Politics: Real and Otherwise
Politics is not for the faint-hearted, or for simple-minded idealists.
Ludwig von Rochau coined the term "realpolitik" in the 19th century, which means political approaches that are based on practical considerations rather than ideological objectives.
For example, consider the withdrawal of ICE enforcement from Minneapolis. On the surface, it appears as a cowardly retreat, but it's realpolitik in practice.
Trump didn’t declare defeat in Minneapolis; he switched to a smarter strategy, by Andrea Widburg, American Thinker 14 February 2026. The article states:
In a perfect world, given Minnesota’s refusal to work with ICE to remove the worst criminal illegal aliens, the Trump administration would have moved in and hunted down as many as possible to detain and then repatriate them.
Also, in a perfect world, when the screaming minions of leftism took to the streets to harass ICE agents in ways that far exceeded observation and speech, both federal and local law enforcement would have arrested them en masse.
... That’s how you quash civil unrest, which is what was happening in Minneapolis.
But... Trump understands that he must win the midterm elections to cement his legacy. He doesn’t want a repeat of his first term...
When Trump left the White House, his entire first term achievements had been predicated on executive orders. Biden was able to erase every single Trump policy within three days. As the fight over the SAVE Act shows, Trump is still bedeviled by RINOs in Congress, not to mention an even more razor-thin margin in each chamber...
... if he cannot persuade the lumpen masses to vote for Republicans in the midterm, his presidency is over.
Significantly, Trump understands that the most powerful force in America today isn’t the government; it’s the media...
... he’s still winning when he doesn’t alienate ordinary Americans. This is how you drag Republicans over the finish line in the 2026 midterms...
Also, regarding those crazed leftists, my bet is that Trump learned from what the FBI did to January 6 attendees. He’s going to have FBI agents do the same with footage from Minneapolis, along with all that wonderful information that internet sleuths like Data Republican found about the paramilitary operations going on behind the protests...
The above article mentions the SAVE Act, which will require voters to show ID. NewNeo discusses the importance of this act in her 12 February 2026 article, The Senate GOP and the SAVE Act:
I’ve seen a lot of posts and comments around the internet expressing frustration with the GOP in the Senate for not yet passing the SAVE Act. It’s so important, according to just about everyone. It would codify as a federal matter many voting safeguards, such as IDs/proof of citizenship.
I agree that it’s important, and it would be wonderful if it were passed - although as soon as Democrats came to power they’d probably pass HR1, its mirror-image opposite.
And is it worthwhile to nuke the filibuster to pass the SAVE Act? Probably, many say. Plus, there’s little doubt the Democrats would end the filibuster - and will do it if they control the Senate - in order to finally pass HR1 after so many tries.
So, what’s the problem? Why not do it? Isn’t it just the usual stupidity, cowardice, and mendacity of the Republicans in the Senate (including of course McConnell and Murkowski), holding it back?
The comments posted to the article offer interesting discussion and insight into the political process.