Thirty-five years ago, long before one of America’s two main political parties was lost to lies and corruption, it really was the economy.

And no one’s saying that economic conditions have no bearing on our nation’s political decision-making.

But the results of the 2026 midterm elections show clearly that the U.S. has lost whatever appetite it may had for blatant criminality in our government.

It WAS the Economy

When I was in elementary school in the early 1960s, our teachers made a big deal out of grammatical rules like the one at left.

All these years later, “a lot” is still two words, but certain other similar things have fallen off a cliff, e.g.,

“All right” is also two words, but we constantly see “alright.”

Split infinitives are now common, e.g., “to boldly go.”

Cannot now can be written “can not.”

Modify a gerund no longer requires a possessive.

“Whom” is seldom used and when it is, it’s normally used incorrectly.

Agreement of subject and verb, e.g., “There’s a lot of things I hate about modern life.”

The subjunctive mood, stating a wish or something contrary to fact, like “If I was president.” Should be were.

My fourth-grade teacher, Ruth Tindall, would be rolling over in her grave.

Rules of Grammar

The whole world is watching what becomes of the United States and its democracy that is teetering on the brink.

No Pressure, America