Op-ed:

Economics + War = A Maybe Midterm Loss...Part Two

By Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor

This opinion piece is my opinion alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.or google.com    

In last week's article, “Economics + War = A Maybe Midterm Loss...Part One”... I wrote as to why, in my opinion, we Republicans might well lose both the House and the Senate come November's midterm election by focusing on the economic perspective. Now here, in Part Two, the focus is on President Trump's, what I believe to be, mishandling of the still ongoing war with Iran...a war that has become highly unpopular and polarizing here at home, and even more so as the November midterms draw near.

So let's begin with the cardinal rule that Trump has broken, as in the U.S. does not...I repeat not...negotiate with terrorists. And yes, Barack Obama did break that rule with his infamous “5-for-1” Taliban deal...as in five top Taliban operatives being released in exchange for U.S. traitor Bowe Bergdahl's release...which saw many of us chastising Obama's actions en-mass, and rightly so. But when now President Trump outwardly strives and continues to strive to make “deals” with Iran's terrorist regime...as in the world's leading “State Sponsor of Terrorism,” the silence from way too many Republicans remains quite deafening.

And to make matters worse, when some of us do call Trump out for dealing and negotiating with terrorists... which includes the still ongoing ultra secretive behind closed doors negotiating aspect...along with the fact that we have yet to actually win this war...wars being fought do need both an actual winner and a loser...we who do so are then deemed by Trump loyalists to be traitors to the president and to the party because we, according to our naysayers, suffer from what they deem to be “Trump Derangement Syndrome” or “TDS” as it's more commonly known, and it's no matter that most of us voted for Trump three times, and still do support many of his domestic policies, but dare disagree with him on anything, well you know the rest.

So here I must say that I see we dissenters as being true “American patriots” for we know that one's ultimate loyalty should not be to one man or to a party, but to the United States Constitution...the very document that the shadow of Trump hovers over for both right and wrong reasons depending on whose side of the political discourse one is on.

And this very aspect in relation to what is deemed to be misplaced loyalty by some, as well as it having divided the Republican Party, has become not just the second (second only to the economy itself) “albatross” dangling from what could be a Republican midterm loss, but it is something Trump cannot simply just walk away from.

Why so? Think of it this way, as defined by these seven proven to be facts.

Fact One: Besides Trump wanting to make deals with terrorists, he also set an unrealistic time frame as to when this war will end... six weeks tops he said.

Fact Two: Right from the beginning President Trump made unfortunate what are strategic miscalculations regarding Iran's ability to fight back, which included his not taking into account Iran's regional proxy army/drone retaliations against Iran's own Arab neighbors, as well as his telling our ally Israel what they can and cannot do in regards to this war, as in his wanting a diplomatic solution to end the war vs. Israel's wanting to finish the war last summer when we truly were in control of the discourse.

Fact Three: the remnants of what's left of the regime... as in the IRGC...still does remain in control of Iran, and continues to execute jailed “Freedom Fighters” by the day, and they show no sign of backing away from battle anytime soon, after all their religion simply will not allow them to do so.

Fact Four: Trump, to date, still has not yet made any serious public statement regarding Iran's bio-weapons program...the very program I have been calling out since this war began for these are Iran's “last stand” weapons of choice...weapons that the regime would surely use either against Israel, our military personnel stationed at bases in the region, or if desperate enough against the Iranian people themselves.

Fact FIVE: And most important of all is our original reason for going to war with Iran, as in to permanently stop any and all of Iran's nuclear ambitions... the very thing we have yet to accomplish for Iran has agreed to nothing nuclear wise...no agreements has been made let alone their signature appearing anywhere on the dotted line.

Fact Six: And dare we not forget how the Strait of Hormuz did turn this war into a war that many now deem to be but a war for “control over oil;” and how that one aspect does affect not only the global market, but the price at the pump here in our own country as well. And then there's the fact...whether some like it or not...that this war has to some degree actually depleted or at least has run down the numbers of certain of our important  military stocks...military stocks such as U.S. Patriot Missiles, components of our THAAD anti-missile defense system, and our all important Tomahawk Missile inventories, to name but three.

Fact Seven: Also something very telling that must not be forgotten is that while President Trump has again raised troop presence in the Middle East...a good thing as it increases our show of strength...yet he still keeps the all important so-called “boots” locked up on battleships and aircraft carriers instead of allowing them to do the job they were expertly trained for and are willing to do...as in to outright win this war and not be but “hands tied behind their backs” window dressing bystanders.

And here it is important to remember that that actual strategy planning itself...whether it be economic or a military/war type strategy...is most assuredly a multi-tiered endeavor...but that whatever strategy is agreed upon said strategy's implementation...whether it be war time or economic strategy...is actually initiated solely by the president, no matter if he decides to listen to or not listen to what his advisors or experts tell or suggest him to do or not do.

So here let me say that while I personally do still agree with President Trump's original reasons for going to war with Iran, I still do not support his actual handling of the war to date as its components of non-tangible and unrealistic solutions continues to weigh heavy on the minds of many voters, and could well be being a contributing factor in the Republicans possibly losing the midterm election. Why so...because the midterms are actually a referendum on how the sitting president and his party are doing...as in have promises made to “We the People” actually been kept or not.

And sadly, for this president who promised us “no new wars” on his watch while campaigning in 2024, that does not sit well now for the man or his (and my) party, especially when it's coupled with the issues I discussed in “Part One” of this article...including Trump's what is tariff fiasco. And here might I add the fact that while job numbers have increased as have wages...good things indeed...wages themselves have not been able to keep up with inflation which is not a good thing, meaning one cancels out the other, something no one wants to see happen around midterm time.

So to sum it all up, and to prove that 2 +2 in the political realm can still or at least should = 4...the fact remains that a midterm loss for Republicans is thankfully not yet guaranteed, but unfortunately nor is a midterm win. But maybe the odds can be shifted back in the Republicans favor if President Trump were to tell the voters that he's now putting his ego aside so that what are his true economic and foreign policy successes (like the Abraham Accords) can finally shine though on their own, and also that this now unpopular war with Iran is guaranteed to soon be coming to an end and with a U.S. “written in stone” victory.

A hard sell for sure but it can be done, and maybe this midterm election can be the turning point to where we on both sides of the political aisle finally realize that we ourselves, courtesy of in-party fighting, are actually helping to destroy our beloved America from within. So maybe it's time that both the uber far left and the uber far right rhetoric in each party needs to be toned down or better yet ditched completely, for both the far left and the far right are actually one and the same...unyielding, deliberately divisive, with hatred alone being their driving factor...solutions to problems be damned.

So maybe come November 3rd we Republicans and Democrats together as Americans can finally understand that adopting some Reagan-style bipartisanship can actually be what saves our country from ultimately imploding from within, after all nothing else has. Case closed.

Copyright @ 2026 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All Rights Reserved.    

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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE! 

Tomorrow, Tuesday, October 13 from 7 to 8:30pm EST, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss 'Economics + War = A Maybe Midterm Loss...Part One'; ' 'Iran's Regime - Low on Time, Out of Leverage, Long on Desperation.'; and important news of the day. Tune in to RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS on https://rspradio1.com Click 'LISTEN LIVE.' 

  

Op-ed:

Even Great Presidents Make Mistakes...Part Two

By Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor

The article posted here is the authors opinion alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.com or Google    

...And that's not all, for while Qatar and Putin's Russia are not “formally recognized” as allies, they do nurture a growing strategic partnership along with shared political and economic ties...ties based upon a diverse range of issues including, but not limited to, energy, trade, and the allowing of both countries to have a hand in profiting from Middle East regional conflicts.  

Qatar...no matter it technically being a U.S. ally...no matter us having the “AL-Udeid Air Base” (the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East) in Qatar for over two decades...Qatar still cannot and should not be trusted as a main player in the still ongoing Israel/Hamas peace process let alone in the Middle East region itself. And why...because with Qatar having adopted what's called an “activist foreign policy,'' it allows them to actually play both sides against the middle as they continue to help fund certain terrorist aligned nations, even if its under the radar so to speak, while at the same time playing the part of being a peace negotiator. And not to be forgotten is that the UAE and all important Saudi Arabia both share a deep disdain for Qatar. Why so... because Qatar is the main financier of the Muslim Brotherhood...Read entire article here.

Op-ed:

Even Great Presidents Make Mistakes...Part Two

By Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor

The article posted here is the authors opinion alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.com or Google   

In 'Part One' of this series I began by stating that I voted for Donald J. Trump three times, and would vote for him a fourth time if it was constitutionally allowed. And know I still stand by those words even though I disagreed with his putting the “tariffs” before the economy itself. Here you can read why in 'Part One.'

In this 'Part Two' I will delve into why I believe President Trump made a second mistake regarding the logistics of the Israel/Hamas ceasefire being a pathway to peace, as well as briefly touching upon a possible third mistake being made...one that might or might not happen...in regards to the 2028 Republican presidential ticket.

So let me begin by saying that while our president's intentions were both honorable and just, his mistake regarding the ceasefire was made by his breaking one of America's cardinal rules, as in America does not...I repeat does not...negotiate with terrorists. And while this has technically been a long-standing but unwritten core principle of U.S. foreign policy, the reality is that said rule has sadly been broken before, often with disastrous and/or questionable results.

One such example took place in 2014, when then President Obama made the highly questionable “5-for-1” prisoner exchange with the Taliban. Briefly, Obama's deal, made courtesy of a third party nation, saw five top level Taliban commanders being exchanged for American traitor Bowe Bergdahl... who upon being returned home faced charges of “desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.”

And while prosecutors at his court-martial did seek a sentence of 14 years in prison, Bergadahl was given no time after having submitted so-called “evidence of torture” while being held by the Taliban. However, Bergdahl was dishonorably discharged (rightfully making him ineligible for health services and disability benefits), and ordered to forfeit $10,000 in pay. All but a slap on the wrist, in my opinion, because he knowingly and willingly put his fellow American soldiers lives in danger when he deserted and went looking for the enemy, but Obama obviously saw the situation differently, and we all can surmise why.

Now as for the five Taliban commanders, their punishment was indeed but a mere slap on the wrist for after being subjected to a one-year travel ban and monitoring in the nation Obama turned them over to, these five terrorists were back out on the field orchestrating and succeeding in the killing of more American military personnel.

Now here is where it gets interesting for the nation that helped in Obama's brokering of the infamous “5-for-1” prisoner exchange is the very same nation that helped to broker President Trump's what is now turning out to be anything but a “ceasefire deal.” And that nation is Qatar...the very nation Obama transferred the custody of the Taliban commanders to back in 2014, and we all know how well that turned out to be, now don't we... sarcastically said of course.

And know this is the same Qatar who willingly gave “safe harbor,” and still does, to top Hamas officials before, during, and now after the Trump initiated Israel/Hamas ceasefire went into effect...a ceasefire whose conditions Hamas has broken time and time again. And Qatar also played a central role as the primary mediator in the negotiations for the said “ceasefire.” Now rightfully facing criticism and pressure from Israel and as well as from some here in the U.S. regarding its continuing ties to Hamas, one must remember that Qatar also supported Hamas' governance in Gaza, and remains dedicated to Hamas' goal of there being a “two-state solution” to said war.

Simply, Qatar...just like all muslim dominated islamic nations... will do and say anything, including making promises and faux gestures of wanting peace if it helps to push forward “radical islam's” ultimate objective of total world submission to islam...a world that obviously would be minus Christians and Jews. And with Trump's bringing Qatar into the ceasefire fold, he has now also allowed...albeit unknowingly...Qatar to succeed in their quest of becoming a “player” on the world stage, with their added bonus being a hoped for drawing of a wedge between Israel and the U.S. 

And why is this disturbing... because Qatar still maintains open communication with not only terrorist groups like the Taliban and Hamas, but has diplomatic and economic relations with Iran as well. No wonder Israel is not happy with Qatar having been any part of the ceasefire deal, especially since Qatar had established unofficial trade relations with Israel in 1996, but “permanently” severed those relations in 2009, and to date has still not normalized nor even attempted to normalize relations with Israel.

And that's not all, for while Qatar and Putin's Russia are not “formally recognized” as allies, they do nurture a growing strategic partnership along with shared political and economic ties...ties based upon a diverse range of issues including, but not limited to, energy, trade, and the allowing of both countries to have a hand in profiting from Middle East regional conflicts.

Qatar...no matter it technically being a U.S. ally...no matter us having the “AL-Udeid Air Base” (the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East) in Qatar for over two decades...Qatar still cannot and should not be trusted as a main player in the still ongoing Israel/Hamas peace process let alone in the Middle East region itself. And why...because with Qatar having adopted what's called an “activist foreign policy,'' it allows them to actually play both sides against the middle as they continue to help fund certain terrorist aligned nations, even if its under the radar so to speak, while at the same time playing the part of being a peace negotiator. And not to be forgotten is that the UAE and all important Saudi Arabia both share a deep disdain for Qatar. Why so... because Qatar is the main financier of the Muslim Brotherhood, which they rightfully deem to be a direct threat to both their monarchies and to Middle East peace. 

Simply, in their playing both sides...impartiality be damned...Qatar remains in the media spotlight which alone helps in their quest to gain more and more influence in the region itself. But in reality Qatar's role is really that of being the “devil's advocate”...one just has to look at the aforementioned  “5-for1” Taliban prisoner exchange coupled with its outcome to see that as being truth.

President Trump has to see this, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has to see this as well (and if anyone does it's him), but for some reason Donald Trump either does not see it or, like Qatar he is also playing, to some degree, both sides against the middle, but with the hope that it brings some semblance of peace to the Middle East.

I truly do believe that President Trump is dedicated to making peace happen, but the fact remains that dedication alone is not necessarily a harbinger of peace. And I hope that he is not totally counting on Qatar's promised trillion dollar investment in the U.S., especially since Qatar still has not ended its ties and support for a number of terrorist groups nor has it...and this bears repeating again...made any concerted effort to normalize relations with Israel...the very country they are playing...or supposedly playing...mediator for. Simply, I have a very uneasy feeling about this what well could be a mistake on President Trump's part, but only time will tell whether it is or not.

A possible mistake indeed. A mistake that if it is made, could well have serious ramifications in regards to the 2028 Republican presidential ticket.

 

How so...because if the Trump brokered Israel/Hamas ceasefire deal in the end falls apart with Saudi Arabia possibly becoming the deciding factor in which way the Middle East will go... as in will threats of war with the Jewish State always be on the horizon or will we see a Saudi brokered shift towards peace? However, Saudi Arabia, to date, has yet to sign the “Abraham Accords,” and you just know how the leftist media controlled “court of public opinion” will jump all over that point as they place the blame for the ceasefire deal's failure on President Trump and Israel, and not on Hamas and its supporters where it would rightfully belong.

And this would affect the 2028 presidential race how...because as Trump's vice president, JD Vance...the Republican's current heir apparent...would then be deemed as carrying on what would be seen as Trump's failed foreign policy initiatives. Forgetting our president's other successful peace deals, the focus would remain on the Middle East and on Russia who have yet to see a deal being brokered to end its war with Ukraine...a war Trump and his team thought they would bring to a successful conclusion that both sides would accept in a relatively short period of time. But to date, as I write this, that unfortunately has not happened either, even with all Trump's good intentions and open ended gestures.

 

And then there's this important historical fact that many Republicans and Democrats have overlooked...the fact that only once in our nation's 250 year history has a vice president been able to see what would be their own two-term presidency. And that honor goes only to Thomas Jefferson who served twice as vice president and then went on to be elected to, and complete two terms as president.

And why is this so...because by the time the once vice president has served his own first term in office as president, the country itself would likely be ready for some vestiges of political change. And this could well be the case if the then new one term president was deemed to be but a continuation of his former boss's presidency, especially if the public deemed the former president's failures to have outnumbered his successes, and that the new president was carrying over the same failed policies into his presidency.

Now here please understand that while I believe JD Vance...Trump's seemingly designated heir apparent...has done well as vice president, he is not as well versed in foreign affairs as is Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and foreign affairs in today's volatile world is indeed as important as domestic issues. In fact, in some cases, foreign affairs directly affect our domestic issues more so than it affects the world at large.

“If they ever formed a group, it would be unstoppable. I really do. I believe that.” - So said President Trump just a few weeks ago when the idea of a Vance/Rubio 2028 ticket was being floated around.

And while I like those two names linked together, I do think Trump could be making a mistake in not making the ticket “Rubio/Vance.” Why so...because “Rubio/Vance” is a politically stronger ticket due to Rubio's 15 years in the U.S. Senate; his current position as Secretary of State; as well as his being a leading figure on foreign policy including the fact that he was a senior member of the Foreign Relations Committee; and served as Vice-Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

J.D. Vance, had only served two years in the Senate before becoming vice president, but he does have one important credential I think all president's should have, as in hands-on military service...whether they be a veteran or former member of the National Guard. JD Vance is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and I truly honor him for that. 

However, JD lacks something important that Rubio has, as in the ability to bring Independents and even moderate Democrats over to his side. Remember, Rubio was the only Trump nominee who sailed through the process with both Democrat and Republican support which bodes well with Independent voters. And it's these very voters who do not view Vance well, but see him as an opportunist after his having switched from being a Trump hater to a Trump loyalist.

But if the 2028 ticket is Vance/Rubio that is the ticket that gets my vote. However, my dream ticket would be DeSantis/Rubio...the best governor in the country paired with the best Secretary of State ever. Talk about a politically strong ticket...Trump would make no mistake with a ticket like that. Case closed.

Copyright © 2025 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All rights reserved.

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For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article Release the Conspiracy Kraken.

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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!                                                     Tomorrow, Tuesday, December 2nd from 7 to 8:30pm EST, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss 'Even Great Presidents Make Mistakes...Part Two'; 'Release the Conspiracy Kraken'; and important news of the day. Hope you can tune in to RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS on https://rspradio1.com Click 'LISTEN LIVE' starting at 6:50pm EST, show begins at 7pm EST.

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