When I go back home and run into someone I’ve known since childhood, I’ll usually hear something that reminds me of how I used to talk and act like I was destined to run for office someday.

I smile when I hear that people would still like to vote for me one day, but I also feel the weight behind it. Because the truth is, a lot has changed since the days when I was living at home and first sharing my opinions about the world. My views have evolved as I’ve learned, listened, and experienced more. So, I’m starting this site as a place to share my reflections openly, not because I have everything figured out, but because I think it’s important to be honest about what I believe, how I got there, and what I’m still wrestling with along the way.

Over the years, my political affiliations may have shifted, and I’m sure the way I describe my beliefs today would surprise the version of me that first started paying attention to politics. But I also like to think that while my political alignment has evolved, my values haven’t.

At my core, I’ve always been drawn to the same idea:

People deserve to be treated fairly, given a real chance to build a life they’re proud of, and allowed to share in the success of the country they help sustain.

That’s all I keep coming back to and it’s why, when I try and put my beliefs into words, I find my self centering on three core tenets that I believe every person is entitled to: dignity, opportunity, and prosperity.

1. Dignity

   Dignity comes first because it is foundational to all else. It means being seen and being respected. Dignity means that no person’s worth is up for debate - regardless of where they’re from, how much they make, who they love, or what they believe.

   Dignity is not something that has to be earned. It is something you are born with, and our politics has a responsibility to protect it.

2. Opportunity

   Opportunity is how dignity is made real in our daily lives. It is the chance to learn, to work, to contribute, and to build a future you can be proud of.

   Opportunity means that where you’re born doesn’t decide what you’re allowed to become. It means you can work hard and still have time to be a parent, a partner, a friend, and a person. Opportunity is the cornerstone of a politics where hard work matters, potential is not wasted, and no one is written off before they’ve even had a real chance to succeed.

3. Prosperity

   Prosperity is what can be achieved when dignity is protected and the promises of opportunity are sincere. It is not about excess for the few. It is about stability and security for the many.

   Prosperity means your hard work allows you to pay your bills, provide for those around you, and still have something left to save. It means you can plan for the future without living one emergency away from financial ruin. It means being able to save for a future with peace of mind, not uncertainty.

   And prosperity doesn’t end with us. It means leaving things better than we found them so that those who come after us can build something even greater.

For most of my life, I believed members of both parties were working (imperfectly, but sincerely) toward the same basic ideals of dignity, opportunity, and prosperity. Even when I disagreed with some of the methods, I believed we were arguing about the path forward, not the destination.

Unfortunately, that’s no longer what I see today. The Republican Party has become increasingly aligned with a leader whose politics are driven by grievance, division, and the deliberate erosion of basic human dignity. And when I hold that politics against the ideals that matter most to me, it doesn’t just fall short. It stands in direct opposition.

A politics that denies the dignity of others - the dignity of workers, of immigrants, of marginalized communities - cannot honestly claim to believe in the value of freedom.

A politics that blocks opportunity by weakening public education, making health care less affordable, or treating basic assistance as something people must “deserve” cannot honestly claim to believe in equal opportunity for all.

A politics that protects wealth and power at the top while working families fall further behind cannot honestly claim to believe in shared prosperity.

And a politics that leaves the next generation with less stability, fewer protections, and fewer pathways upward is not advancing our nation. It’s holding it back.

As I have raised my objections to the direction of this party under this leader, some people have pushed back with something along the lines of:

“Don’t listen to what he says. Look at what he does.”

I have to be honest: this is an insane standard to apply to this office, let alone any other job. The President of the United States, if not anyone else, should be judged by both words and action. No other job in the world gives someone permission to speak recklessly and then ask everyone to translate it into something more palatable. Words matter, especially those said by the leader elected to lead the most powerful nation on Earth.

But even if we accept that lowered standard - if we ignore the rhetoric entirely and judge him and this party that aimlessly follows him only by their results - the record is still damning. I don’t see dignity being protected. I don’t see opportunity being expanded. I don’t see prosperity being built for all people. Instead, I see cruelty with division being rewarded and the powerful being insulated while everyone else is told to absorb the consequences.

If you still support him or his party, I’m not writing to insult you. I’m not writing to score points, to posture, or even pretend that I have all the answers. I want to put into words what I think is happening and take a genuine look at “what he does” and why I believe it’s hurting people. I want to look directly at the choices being made, the tone being set, and the consequences that follow, especially for those with the least power to absorb them.

And just as importantly, I want to talk about what comes next. What it would look like to rebuild a politics that is serious about dignity, real opportunity, and prosperity that reaches beyond the top and lasts to the generations beyond.

So if you’ve read this far, I appreciate you.

I’m going to keep writing because I’ve realized I need an outlet to help keep me honest about the world and politics as I see it. Whether you agree or disagree with me or are still sorting out where you stand, I hope you’ll stay with me. I’m not asking for blind agreement - I’m asking for good faith. I’m asking that we take a hard look at impact, at outcomes, and at an alternative vision for the future.

I hope that you ask questions. Offer ideas. Push back respectfully. Tell me what you think I’m getting right or what you think I’m missing. And if you’re curious, please keep reading. This is a journey, and I’m grateful you’re here for it.