Trump IS the GOP

There seems to be widespread denial in the GOP. Many Republican leaders and former leaders have distanced themselves from Donald Trump. People like Colin Powell, Condi Rice, and the Bushes. Folks like Mitch McConnell and Paul  Ryan. John Mc Cain. (Of course others, like Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio,  Chris Christie and Rudy Giuliani have fully supported Trump’s campaign)

Some have silently distanced themselves. Just not  actively supporting him. Others have been vocal in refusing to support his candidacy.

They don’t like his “tone” . They don’t like his racism. They oppose his misogynistic statements. They cannot support his claims that our elections are somehow “rigged” against him. He does not, according to them, represent the values of  the Republican Party.

They are hypocrites.

Donald Trump IS the natural and predictable result of the tactics and rhetoric of the last 30 years emanating from the GOP. He did not “steal” the nomination of the GOP;  he was selected. He is not an outlier, he is at the very core of the new GOP. All the forces that were drawn together to win the nomination of the party have been trending for years in his direction.

First. Denial of the legitimacy of Barack Obama. This has been the key focus of the GOP for the last 8 years. So what that the majority of Americans voted for him and his policies? Before he took office the GOP , under Mitch McConnell, made it clear that the goal of the party was to “make him fail”. If the people did not want GOP policies, then the GOP would  simply stand in the way of the people. And they did. Trump’s assertion that elections are “rigged” is simply an extension of that mindset. If a Dem wins the Oval Office, we will refuse to recognize the will of the people.

Second. The Hate Clinton Machine. Since Bill Clinton took office  (elected by the people) the GOP has used millions of tax payer dollars to try to destroy both Clintons. We saw the Whitewater investigations which led nowhere.  We saw the joke of an impeachment trial which led nowhere. We saw 8 investigations of the tragic  killings in Benghazi which led nowhere. Now we see email revelations and FBI investigations which are leading nowhere. The GOP  has used the mechanisms of government to assault the Clintons, ignoring evidence when it does fit their hopes. And Trump simply is an extension of that process. Calling his political opponent a “criminal”, “Crooked Hillary”  and encouraging “lock her up” chants at his rallies. The natural extension of the GOP tactics.

Third. The stereotyping of blacks and Hispanics as criminals and on welfare. Who can forget the great (false) stories told by Saint Ronald Reagan about “welfare queens”? Or the overtly racist “Willie Horton” ads of GHW Bush?  The overturning of sections of the Voting Rights Act followed immediately by the passing of voter suppression laws. All part of the GOP mantra of “them” versus”us”. The defection on the late 1960s and early 1970s of racist southern Democrats, first to George Wallace and then to the southern GOP.  And the GOP welcomed these voters and welcomed their votes. They brought racism into the core of the new GOP. They brought in the people who passed and supported Jim Crow laws.  Donald Trump did not create this movement, although he has long contributed to it. He simply is the end product of  party that has welcomed racists and is now housing them. People that Barry Goldwater or Dwight Eisenhower would have rejected out of hand. Refused to allow into the GOP.. Now they are the core. Donald Trump is their natural leader.

Fourth. The frustration of some white men over the increasingly public  and powerful role of women in society. The GOP, at least in part, yearns for the” good old days”. What were these good old days? When a woman would not dare report abuse because the man was head of the household? When a woman could not file for divorce? When a woman could  not take out a loan without her husband’s permission? When a woman was expected to stay home except to pickup the kids and shop? When girls were encouraged to be cheerleaders but not athletes? A fantasy of male dominance. To be sure, this is not the majority of the GOP. But the GOP has intentionally sought those men who feel  their “rights” over women have been stripped from them. Those nasty women. Who do they think they are? Ironically, it is even some GOP women who support this fantasy. The anti-Planned Parenthood, anti-equal pay, anti-right to choose GOP was not created by Trump. He is simply the natural conclusion of the philosophy. So strong women are “nasty”. And while it is fine for him to have 5 kids with 3 different women, if Hillary Clinton had 5 kids with 3 different men it would be considered a crime without redemption.

So, don’t cry for the GOP. They invited in the racists. They actively sought out the sexists. They have spent years trying to delegitimize the very idea of government, especially any Democrat elected to high office.And they have used the machine of government to focus 25 years of attacks on both Bill and Hilary Clinton.

Is it any wonder that the Fox viewers and others have become so hostile and angry? They have been fed and nurtured by the lies and distortions and negativity of the GOP. And few, if any, in the GOP have ever stood up and said: “Wait. That is going too far”.

Trump did not create the current GOP. He didn’t lay the track for the locomotive. He didn’t fill the passenger cars with the angry, howling masses. The GOP did that.He simply climbed on board the train of hate, racism and ignorance and took over the conductor’s seat.

Trump is not an out of touch interloper. He IS the GOP.

 

 

When Is the First Debate?

Tonight is supposed to be the third debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. A debate between 2 people who want to take on the job of most powerful and influential human being on the face of the Earth for the next 4 years.

I am still waiting for the first debate.

So far, all we have heard about is sex , lies and emails. Insults.  Smirking. Sniffling. Name calling. Promises of prison. Just a bad reality TV show. Not a debate. A spectacle encouraged by an unprepared press. Seeking ratings, not truth.

When is the first debate? Where is the moderator who will ignore sex. Ignore emails. Ignore polls. And just ask substantive questions. And then DEMAND substantive answers.

There was some of that in the first two shows, but hardly enough to learn anything about what the candidates actually would do. This is especially true for Donald Trump. A man who specializes  in used-car-salesman assurances and generalities rather than hard facts.

So, let’s have a moderator who asks , then demands straight answers. And one who factchecks and calls out the candidates when they are simply wrong about the facts.

Try these on for size:

What would you do to  try to bring jobs back to the US? What kinds of jobs would you try to help create? What is the proper role of the federal government is helping create those jobs?

What is your overall  tax policy. What should the rates be for various income levels? Do those rates generate the needed revenues to pay for the increases in spending you are calling for?

What are some areas in which you would hope to increase spending and decrease spending? By how much? Why are you focusing on those areas?

In terms of foreign affairs, what should the US role be in the Middle East? In regards to Russia? In regards to nuclear proliferation? In regards to the Palestinian – Israeli problem? In regards to the refugee situation in Syria?

What is your approach to illegal immigration? What, specifically do you see as the problem and what, specifically do you see as a solution?

As you know the President can do nothing without a Congress that is willing to compromise. What makes you think you can get Congress to work with you? To what extent are you willing to compromise to reach agreements?

What is the proper role of the Supreme Court? What kind of justices would you appoint? To what extent would you depend on the American Bar Association and other legal groups for vetting? Is there a litmus test for your judges? What is it?

So, will the moderator ask questions and hold the candidates to answers? Will he push them for specifics on policy?

Chris Wallace of Fox News. Fair and Balanced? Will he direct the candidates to policy and substance or focus on trivialities?

I am still waiting for the first debate.

 

Get Some Sleep, You Old Fool

For years scientists have known that sleep deprivation can lead to mental and physical disabilities. It is even used as a torture…er…enhanced interrogation technique. More efficient than waterboarding .

Sports teams have,  in recent years, jumped on the sleep  bandwagon. Teams like the Seattle Seahawks even monitor players’ sleeping  habits  and adjust practice schedules accordingly. One of the best quarterbacks of all time, Tom Brady, once said he goes to bed at  8:30 PM.

So sleep is important for young and old. Important for mental awareness and physical  health. Which brings me to this juncture.

Imagine a doddering  70 year old man. Scruffy beard. Balding head covered by a badly dyed comb over. Bleary -eyed. Maybe wearing partial  unbuttoned silk pajamas. Maybe totally nude.Wandering up  and down the hallways. It is 3:20 AM.

He stumbles aimlessly around his luxury apartment. Can’t sleep. Picks up his iphone. Decides to do some late night tweeting. Starts tweeting about some woman. Some young woman he knew years ago. Some woman he decides must be a porn queen.

A doddering old fool wandering around in the middle of the night tweeting about porn queens.

Finally somebody. Maybe his current wife. Maybe a servant. Maybe his 10 year old son. Somebody finds him wandering around,  takes him by the hand and gently leads him back to bed.

“It’s ok , daddy. Time to get some sleep”.

Two hours later he is up again. 5 AM. Stumbling along, iphone in hand, tweeting away about porn queens. Porn queen this, porn queen that. Again someone finds him.

Leads him back to bed. Perhaps this time they decide they better tie him down for his own good. Straightjacket, maybe. Keep grandpa under control.

Now, imagine this doddering old fool  sleeps in the White House and has access to all nuclear codes.  Access to the most top secret information. Access to power.

Please don’t wake up  this doddering old fool. Let him sleep.

To the American people:  wake up.