-riches-wealthy-governor-billionaire-family-changed-nebraska-elections/ (accessed January 9, 2025).

Rembert, Elizabeth. Nebraska Public Media. April 3, 2024. https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/nebraska-and-maine-split-their-electoral-vote-is-it-a-better-system-than-winner-take-all/ (accessed January 9, 2025).

Sanderdford, Aaron. State Sen. Mike McDonnell’s switch to GOP spurs new push for winner-take-all in Nebraska. April 4, 2024. https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2024/04/03/state-sen-mike-mcdonnells-switch-to-gop-could-spur-new-push-for-winner-take-all-in-nebraska/ (accessed January 9, 2025).

Sanderford, Aaron. Herbster gave himself 96% of his $4.9 million in fundraising last year. February 3, 2022. https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/02/03/herbster-gave-himself-96-of-his-4-9-million-in-fundraising-last-year/ (accessed January 9, 2025).

Sanderform, Aaron. Old-guard conservatives and Trump populists take Nebraska GOP from Ricketts. July 9, 2022. https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2022/07/09/old-guard-conservatives-and-trump-populists-take-nebraska-gop-from-ricketts/ (accessed January 9, 2025).

Schafer, Josie Gatti. Nebraska Faces Ongoing Brain Drain According to Latest 2022 American. 2022. https://www.unomaha.edu/college-of-public-affairs-and-community-service/center-for-public-affairs-research/documents/brain-drain-2022-release.pdf (accessed January 9, 2025).

Smith, Jerd. Colorado pledges to play nice as Nebraska plows ahead on $628M canal at the state line. January 18, 2024. https://coloradosun.com/2024/01/18/colorado-nebraska-canal-2024/ (accessed January 9, 2025).

Texas Water Development Board. Ogallala Aquifer. December 31, 2016. https://www.twdb.texas.gov/groundwater/aquifer/majors/ogallala.asp#:~:text=The%20Ogallala%20Aquifer%20provides%20significantly,is%20used%20for%20irrigated%20agriculture. (accessed January 9, 2025).

Wade, Jessica. 'I won't be silent': Facebook post shows tensions between Nebraska Democratic Party leaders. November 9, 2019. https://omaha.com/news/local/i-wont-be-silent-facebook-post-shows-tensions-between-nebraska-democratic-party-leaders/article_50f5f020-1ccd-5acb-bd77-719a28bc6bcf.html (accessed January 9, 2025).

Walton, Don. Kerrey asks that name be removed from Nebraska Democratic event after dispute with Kleeb. November 25, 2024. https://omaha.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/kerrey-asks-that-name-be-removed-from-nebraska-democratic-event-after-dispute-with-kleeb/article_ecc611fa-d5ff-5e97-b154-3c77c11be63d.html (accessed January 9, 2025).

Weaver, Al. Former Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts tapped to fill Sasse’s Senate seat. January 12, 2023. https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3805689-former-nebraska-gov-pete-ricketts-tapped-to-fill-sasses-senate-seat/ (accessed 9 2025, January).

Young, Aaron. Nebraska Groundwater Levels Continue Decline After Prolonged Drought. May 9, 2024 . https://cropwatch.unl.edu/2024/nebraska-groundwater-levels-continue-decline-after-prolonged-drought/ (accessed January 9, 2025).

Nebraska's Blue Dot Envisions the (d)emocratic Ideals of James Madison and Thomas Jefferson

As a proud Nebraskan, I am deeply concerned about the proposed changes to our state's unique Electoral College Vote (ECV) system. While I respect Governor Jim Pillen's commitment to lowering property taxes, I must express my concern about ending Nebraska's approach of splitting ECVs.

Our current system, shared only with Maine, gives Nebraska a louder voice on the national stage. It draws attention from presidential campaigns, media outlets, and brings presidential campaigns to our doorstep. This spotlight on Nebraska isn't just about political clout; it's about ensuring our values and concerns are heard at the highest levels of government.

The wisdom of our Founding Fathers echoes through this debate. James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, architects of our nation's foundation, warned against the dangers of concentrated power. They envisioned a system where power checks power, fostering moderation and compromise. Our split ECV system embodies this vision, encouraging candidates to engage with Nebraskans, and sets a stage to encourage younger Nebraskans to stay here after graduation. An imbalanced, one party system stifles debate, encourages the brain drain, leads to extremism, and removes Madison’s intent that incumbents act with moderation and caution.

Madison's words in Federalist Papers #47 and #51 remind us that diffusing power protects against tyranny and corruption. By pitting power against power and subjecting government actions to a system of checks and balances, Americans created a form of government that today is the model for much of the world.  By maintaining our current ECV system, we honor this principle, ensuring that the diverse voices are represented in presidential elections.

The "blue dot" in Nebraska isn't a flaw; it's a feature that keeps our state politically dynamic and relevant. It forces candidates to consider the nuances of our electorate, promoting a healthier democracy where ideas compete and compromise flourishes. Eliminating this system would remove the fear of being punished in the next election cycle; a crucial incentive for elected officials to moderate their positions and respect the views of all voters.

In these times of political polarization, Nebraska has an opportunity to lead by example. By preserving our split ECV system, we can show the nation that it's possible to elevate the competition of ideas while ensuring the sanctity of our democratic process. Yes, some have and will abuse this intent but by leading with better ideas, rather than flexing political muscle, Nebraska  can demonstrate to the rest of the nation what’s been lost in these tumultuous times and help forge a path back to a healthy two party system.

As we look to the future, let's choose the path that honors our state's unique role in national politics, upholds the principles of our Founding Fathers, and strengthens the fabric of our democracy. Nebraska's split ECV system isn't just about electoral strategy; it's about preserving the very essence of American democracy that our forefathers envisioned.

The Solution Ain't Rocket Science, its Depolitizing Green Tech

 

The endless waves of change have many gasping for air. The Surgeon General reports Americans are suffering an epidemic of anxiety. Apart of this is the concern that government is broken and unresponsive.

In November, many voted to disrupt the state of politics in hopes of better and more responsive government. Historically, external shocks spurred political change. These shocks were often the result of war, new technology, access to rights, demographic change, or populism.

In the early 20th century, Nebraskan William Jennings Bryan’s populist Presidential campaigns and his dalliance with evangelicals as the prosecutor in the Scopes Trial (where he argued that evolution should not be taught in public schools) shocked America’s political system. Today, in an intriguing 100 year echo, we see a similar populist shock in the guise of a second Trump Administration.

We'll be fighting in the streets, with our children at our feet. And the morals that they worship will be gone (Won’t Get Fooled Again, The Who).

At the heart of this change is the question how is good or responsive government defined.

Some argue that ending the Electoral College will solve the problem, although our Founders found direct democracy frightening. Others argue for modified voting models, including Ranked Choice. Andrew Yang says the current system incentivizes bad behavior by elected officials. Everyone seems to agree there is too much money in politics.

Personally, good government is fiscally responsible: something both parties willfully ignore.

I'll tip my hat to the new Constitution. Take a bow for the new revolution. Smile and grin at the change all around, then I'll get on my knees and pray, we don't get fooled again.

Today, the national debt is $36,000,000,000,000 or $106,626 per citizen. The right-of-center Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget reports Trump contributed $7.8 trillion and Biden contributed $4.3 trillion to the national debt. Regardless, both parties continue to ignore this well-kicked can, and Americans have a government they are unwilling to pay for.

A change, it had to come. We knew it all along. We were liberated from the fold, that's all. And the world looks just the same, and history ain't changed, cause the banners, they all flown in the last war.

How did this happen? The apparent reason is the ‘if they’re for it, we’re against it’ charade. Team politics causes gridlock and condemns compromise – and both parties are guilty. Dan Osbourne’s non-partisan run for the U.S. Senate was propelled by running as an Independent. Arguably, running as an Independent, Osbourne got 75,000 more votes than Preston Love (D) despite 20,000 fewer votes being cast in the Osbourne/ Fisher race: it’s not about policy – it’s about party.

There's nothing in the street, looks any different to me. The parting on the left, is now parting on the right

Another shirked issue is the well-established fact that climate change is caused by human behavior.  One wonders why anyone would willfully endanger future generations.   

Today, the United States is the world’s top oil producer, with 36 billion barrels in reserves. Nonetheless, oil companies received $7 trillion in global subsidies in 2022. Predictably, propped up by your taxes, The Wall Street Journal reported big oil had record profits last year, including Exon raking in $36 billion and Chevron $21.4 billion.

One thing is sure: technological advances fire the economy, create jobs, and open new markets. The book Chip Wars examines how microchips realigned the politics of Southeast Asian politics, drawing the US closer to Taiwan, pushing the USA to the front of the infantile tech industry, and creating millions of jobs and mountains of wealth. In the mid-90s, as middle-class Americans accessed desktop computers and the internet, it created jobs, new companies, online sales, and mountains of wealth. Today, Nvidia, a chip manufacturer, capitalized at over two trillion dollars, is the most valuable company in the world.

Today, as the rest of the world responds to global warming, demonizing green tech for team politics not only advances Chinese tech, it’s bad for workers, bad for jobs, bad for the future, and forgoes mountains of wealth. The solution ain’t rocket science, its depoliticizing green tech.

Meet the new boss: same as the old boss. Then I'll get on my knees and pray, we don't get fooled again. 

Gen Z, Anxiety, and the Surge of Suffering

 

Today, it seems we are bombarded with existential threats to human existence, including global warming, the next presidency, illegal immigration, unscrupulous media reporting, and the next pandemic. Since the 2020 pandemic, Americans are suffering from increased levels of anxiety

In his latest book, The Anxious Generation, best-selling author Jonathan Haidt examines how social media and isolation have negatively affected ‘Gen Z’ [ages 12 – 27]. In an era of “safetyism,” where parents hesitate to let children walk to the end of their driveway without supervision, children are safe at home but released on the internet, where pornography, bullying, hate groups, and other high-risk behaviors are a click away.

Help, I need somebody.

 Haidt finds that America’s next generation of workers are emotionally isolated and suffering from diagnosable mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Symptoms include being socially awkward, demotivated, unable to focus, self-harm, and suicide. Described as a Surge of Suffering in Haidt’s previous book, The Coddling of the American Mind, mental illness is rising rapidly and affecting college students at unprecedented rates, including anxiety (25%), depression (20%), and ADHD (7%).  Self-harm and suicide levels have risen dramatically since 2010. This “rewiring” is caused by over-exposure to electronic devices, including smartphones.

The U.S. Surgeon General‘s report, Social Media and Youth Mental Health, reports that 95% of youth aged 13 – 17 report they “almost constantly” are engaging in social media. The American Psychological Association issued, Health Advisory on Social Media Use in Adolescence, discussing ways parents can, you guessed it, protect their kids from the effects of social media and the anxiety that accompanies it.

When I was younger, so much younger than today, I never needed anybody's help in any way.

And for the second year, The Walton Family Foundation – Gallup Voices of Gen Z Study reports that merely 51% “of Gen Z are thriving in their lives.” Of these, 79% of the next generation of workers “agree they have a great future,” while only half report feeling prepared for that future.

Similar aberrant behaviors are exhibited among older Americans. Just in time for the election, Iran, along with China and Russia, are, once again, using social media to spread conspiracies, provoke activists with fake news, heightening division and elevating social anxiety. And although outlets like the Omaha World-Herald, FactCheck.org, RealClearPolitics, PBS, and SNOPES actively debunk political stories and quotes, efforts to undermine American self-confidence and trust in the system are working.

But now these days are gone, I'm not so self-assured. Now I find I've changed my mind and opened up the doors

Amid this distrust and anxiety, PEW found that 41% of respondents reported that the American Dream was once possible but no longer achievable. Gallup reports that 83% feel American morals are “only fair” and “poor.” As anxiety goes up, support for representative democracy, such as ours, is increasingly questioned. Support for authoritarian leaders and autocratic regimes is rising in the USA and numerous other nations. According to PEW, 83% of Americans feel that elected officials “don’t care” what people like us think.

But every now and then, I feel so insecure. I know that I just need you like I've never done before

Recently, I became aware of efforts to help, including a 24-hour crisis helpline, by dialing 988. On September 28^th, the suicide awareness and mental health Out of the Darkness walk and fundraiser will take place at Stinson Park. Bridges to Mental Health trains medical practitioners to heighten mental health awareness among medical practitioners. Omaha's Kim Foundation “serves as a supportive resource and compassionate voice for lives touched by mental illness and suicide.”

Help me if you can. I'm feeling down, and I do appreciate you being around.
Help me get my feet back on the ground. Won't you please, please help me!

Times, They Are a Changin''

Come November, as things stand at the moment, voters will choose between two very different visions of America’s future. Democrats are offering a business-as-usual vision that respects the institutions of self-governance. Conversely, Republican activists are signaling distrust for anyone and everything by vying to insert a norm-breaking, self-described authoritarian.  Things are so akimbo, the NGOP endorsed against their own incumbents including Senators Fisher, Ricketts, and Congressmen Bacon, Smith, and Flood.

Still don't know what I was waitin' for, And my time was runnin' wild. Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes: Turn and face the strange (Changes, David Bowie))

On both the right and the left, internal factions have made leadership difficult. Voters might recall Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney, Nancy Pelosi, Kevin McCarthy, and recent Nebraska governors straddled similar divides. Biden, despite recent challenges, has, with limited success, navigated the complex interests of Progressive extremism, moderation, political partisanship, and existential threats including Gaza, Ukraine, Taiwan, COVID, global warming, and cyber-terrorism. Among Biden’s credits is his selective silence, allowing him to negotiate in today’s hyper-partisanship and often unreasonable climate.

Ch-ch-changes. There's gonna have to be a different man. Time may change me, but I can't change time.

The Parties intentionally force voters to choose the political extreme or cast inconsequential votes. Traditional conservatives and liberals are pigeonholed between a MAGA agenda and the Progressive Left.

Often, partisans argue moral equivalency with, “You think we’re nuts? Look at what they’re doing!” Suggesting their form of crazy is less toxic.

On the right, MAGA conservatives have grabbed the political reins by electing candidates across all layers of government. Their intent is to redefine American norms and traditions by undermining governing institutions, weakening the Constitution, justifying a violent insurgency, and normalizing behaviors that 10 years ago they would have considered inconceivable.

On the left, Progressives leverage educational systems to alter language and thus how we think. American pop culture has as much global influence as our military might. Tied together, our vocabulary of ideas includes, knowingly or not, legacy views on race, gender, and religion, including definitions of good and bad behaviors. 

Obviously, language, and through it, norms, values, and thereby behaviors, have evolved for thousands of years.  America’s language and the imagery embedded within it, developed in a society historically dominated by white males and Protestantism. 

For example, I once used the phrase, ‘personal responsibility’ in meeting. The room exploded, accusing me of using ‘conservative code words.’ Recently, campus protesters used the Arabic term ‘intifada’ (uprising) despite knowing the term offended others. In my case, I learned quickly that I needed to change my choice of words if I wanted to successfully navigate the conversation.

Ch-ch-changes. Don't tell them to grow up and out of it.

Words and how we use them, matter. An aspect of modern politics is redefining language and the images embedded within it - thereby changing values, and ultimately behavior. Sometimes the results are desirable while in other cases, its caveat emptor (buyer beware). In a politicized setting, illegal immigrant carries a very different mental image than undocumented worker or DACA recipient.  President Mr. Obama’s refusal to use the phrase, radical Islamic terrorist, demonstrated his choice to protect American-Muslims. Equally poignant was, ‘Chinese flu’ despite its use being associated with increases in violence against Eastern-Asian Americans.

As society explores greater equality, there are five attitudes associated with changing mores including rejection, tolerance, acceptance, celebration, and participation. In 1996, 27% of Americans supported same-sex marriage: today that number is 71% - a societal move from tolerance to acceptance.

It’s important to be aware and thoughtful while society navigates a tsunami of societal change. If we normalize deviancy, we’re going to get more of it – especially when it emanates from the highest ranks of political office. What we accept and how we adapt will define how we, and others, live out our lives.

Strange fascinations, changes are taking the pace I'm goin' through. Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Today, we see college students, whose grandparent’s generation protested the Vietnam War, and fought for Civil Rights, women’s liberation, sexual liberation, the environment, and Stonewall, testing these ideas. And whether you agree with their actions or not, they have successfully forced their concerns to the forefront of the American mind.

We know they have been successful because Americans are discussing a very complex issue and conversing about rights, duties, international relations, and America’s evolving role in the world. It is through these conversations that we share ideas, debate Constitutional meanings, examine the conflict of rights, and, ultimately, learn. Through engagement we form norms that influence behaviors and define national values and morality.

I think it's time we stop, Children, what's that sound? Everybody look, what's going down. (For What Its Worth, Buffalo Springfield)

In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson argued that the role of government is to protect our rights. He warned that “whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it…” Earlier, Jefferson penned, “…governments are instituted among men, deriving their JUST POWERS (emphasis added) from the consent of the governed”

Arguably, our model of self-governance is founded on the idea that when government acts unjustly, the obligation of citizenship is to engage in dissent against the perceived injustice. Of the five rights enshrined in the First Amendment, four ensure the rights of peaceful dissent. These sacred words mean citizens have a duty, empowered by Constitutional rights, to protect our rights including those who are unable to protect their own rights.

There's something happening here. But what it is ain't exactly clear. There's a man with a gun over there, telling me I got to beware.

Riding alongside this national conversation are three rich ironies: those who historically dismissed liberals as “snowflakes” are now making the snowflake argument by rushing to the defense of those who “feel unsafe.” While public safety is a legitimate concern, especially in educational institutions, as we saw in the #MeToo movement, some claims are intended to silence dissent, cancel legitimate concerns, and punish the innocent.

A second irony is the students have modeled domestic political extremists by being disruptive, thwarting compromise, and asserting that their rights and concerns supersede the rights and concerns of others.

A third irony is that those advocating a pardon for those convicted for their role in the violent January 6^th insurrection are, at the same time, criticizing students for engaging in generally peaceful protests.

There are battle lines being drawn. Nobody's right if everybody's wrong. Young people speaking their minds, getting so much resistance from behind.

These protests include domestic and international components. Domestically, the focus is on the law and the conflict of rights. Should one body of students act in a way that impedes the rights of other students? While lawyers can, and likely will, debate this, it seems pretty clear that public safety is the overriding issue.

The international component raises a moral concern that strikes at the very core of American citizenship. Should students pressure their government to reexamine America’s role in the death and maiming of innocent women, children, and men in Gaza? Dr. Martin Luther King argued that in the pursuit of justice, we have a moral obligation to obey a just law and lovingly disobey an unjust law. If the actions of Israel in the Gaza Strip are unjust, then, according to King and Jefferson, we have a moral obligation to “redress grievances” without fear of punishment. According to Gallup, the majority (54%-56%) of Americans now “disapprove” of Israeli military actions in Gaza.

Although the Declaration of Independence is Jefferson’s ideal vision of American society, unlike the U.S. Constitutional, it is not a legal document. However, the Declaration has moral standing and includes our concepts of equal rights, the social contract, and self-governance. It empowers our democratic principles, asserting that the authority of government rests upon the consent of the governed and that the obligation of citizenship is to act when for causes that are not “light and transient.” Jefferson also defines the natural rights as, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

What a field day for the heat. A thousand people in the street. Singing songs and they’re carrying signs, mostly say, "Hooray for our side."

So what do we do? Some have taken to the streets and, thankfully, we live in a land where this is their God given right. Others are less certain. At a time when our rights often seem under siege, should we defend other’s rights?

In his correspondence with the Danbury Baptists, Jefferson is credited with a quote often attributed to Voltaire or Beatrice Hall, “I don’t agree with what you say but I will defend your right to say it.”

Also ascribed to Jefferson, John Philpot Curran wrote, “It is the common fate of the indolent (lazy) to see their rights become prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance.” Simply, we must be vigilant when rights may potentially be taken away. The applicable question here is, “Whose rights are under threat in this situation?”

Today, public discourse seemingly demands we take an immutable or unchangeable position on issues that often require complex solutions. Being inflexible is a bad idea. Complex issues get warped by partisanship in an election cycle. I would urge patience and respect towards this generation as they seek to discover their values and morals. An honest soul would admit our generation could have done better. Engage credible news outlets, and discuss complex issues such as, “Are the peaceful assemblies of student protests an appropriate moral response?”  These are exactly the sort of issues Americans should be informed of, concerned about, and discussing.

Paranoia strikes deep. Into your life it will creep. It starts when you're always afraid: step out of line, the men come and take you away.