[Cross-posted at The Left Coaster.]
Reading the wise Dr. Atrios at Eschaton recently I was struck by his prediction that if Trump wins in 2020 why then it’s all our fault, it’s the Left that failed the country for that to happen, thus the national story will be written.
I remembered, too, John Cole from Balloon Juice remarking what an incredible walking nightmare this whole Trump term has been, a daily horror show of lying, stupid incompetence, gross racism and flagrant illegality as that orange bone spur idiot whirls around a NASCAR track.
Then a helpless sense of déjà vu as the legal community is suddenly frantic we’ve lost the rule of the law in the United States with Trump aping Benito. Excuse me, I was alive and a cogent human 20 years ago, I vividly remember the reeking turd of Bush vs Gore that turned the rule of law into a laughing joke.
Bummer when you “degrade” a cherished institution or principle, eh? 20 years later when you really need it, why, it’s just gone.
It’s not the Left’s fault the Republicans used the constitution as nothing but toilet paper in upholding the rule of law, which is kind of useful when the country needs a fair election.
Noted at the Washington Post, it’s also not the Left’s fault this election could never, ever be fair right from the inherent structure, it’s impossible with Trump being an inveterate liar. Our candidates are mature adults who play by honesty rules in good faith, while Trump instantly befouls any fairness by constantly lying.
As we all know excruciatingly well the Electoral College is inherently flawed, twice this century it’s barfed out the loser. Is that a problem of the Democratic Party?
Of course not, throw out the rule of law and the truth, mix in a vividly powerful propaganda arm of Fox News—plus the busted electoral college--and we have an environment that is absolutely hellishly stacked against us, just how in the hell is the Democratic candidate expected to perform well with that?
We will do the best we can, of course, but it’s not the Left’s fault or the responsibility of the Democratic Party for the incredible mess we’re in, nor will it be if we lose election 2020, that should be crystal clear.
Dan Rather warns on Twitter despair is what the opposition wants, bloggers post the Don’t Give Up video by Peter Gabriel. John Cole is completely correct, it’s a terrible nightmare to watch the United States degrade into authoritarian dog shit, some of our people will quit it in justifiable desperation, that’s not he fault of the Left either.
As I’ve noted 20 bazillion times if we had a real journalism corps—allegedly adherents to the god of truth, heh—Trump would never get away with lying constantly. If I read at the Washington Post how Trump has lied for whatever-the-thousandth time I’m getting a serious Valium prescription, I swear to god.
Hello? Trump doesn’t care about being a liar and internally laughs at idea being constant about is somehow a bad thing. If a lie works in the moment cool, if it works for weeks or months cool, cool, if it infuriates the libs cool cool cool. Keep lying about everything and no truth will work anywhere, perfect.
In the spirit of keeping hoping alive there’s a way out of this truth trap, even though I know fully well anyone listening to this tiny Machiavellian realist is about as likely as the New York Times doing its job.
The only way to pin as a sick gross liar like Trump is to never, ever let him get away with it in the very moment it happens. Trump has learned very well this almost never occurs, gullible humans take him in good faith and useless journalists decide it’s up to the readers to figure it out—later, when it doesn’t matter.
I’d advise the Democratic candidate in the first debate to ignore the moderator and first question, asking Trump point-blank why lying about having sex with Stormy Daniels during campaign 2016 was a good thing for the American people.
Ignore the moderator, ignore the inevitable instantly lying from Trump, or ask how another lie about lying about Stormy Daniels was and is good for the American people.
Ignore the moderator again, do not ever let Trump out of the lie until some enraged sick narcissist reason is finally spit out. A capable realist candidate could turn Trump into an enraged crying mess in 5 minutes, it’s not hard.
Well, we all have our dreams. For today the fantasy of the constant embrace of Kate Bush while listening to Peter Gabriel will have to do.