Donald Trump: The Sly Buffoon

Now that the suspense is over and the Republicans at last have chosen their candidate for President, well, I have a few comments. First: We cannot blame Donald Trump for the coronavirus pandemic, just like we could not blame George W. Bush for Hurricane Katrina. We can hold him accountable for the lack of response, as we did Bush at the time. But Bush at least worked to undo the damage. Trump keeps amplifying it, and in the bargain has made Covid-19, testing, and wearing masks political issues. Second: Trump sounds like an idiot every time he opens his mouth or posts a tweet. He cannot help himself. He throws out crazy conspiracies, calls upon experts he never names, denies his own words, attacks dead people, and can't seem to find the words his speech writers give him. He mispronounces simple words. He reads the teleprompter with utter flatness. His malaprops make Yogi Berra look like a genius—which, of course, Berra was. That got me to thinking, and worrying, that Trump is merely playing the role of buffoon and playing it perfectly while cleverly entrenching his power and doing things to ingratiate himself with his true base, the one tenth of one percent who really run things. I mean, no one could be that out of touch and that stupid yet lead a country, right? Third: Trump's advocates point to Joe Biden's acceptance speech by saying, “Anyone can read off a teleprompter.” Have they watched their man? If competence were a genuine issue in this race, I would question Trump's. He can't seem to read without evoking the worst monotone in snooze control or getting through without mispronouncing half a dozen words. As to his sense of reality, reality is whatever Donald Trump says it is. He's pushing imaginary armies against invading forces—wait, that was a certain Austrian whom his generals were terrified to tell the truth. Fourth: I have been told that it is too easy, a cheap shot, to make Hitler comparisons. And yet, I listened to our President rant on about how the far left had kidnapped Joe Biden and plans to ruin America. From where I sit, America is already in ruins and that is on Trump's watch. Then again, Trump is very good at accusing others of doing exactly what he himself is doing in the hopes that no one will notice him doing it. Right now, he is trying to rig the 2020 election, trying to incite violence in cities across America, and actually making America the exact opposite of “Great Again.” In his thinly veiled attempt to undermine and possibly destroy the United States Postal Service, he now says that he did not say what he did say, but many people, many fine people, excellent people, heard him. Some even recorded him. Finally, a quote: Not my words; a comment from acerbic wit H. L. Mencken almost a century ago: “On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.” That great and glorious day is here. Help me prove Donald Trump is an anomaly. VOTE!

At The Post Office

The other day, my granddaughter and I went down to pick up our mail. We live in a rural area and have to go to a post office box, about a mile from our home. Obeying the wishes of our governor and respecting the new rules for common courtesy and social distancing, we both donned our facial coverings before we went inside. A mask-less lady passing us said, “Oh, a new traitor to the Constitution!” I am not usually very quick or bold with a response, but I retorted, “Where in the Constitution does it say anything about wearing masks?” The conversation died there. At home, I looked it up. Indeed, the Constitution says nothing about masks or facial coverings of any kind. Or seat belts. Or wearing clothes in public. It does stipulate the government's duty to look out for the public welfare, and it also says that states have huge discretionary powers in matters that affect public safety. In fact, states have the right to impose quarantine and isolation and call upon the National Guard to address noncompliance. In face of a massive threat to the public health, an individual's rights may be temporarily suspended if those rights impose or imply a danger to the community. Masks seem to me to be an odd place to take a stand for civil liberties, a strange battle to pick. Even silly. I think of that lady and wish I had said, “Madam, you have every right to be stupid, but you infringe on my rights when your stupidity threatens my well being.” I had a similar experience two weeks before in WalMart, when a young man within earshot of his parents yelled at me, “Masks are dangerous!” I told him, “I'm wearing this to protect you, Sir. What are you doing to protect me?” If you really want a battle to fight and stand up for equal rights, speak out for the Postal Service. The Trump administration is trying to kill it. Millions of us depend on its efficient, timely and relatively inexpensive services. Many of us get our retirement and social security checks that way. I get my heart medications by mail. I also vote by mail and have done for decades. I suggest you pull the mask off Postmaster General DeJoy's motives and his family's interests in USPS competitors like UPS and J. B. Hunt Transport Services. Look what national attention has done so far: DeJoy has postponed all those suggested “cost-cutting measures” until after the November election. Next, the Service promised that there will be no delays for mail-in ballots after all. Can we be sure? Wear your own masks to the polling place when you cast your vote, or at least make sure your vote gets there.

Congress Must Act NOW

Here is a suggestion to all members of Congress upon a timely return to hammer out the second stimulus bill. Actually, it is two-fold. First, since the United States Postal Service is managed through Congressional oversight, perhaps Congress should separate the proposed financial aid to the Postal Service into its own piece of legislation—and then let every Congressman and Senator state flatly where they stand, while allowing the Stimulus package to go forward. The Postal Service has been losing money since 2006, when Congress passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. The act effectively hog-tied the service from keeping up with costs and revenues decreased by the internet. Before that date and legislation, the Postal Service actually turned a profit, modest but still “in the black.” It will take Congress to help turn this around. But for now, ideally, of course, if Congress were to fund the service through the election and beyond, it would help assure a safe, legal and free election in 2020. It would also guarantee continued postal service to the millions of Americans who depend upon their men and women in blue for many day to day needs. Second, Congress should join with the Postal Inspector General in investigating new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on charges of a conflict of interest. Not only is DeJoy completely inexperienced to head the postal service, he was a major contributor to Trump's campaign, a crony. Modeling after his favorite President Andrew Jackson, Trump is using the spoils system to reward DeJoy. But wait, there's more. DeJoy and his wife are reported to have invested between $30 and 75 million dollars in competitors to the post office, including the United Parcel Service. Such claims imply a serious conflict of interest and Congress must find out the truth—and act accordingly. One last thought: the Postmaster General is no longer a member of the President's cabinet and therefore can be appointed without the approval of Congress. Maybe that should change. Whatever Congress decides to do or not to do, the rest of us must find a way to make our vote count. It took centuries to enfranchise everyone eighteen or older. We cannot, should not lie down and give up that hard earned right.

Can Democracy Survive Donald Trump?

I am back. I stopped blogging quite a while ago to work on other projects. I have watched and hoped and waited, but silence is no longer an option. America is in chaos. And though no one can be blamed for a disease, how badly our country has handled the pandemic can be laid at the feet of one man. More, Democracy itself is in its death throes. The President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, is rigging the 2020 election--right in front of us as we watch. It is not subtle, it is not gentle. We don't have to speculate, to guess. He told us the truth. He is willing to handicap the United States Postal Service, an institution created by the Founding Fathers as stipulated by the Constitution (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 7) in order to prevent mail-in balloting in November. He is also holding hostage the second Stimulus Bill that Congress recessed before finalizing, over the funding earmarked for the Postal Service, which makes up only one percent of the proposed stimulus package. Desperate to hold onto power, Trump is blatantly working to ruin the legitimacy of the vote, and/or disenfranchise massive numbers of voters. In the bargain he is willing to sacrifice the post office, which brings news, medicines, monies and goods to everyone it can reach. That disenfranchises and endangers the poor, the elderly, and rural residents. Trump wants to become a dictator and the Republican Party seems to be in lock-step behind him. Unidentified men acting on Presidential authority have been trying to incite violence in the name of preventing it in cities around the country as an excuse to declare Martial Law. Every citizen in America is being disenfranchised as we watch, and Democracy is dying in front of our eyes. Anyone who thinks Trump cares about his country is wrong. Their “man” is a traitor to Democracy and no one can deny it any longer. All he cares about is holding onto power, like a Putin or a Lukashenko. It has been said that every people get the government they deserve. We deserve better. You and I are inside, watching history being made rapid fire. In the next few months, the “Grand Experiment” will either fail and be tossed into Donald Trump's rubbish bin, or reassert its value and remove him from office before he can remove Democracy from America's future. That is up to us. Vote. Do whatever it takes to get your ballot where it belongs. Help others get to the polling place or get their mail-in ballot in on time. The only way to save Democracy now is to exercise our democratic right to vote.

Election 101

The most beautiful play I ever saw in a baseball came at a Pony League contest. My eldest son was playing first base. There was a runner on first when the opposing batter smashed a hard grounder to third. The runner took off and a force was iffy, so the third baseman fired a bullet to my son, who gloved it just as the batter's foot hit the bag—safe. The other runner decided to go to third on the play. Instead of debating the call at first, my son didn't hesitate and immediately fired the ball back to third on a rope. The third baseman caught it and swept down to make the tag just as the runner's foot slid into the bag—safe. Both calls could have gone either way, a genuine bang-bang play. For us, the play resulted in no outs, yet the precision, the quickness and the determination of both fielders took my breath away. A lady whom I have never met but whom I consider a friend, the editor of Clever Magazine, answered my “Just a Splash” blog by reminding me that we have good reason to be optimistic. Election night was a blue wave. The Dems retook Congress. Devin Nunes is gone. Despite heavy campaigning against him by the President, John Tester remains. Even the great plays that came up short by less than a step, like Beto O'Roarke's strong showing against Ted Cruz in Texas, were inspiring. Over one hundred million Americans cast their ballots in a mid-term election, meaning that more Americans were fired up and involved than any of us could have hoped. Over 52% voted Democratic. Up and down state ballots, Democrats gained ground. Nationwide, the blue shift is on, and that means we are slowly coming together. The day after the election, Trump ousted his Attorney General and replaced him, apparently illegally and unconstitutionally, with a crony. This has caused thousands of protesters across the country, concerned that Trump's move is designed to stop the Mueller Probe, to take to the streets. Finally, with the votes still being counted in California, Arizona, Georgia and Florida, 101 women—from both parties—have been elected to the House of Representatives so far. Among them are the first two Native American women ever elected to Congress, one of whom doubles as the first openly gay woman ever elected. For me, living in the state that can boast the first woman ever elected to Congress, Jeannette Rankin, 102 years ago, a ray of sunny optimism seems something reasonable to enjoy. So, thank you Dianne—I am celebrating. It may only be Game One, but it's in the bag.

Just a Splash

It wasn't a tsunami. It wasn't a glorious revolution. It wasn't a referendum against Donald Trump. It wasn't a red tide. It wasn't a hold on the one-yard line. It wasn't a referendum for Donald Trump. America remains unsettled, undecided, unsure of herself, uncertain what path to take. The net result of the 2018 midterm election is that we will put off decision making for another two years and watch very little actually get done. Again. Now that one branch of Congress can block both the other branch and the Executive as well, and the other branch and the President can block the House as well, the divisions between us loom even larger than before. But we also have restored a check on the system and with it restored the balance our Founding Fathers intended. Democracy stumbles forward, wounded but alive, recovering and trying to find a peaceful middle ground.

Seasick

I have been silent for quite a while. To be frank, I simply did not want to deal with all the disappointment. Red wave, blue wave, choppy seas—it just got a bit nauseating. It is election night and I have high hopes but no confidence. I need a Dramamine. With a whiskey chaser. I also have been busy—am busy—with family, and working on my latest project. But this morning I woke up thinking. Today we define where we want to be as a nation. Will the result be a red tide or a blue-nami? Will the divides between us grow sharper or will they begin to heal? Will we become subjects to the conscience of a king or to our own? There are many unanswered questions. Tonight may point us toward an answer that many will like and many will find flawed and unsatisfying. But tomorrow will be business as usual.