Greetings, y’all. Yep, I am putting together this missive at 10:50 pm CT after watching the Trump-Harris presidential debate. Angela and I watched the debate at an event hosted by the American Jewish Conservatives at the Angelika Theater in Dallas. What was interesting was that one side of the theater had our group, and the other side had Democrats watching the debate. Before we went into cinema four, Angela and I stopped to get some popcorn and a hot dog…talk about inflation, that and two drinks cost $27. Well, there was a woman in line in front of us, and she turned and said, “There are too many Republicans here; tell me that you are Democrats.” Uh oh. Well, I quickly responded to the lady wearing a purple t-shirt, “Ma’am, I am a combat veteran, and I am not voting for a coward or the person who picked a coward.” She was at a loss for words in responding…and that is the way you handle leftists in a debate — leave them speechless.

As for the debate, well, when your expectations are set so very low, as with Kamala Harris, just breathing is a reason to claim success. VP Harris’ performance was a good presentation of a well-rehearsed 90-minute infomercial. She avoided most questions, such as why your administration keeps Trump tariffs and whether Americans are better off than they were four years ago. What she was quite adept at doing, with the assistance of the debate moderators, was to set traps in which Donald Trump did engage. In the end, she was not convincing but came across as a well-prepared phony and fraud whose actions speak louder than her words. And it is obvious that her team did not feel great about the performance because they are requesting a second debate.

For Donald Trump, his best was the opening response to the question about whether you are better off than you were four years ago. Trump undoubtedly was in an environment where it was 3-1, but he held his own. His best was the closing, where he simply asked the question, why have you not done all these things over the past three and a half years? However, there were some real missed opportunities, the best one being in relation to the Ukraine conflict. When Harris was bragging about meeting with Ukrainian president Zelensky about the Russian threat, Trump capitalized on the fact that 72 hours after her visit, Russia attacked. I would have elaborated on that as a Neville Chamberlain moment. I would have liked to have seen a little more on the 250K fentanyl deaths, single military-age illegal immigrant males, and housing being unaffordable because of failed economic policy leading to higher interest rates.

But what I want to address here as the Executive Director of the American Constitutional Rights Union is the real loser in the debate…

The Constitution of the United States of America.

This debate was held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, the birthplace of our Declaration of Independence and our rule of law, the U.S. Constitution. Not once did I hear the word “Constitution” used by the debate moderators or either candidate. Now, I can hear some of you say, “C’mon, Col., you’re making a big deal outta nothing…” Really?

The oath of office for the President of the United States of America is, “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of the President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

It does matter, and it is a big deal. No one at a presidential debate held at the National Constitution Center made reference to the Constitution. No question was asked in relation to the Constitutional duties and responsibilities of the President of the United States. Simply put, allowing tens of millions of people into the United States is a constitutional violation, Article IV, Section 4. There is no place where it is an enumerated power of the president to relieve college student loan debt. At no time during this debate was constitutional governance discussed. Why? Simple, because We the People, do not demand such.

Every question should have been presented as a backdrop against the Constitution. Kamala Harris even said that access to healthcare is a right. Where does it say so in the Constitution? It is utterly sickening to me that we continue to hear about aspirations, dreams, and hope. I have had enough of that. I want to hear about protecting individual rights, freedoms, and liberties. I want to understand how the respective candidates’ policies are aligned with the Constitution. Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution states the enumerated powers of the federal government — (18) powers. What does giving folks housing money have to do with those duties?

America is not a democracy; we are a Constitutional Republic. Why were candidates not asked to define the difference? Why were these candidates not asked, what does the Constitution mean to you? How do you honor your oath to preserve, protect, and defend it? When the issue of life was presented, the simple response should have been that it is not an enumerated power to the federal government, and the pivot should have been to the 10th Amendment.

Climate change? When did the weather become the business of the government? When did the federal government find the power to tell citizens what to eat and drink, what type of appliances to have, what type of home to build, and what car to drive?

The perfect person to have moderated a presidential debate at the National Constitution Center would have been Mark Levin. If there is to be another debate, perhaps we will talk more about the issues and principles of governance. Sounds boring, huh? Well, that is the reason why we are in this mess as a country. We want sensationalism. My prayer and hope is that the American people will return to having a thirst for intellectual discourse and debate and not just a version of political theater.

I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States — no statute of limitations. I take that oath seriously and wish that those who have taken it and seek to take it as president would do the same.

Steadfast and Loyal.