… and jingo was his name-o
For months now, I’ve been waiting for Trump to finally hang himself with this rough rope of racism and xenophobia he’s been braiding since the first of the year. Sooner or later, I thought, he’s going to have one of those Joe McCarthy moments, where somebody important finally stands up and echoes the classic words of Joseph Welch: “Until this moment … I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness. … At long last, have you left no sense of decency?”
But now it seems possible that moment might not come. Every new outrage from Trump brings him a nice little bump in the polls. This latest business, his completely bogus recollection of New Jersey Muslims celebrating 9/11 en masse, hasn’t cost him one iota of support. Far from it. It doesn’t matter that it’s a lie; he’s saying exactly what his growing base seems to fully believe: All our problems as a nation are authored by others — specifically, Muslims, Mexicans and most black people. Oh, and losers.
This is dangerous thinking. Because if you believe it, then you will also believe in the “solutions” that follow. Trump has already floated the idea of ethnic registration. Without wanting to be overly dramatic, I can think of another country where that was tried — with the same sort of bombast about making that country great again. Maybe it’s too soon for the Hitler analogy, but a guy doesn’t want to be too late either.
I don’t know which is worse: the idea that Trump actually believes his own bullshit, or the idea that he doesn’t believe it but doesn’t mind inciting hatred to enhance his own cult of personality. Either way, the guy is starting to worry me.
We’ve always had buffoons in American politics. We’ve always had folks like Joe McCarthy, who tap a dark tide of ignorance and ride that wave until it hurls them onto the stony shore. So far, none of them have become president.
Trump started his campaign as a bellicose cartoon riding down an escalator. How we laughed. Now, he’s the leading contender for the Republican nomination, at a time when a bunch of ignorant, piss-ant barbarians have made us see them as a bigger threat than the far deadlier problems we shrug off here here at home. We’ll do anything to stop armed fanatics unless those armed fanatics are the white Americans most prone to mass shootings.
FDR said the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. I’m not sure that’s true in 2015. Trump remains a ridiculous figure, but his bulletproof popularity is getting pretty scary. A country run by Donald Trump would be a lot of things, but great isn’t among them.
Get our cash out of the classroom
Dangerous toys
In it to win it — by default, if necessary
The worst sort of stupid
All about the veterans
you said it and said it well. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, Dave.
Thanks, Deb! And to you as well.
I’m sincerely hoping this is all a prelude to a split in the Republican party, because plenty on the right are quite embarrassed by him. Frankly, I think it’s also YEARS of the Republicans whipping up racial and class-based fear and hatred to propel them to power coming home to roost. They may not have made Trump, but as a whole party — without acknowledging it too directly or sullying their own hands — they made the mood that Trump is riding. Trump is just directly saying the things they’ve been saying obliquely and with plausible deniably all along.
Too right, Hayley, and you too, Dave. It’s surprising that The Donald has made it this far, but it’s not surprising to me that his open bigotry has this many supporters. An honest look back shows us that Hitler had plenty of support in the US. He had followers in all of Europe as well, even after the bombs started falling.
Tribalism is in our DNA, but it’s hard to talk about rising above evolved behavior with people who don’t believe in evolution. In general, it’s tough to reason with people who reject reasoning.
That’s exactly the problem: When opinion trumps objective fact, then reasoning does not apply.
I agree completely. Moderate, sensible Republicans — an endangered species — have a tough choice in the months to come. And they have no leader.
As a common sense conservative I am always disgusted by those that waive raw meat for the holing masses….on both sides of the aisle. Trump is a buffoon! The Democrats don’t get a free pass though in my book…..Clinton’s cartoonish crying about income inequality while pulling down $300k-$500k for a speech at a university…..the stonewalling about her emails….her credibility is non existent! My wish is for a real grown up to lead this country. Someone who tells us the truth and can get people to look at cold hard facts and truly lead. Instead we as a people vote for the one who wants to give us the most stuff! Trump is a moron but today’s political environment from both sides is what leads to such a state.
Spot on, Uncle Dave.