An old vaudeville joke ended with the punchline; aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play? Of course, the butt of the joke was the death of Abraham Lincoln, proving the adage that tragedy plus time equals comedy. As we draw closer to what may be the most significant presidential election in American history, former President Donald Trump is treating America as if we are attending a reprise of Ford’s Theatre production—on that fatal night of Our American Cousin. In some quarters, it seems America is bracing for the final shot to American life as we know it; aside from fascism America, how was the play?
A voting third of Americans are willing to dismiss an attack on our democracy, an attack on law enforcement, and even a planned attack on the Constitution to support Donald Trump. Had a presidential candidate said to what has been dubbed the Greatest Generation that he wanted to be a ‘dictator “for one day,’” the backlash would have been massive. And with such an admission, the hopes of ever leading the United States would have sunk like the Titanic (remember tragedy plus time). The biggest question in Republican politics is how the fringe not only took over the party but became the party. One can tune into any cable network or social media post and be bombarded with the most ludicrous conspiracy theories. What was once confined to stories of two-headed aliens in papers at supermarket checkout lines while you waited is now highlighted by media and viewed as legitimate debate. Below is a clip from a David Parkman show from a year ago:
What used to be thoughts and ideas that even the purveyors of this nonsense were afraid to say out loud—for fear of being institutionalized, has become mainstream in GOP circles, even to the point where their leaders are spouting it. Sometimes, in their ramblings, they can be prophetic. The last woman in the above clip talked about women traveling to other states for abortion access. One time, Presidential Advisor to Donald Trump, Roger Stone, said a ‘demonic portal’ has hovered over the White House since the election of Joe Biden. Granted, Stone will say and do anything—his Nixon back tattoo as proof—to keep his name in lights. The danger comes in elevating crazy to violence.
As easy as it would be to dismiss the paranoid ramblings of unhinged people, in this case, the tragedy of their lives is happening in real-time. They are not funny, just tragic. Killing history, killing women, and killing freedom appears to be the ultimate goal. Writing these words is hard for me because I believe in the promise of America despite its flaws, past and present. Seeing our society’s progress reversed pains my heart, as my granny used to say. I wish I had the thought or could remember where I heard it to give credit; a woman called into a radio program yesterday and said, ‘Joe Biden is working his butt off to save America, and Donald Trump is working America to save his butt.’ Unfortunately, the Republican party and its base are making it easy.
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