The GOP is dead, and they have no one but themselves to blame

The GOP is officially dead. There, I said it. OK, so I know that people have been predicting the death of the Grand Old Party for decades, but this time, it's really true, and there's no coming back. 

   How can I be so certain? Well, yesterday, Feb. 13, 2021, The Senate voted to acquit former President Donald Trump AGAIN, this time on charges that he incited the deadly Jan. 6 riots through a speech he gave urging his supporters to "march to the Capitol" and to "fight like hell." But wait, Trump supporters say, how can Trump be responsible when there's proof that this insurrection was being planned BEFORE Jan. 6? To that, I say, Trump's incitement didn't BEGIN on Jan. 6, 2021, it climaxed on that date. 

The truth is, Trump has been priming the pump for just such an event for months, if not for years. He did it by urging supporters not to trust the mainstream media, not to believe what they saw with their own eyes, but only what HE said. He did it by convincing millions of Americans that November's election was illegitimate, that it was, in fact, stolen. And finally, he did it by urging his supporters to march on the Capitol and to "fight like hell, or we won't have a country anymore."

The evidence of Trump's guilt was overwhelming, both through his speech on Jan. 6, and in his own words over the past four years. The evidence was right in front of them, in black and white, as it were, and still they voted to acquit. Which brings me back to my original point: The GOP is officially dead. Why? Because Trump needed to be removed once and for all from the national stage. He needed to be barred from ever being able to hold public office again, and Republicans failed to do so. Through their negligence, they have now left him free to roam the backfield, and to work against them. And believe me, he will.

Who thinks that Trump won't find a way to go after the Republicans who both voted to impeach, then vote to convict him? Who thinks he won't try to start his own party where he can be center stage? The main attraction? If that happens, it will only harm Republicans' future electoral prospects. Trump won't be drawing voters away from Democrats, after all. He'll be drawing votes away from the Republican base. And if that happens, the GOP will be vastly weakened as a national force. It could be years, if not generations, before Republicans win another national election. Of course, this all could have been avoided if they had just voted to convict a man who was clearly guilty of the crime he was accused of. But they refused, more interested in saving face than in doing what was clearly the right thing. And so, here we are. 

Clearly, the best thing that could happen at this point is for one of the multiple cases pending against Trump to bear fruit. All it would take is ONE felony conviction, and Trump would be barred, not only from ever holding public office again, but from even having the right to vote. That might seem like a long shot to some, but clearly it is the best we can hope for, since congressional Republicans clearly lack the intestinal fortitude or the moral clarity to do the right thing, not only for their own party, but for the country as a whole.

GOP faces long road ahead in life after Trump

 It's now been four days since our long national nightmare came to an end with the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States. So far, there have been very few surprises. Biden has started doing exactly what he said he would do during his campaign. He's signed a national mask mandate requiring people to wear masks on federal property. He has halted the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline and the useless and ill-advised border wall. And he's rejoined he Paris Climate Accords, among other things. In short, he has moved swiftly to reverse some of the most egregious and dangerous decisions of the past administration. That's great news. What's even better news is that it finally feels as if this country is  back on the right track, as if there's an actual adult in charge and making decisions.

   With the Democrats firmly in control of both Congress and the White House, it raises an interesting question, though. Specificlly, what's next for the GOP? Can the Party of Lincoln now move past the stain of Trumpism and maintain its place as a viable national party? That, unfortunately, is yet to be seen.

   My best guess at this early juncture is that a long and nasty civil war is in store for the GOP. It could last for years, if not generations. On one side, you have the "establishment Republicans," folks like Mitt Romney and the late, great John McCain, who, while conservative, basically uphold the traditional Republican values of fiscal responsibility, smaller government and lower taxes. On the other, you have the firebrands, the diehard Trumpers. These include people like Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, Matt Gaetz of Florida and Jim Jordan of Ohio. These people are both amoral and vicious. They long ago sold their souls and whatever principles they might have once have held in the greedy pursuit of raw, unadulterated power. They are immune to both truth and facts. And they have shown absolutely no evidence that they are going to fade away quietly, even though Americans soundly rejected them and Trump in the 2020 election. That makes them extremely dangerous.

   So what happens now? In an ideal world, every one of Trump's allies in both the House and the Senate would be voted out in two years and sent home to face their constituents. Barring that, it seems appropriate to me to move to expel them from from their seats, then bar them from ever serving in government, or from benefitting from their connections by becoming lobbyists. These are the people, after all, who coddled Trump and supported his  incompetence for four years. Worse, they actively worked to overturn November's election results and the will of the people. And by refusing to convict Trump during his first impeachment last year, by leaving him in place to continue to wreak havoc,  they are, in no small part, at least somewhat responsible for the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6. In my mind, because of their willingness to collude with a madman, they have lost the right to continue to serve in their positions of power and influence.

   A much more likely scenario, I think, is that Trump's supporters will eventually be driven out of the party by the establishment Republicans. If that doesn't happen, then they will leave and start their own party. There's already talk of a new Patriots Party, or perhaps a MAGA Party spearheaded by Trump himself. Can they succeed in this scenario? Maybe. After all, they already have a built in base of 74 million hapless, gullible Americans who were willing to support Trump in 2020. That's impressive, no matter which way you lean politically. But then, have we ever really had a successful third party, one that really lasted? We've certainly had attempts, including the Bull Moose Party in the early 1900s founded by the extremely popular former president Teddy Roosevelt. More recently, we had the Reform Party founded by eccentric billionaire Ross Perot after he drew 19 percent of the vote in the 1992 election, the best ever for a third party candidate. Both of these insurgent parties, coincidentally, lasted one, maybe two, election cycles at most, before they imploded due to in-fighting, or to their founders bowing out and returning to civilian life. 

   Both the Bull Moose Party and the Reform Party were built on the strong personalities and popularity of their founders. Once they weren't there to hold things together, their parties fell apart. And that's the problem with the current third party scenario. Trumpism isn't built on any real, definable principles. Trumpers, after all, HAVE no real principles to fall back on. Instead, Trumpism is built on the strong personality and enduring popularity of Donald Trump, at least among his base. It is, for all intents and purposes, a cult of personality. Once Trump tires of the hard work needed to build and maintain his party and his movement, I don't see him sticking around. And what happens then? Where does that leave his base? His most ardent supporters? I'll tell you where. Out of the mainstream and in the political wilderness.

   It's possible for the GOP to survive Trump, of course. But to do so is going to take a heartfelt apology to the American people for supporting Trump and his incompetence for four years. It's going to take some real soul-searching, a purging (or at least marginalization) of its most extreme voices, and a recommitment to the core principles that made the party great to begin with. Can they do that? Are they willing to do the hard work necessary to rebuild out of the wreckage left by Trump? At this point, only time will tell.

Some thoughts on the inauguration of Joe Biden

It was 12 years ago when I sat and watched the historic inauguration of Barack Obama, as he became the nation's first black president. I was excited then, as the historic nature of the day wasn't lost on me. On that day, this nation's possibilities seemed limitless. Today, for the first time since that historic inauguration, that sense of excitement, of endless possibility, returned. 

   No, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is no Barack Obama. He lacks the personal charisma that Obama carries so effortlessly. He's not exciting. He's not young. In fact, he's the oldest person ever to assume the office, at 78 years of age. What he is, though, is what this country desperately needs right now: a thoroughly decent man who is utterly sincere in his desire to heal this country and to put us back on the right track. He is, in effect, the "anti-Trump."

   Four years ago, I warned anyone who would listen that Trump would be a disaster as president. It gives me no great satisfaction to have been proven correct. The truth is, Trump will go down in history as the single worst president we've ever had. Worse, even, than Richard Nixon, who was caught up in the Watergate scandal, and who was forced to resign in disgrace. Don't believe me that Trump is the worst ever? Think I'm just overreacting, or simply being a partisan "Never Trumper? Consider the evidence. In the last four years, Trump has:

1. Destroyed or severely damaged longstanding alliances that have been in place for decades

2. Undermined the public's confidence in our news media by introducing the term "fake news" into the public lexicon and declaring it "the enemy of the people." 

3. Further fractured an already divided nation by fostering, in fact encouraging, an "us vs. them" mentality.

4. Given shelter and encouragement to the dregs of our society, including white supremacists and neo-Nazis.

5. Badly bungled the response to the Covid-19 pandemic by downplaying its severity, ultimately resulting in 400,000 needless deaths.

6. Refused to concede defeat, and incited a riot among his followers in an effort to overturn the election results and thwart the will of the voters.

6. And perhaps, worst of all, completely destroyed the Republican Party by once and for all exposing its utter corruption and incompetence. It's hard to imagine where the GOP goes from here, or how it even begins to recover any semblance of the moral authority it once held. My sense is, that if the party is to survive, the Trump loyalists will have to be driven from the party, or they will have to simply form their own party. One thing is certain, though. The Republican Party cannot survive with Trump's supporters as part of their coalition.

   Biden faces a tough road ahead as he assumes the presidency, and it remains to be seen how much of his agenda he can accomplish, even with control of both houses of Congress. But you know what? That doesn't even really matter in the long run. The truth is, if Biden can bring this country together, if he can begin to heal some of the deep divisions that have scarred this country during he past four years, and if he can begin to restore some sense of calm, some sense of normalcy, then his presidency will ultimately be judged a success, no matter what else he accomplishes.

Future of GOP looks bleak with Trump in White House

What is the ultimate future of the GOP? That is a question that’s definitely worth considering, especially with Trump continuing to squat in the White House. Can the Republican Party, which has been a major force in American politics since the days of Abraham Lincoln, ultimately survive the Age of Trump? Sadly, I think the answer is “No.”

   Why take such a pessimistic view? After all, we’ve had “bad” Republicans before. Both Richard Nixon and George W. Bush spring immediately to mind. We’ve survived them. Heck, we even survived Nixon, who was shown to be complicit in a criminal coverup and one of the worst scandals in American history — Watergate. So why shouldn’t we, and by extension, the Republican Party, survive Trump?

   To begin with, Trump is different from any president we’ve ever had — and not in a good way. Never have we had a president who lies so egregiously and so frequently. There’s an old joke that goes, “How do you know when a politician is lying?” Answer: His mouth is moving. But with Trump, it’s no joke. It is literal truth. It seems that every time he opens his mouth, Trump lies. He simply can’t help himself. And Trump doesn’t just lie about big things. He lies about small things, too. Worse, he engages in total flights of fantasy, wild-eyed conspiracy theories that have no basis in fact, much less truth. This is the man, after all, who spent eight years questioning Barack Obama’s American citizenship and demanding to see his birth certificate. 

   Trump is also the most amoral president we’ve ever had. It’s not just that he is immoral. Heck, Bill Clinton was immoral. Trump simply has NO morals. Zero. Trump is the first person to occupy the White House in my memory who simply has no core beliefs at all. He simply spouts whatever moral platitudes that will make him popular, or that will further whatever twisted agenda he is trying to advance. He is, simply put, a con man.

   Trump is a racist and a misogynist. He is a malignant narcissist who is totally incapable of empathy. This is bad enough, and it makes him a vile, disgusting human being. But what makes it worse is that he has normalized these vile traits and galvanized the scum in our society who hold these beliefs, also.

   So why is the Republican Party ultimately doomed? Because they have, thus far, refused to do anything about the cancer who is Trump. In fact, they have done everything in their power to prop him up. They have, as a party, supported his vile views and his dangerous agenda. They have sold the soul of their party in the name of absolute power and laid bare the hypocrisy inherent in decades of moral pronouncements. How can Republicans come back from that? How can they reclaim their moral integrity and move the party back from the political fringes toward the middle, where the majority of Americans reside? Simply put, they can’t.
   The best hope the GOP has at this point is that the more moderate and thoughtful among their membership will be able to wrest control from the radicals who are now controlling the party. Firebrands like Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia, former Congressman Trey Gowdy of South Carolina and yes, even Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close friend of the great John McCain, need to be drummed from the party, or at the very least marginalized so they don’t exercise quite so much influence. Until the adults in the room manage to reassert control and guide the party back toward the political mainstream, I don’t see the Republican Party being much more than a fringe party in future years, if it doesn’t just die altogether. That would truly be a tragedy.

As tempting as it might be, now not the time to impeach Trump

Almost since the day he took office, there have been rumblings about impeaching Donald Trump. Of the 45 people who have occupied the White House since our nation’s founding, there is no one I can think of who deserves such a fate more. But now is not the time for such a drastic action, no matter how tempting it might be, or how satisfying.

   Let’s look at the case for impeachment: Donald Trump colluded with Russia to steal the 2016 election. Now, to be fair, there are plenty of people who would argue that conclusion. And after a two year investigation, Robert Mueller, despite his best efforts, was unable to prove it conclusively. What we know, however, is that there were at least 10 questionable contacts between Trump’s surrogates and the Kremlin. We know that Russia offered dirt on Hillary Clinton to the Trump campaign, which his own son accepted gleefully. And we know that people around Trump lied about their contacts with Russia. Those people include his former national security adviser Michael Flynn and Paul Manfort, the chairman of Trump’s campaign. So question: If there was no collusion, why lie about those contacts? Food for thought.

   Apart from the collusion, we also have Trump’s illegal payments to porn star Stormy Daniels to cover up his affair with her. We have audio taped evidence that Trump not only knew about those payments, but that he authorized his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to make them. It could be argued that this was a personal matter, and that such things aren’t grounds for impeachment. But consider the fact that when former President Bill Clinton’s affair with intern Monica Lewinsky was uncovered in 1998, Republicans pushed ahead with impeachment. If an affair was grounds for impeachment then, what makes this any different? To see Republicans justifying this today when they  screamed about public morality then is simply hypocrisy at its worst.

   Another reason for impeachment? How about obstruction of justice? To be fair, in his report, Mueller said he could neither prove nor disprove obstruction. But again, consider the evidence. We know that Trump fired former FBI Director James Comey over the Mueller investigation. He has admitted this himself. We know that he asked Justice Department officials to drop the investigation into Michael Flynn’s lies to Congress. And my goodness, we know, through hundreds, if not thousands of Trump’s own tweets, that he did everything in his power to derail and discredit the Mueller investigation. If that’s not obstruction, what is?

   Finally, perhaps the best, and most urgent reason for impeachment, is Trump’s own blazing incompetence. It’s one thing to be inexperienced. Let’s be honest. Very few people are totally prepared to become the single most powerful person in the world, with all its awesome responsibilities. Most people compensate by surrounding themselves with “Washington insiders,” people with decades of experience in federal government. As bad as he was, even George W. Bush did this, and the nation survived. But not Trump. Not only will he not admit what he doesn’t know, but he has actively surrounded himself with people who not only want to dismantle the very departments they are supposed to lead (hello, Betsy DeVos), but who are as incompetent as he is. And the result, as expected, has been catastrophic.

   Clearly, impeachment is warranted in this case, but now is not the time for it. Why? Well, to begin with, because it has zero chance of succeeding. As long as Republicans control the Senate, there is no way they would vote to convict Trump. Not only would it embarrass their party, but let’s be honest. They are too morally compromised to ever do the right thing They have willfully ignored Trump’s crimes for the past two years. They have justified  and excused his complete lack of morals, despite spending decades casting themselves as the party of “traditional values.” And the refuse to admit that he is incompetent and a danger to the republic, despite a mountain of evidence. To convict Trump, they would have to admit that they were wrong all along, and there’s simply no way that would happen.

   Another reason for waiting on impeachment is that it would only further divide an already hopelessly divided nation. Consider what happened in 1998, during the Clinton impeachment debacle. Our country was humiliated as the leader of the free world was dragged through the mud, and our country with him. Our reputation on the world stage was tarnished, and it still hasn’t fully recovered, two decades later. 

   Now, consider the current political climate. We are hopelessly divided in the death spiral of an “us” vs. “them” mentality. Trump’s supporters are allergic to facts. No matter what you show them about Trump, they simply refuse to admit that he’s anything other than the savior of a nation. What do you think would happen if Trump were impeached, or worse, convicted and removed from office? There have been threats  of a civil war if Trump were to be removed from office. As far-fetched as that might sound, it’s not as far-fetched as we might think. Trump supporters are NOT reasonable people.
   Finally, perhaps the best reason for waiting is the very real possibility that it might backfire. Again, consider the Clinton impeachment. Republicans were so sure of themselves. Then, when they failed to convict Clinton, it actually had the opposite effect. Clinton actually became even MORE popular. Americans sided with him, and Republicans actually damaged their party and ended up losing the upcoming midterms. As incredible as it might sound, there’s a real possibility that the same thing could happen here. Trump’s supporters are already rabid. This would only serve to galvanize that support, and Trump might very well end up winning in 2020. That would serve no one’s best interest, especially not this country’s.
   I know Democrats are desperate to get rid of Trump. And who can blame them? It would be an indescribable pleasure to see him handcuffed and frog-marched out of the White House. But now is a time when discretion is the better part of valor. If we are willing to sit back and be patient, it is inevitable that Trump will trip himself up. And when he does, he will finally get the justice that is long overdue, the cancer will be excised from our government, and the country as a whole will be better off.

Catching up on the sorry state of things in America

It’s been almost two years since I last updated this blog. Have I somehow lost my passion for all things political? No. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Why has it been so long since I last posted here? Simple. Because I have found other avenues for expressing myself. Since Trump seized power two years ago, I have found countless “hidden” groups through social media filled with literally thousands of like-minded people. It’s these groups to which I have gravitated, and it has been  immensely satisfying.
   Still, I started this blog over a decade ago as an outlet for my thoughts and ideas. It has been a source of unspeakable joy, even if no one — or at least very few — people have read it. With that in mind, let me attempt to play “catch up” and give some thoughts on our current mess in Washington.
   To begin with, I hate to say it, but “I told y’all so.” I’ve been saying since Trump first came down the escalator in 2015 that he would be a disaster if he won. Now, over two years in, I’m sad to say that I’ve been proven correct. This gives me no joy.
   On Thursday, Attorney General Bill Barr finally released a redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s long-awaited report on Trump-Russian collusion during the 2016 presidential election. As expected, Trump and his syncophants are claiming total vindication, since Mueller found no cause to charge Trump (I will never refer to him as president) with a crime. The report also left the question of whether Trump obstructed justice unanswered, though he did specifically say that he couldn’t vindicate Trump on this question. Of course, Trump’s claims of vindication are completely untrue.
   Let’s take a look at what’s actually in the report. We know that Russia made a concerted effort to unduly influence the 2016 election. This has been proven conclusively. We also know that even if Mueller couldn’t find “smoking gun” evidenc of a conspiracy to collude, that there were at least 10 suspicious contacts between Trump’s inner circle — including Michael Flynn and his campaign chairman Paul Manafort — and the Kremlin. We also know that the Russians offered the campaign dirt on Hillary Clinton, which Donald Trump’s son enthusiastically accepted. This, of course, was the reason for the infamous Trump Tower meeting. Finally, we know through Trump’s own words and actions that he did everything in his power to discredit and derail the investigation. Now, maybe none of this rises to the legal standard of collusion. Maybe there’s no way that Trump’s actions meet the legal definition of obstruction. But there’s an old saying that “where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” and it seems to me that there’s plenty of evidence that the institution of the presidency is not only smoking, it’s downright ablaze.
   Apart from the whole collusion mess, Trump has been a downright embarrassment. For the first time in our history, we have a someone squatting in the White House  who doesn’t read. We have an interloper who prefers to get his news from one source, and one source only — Fox News. This is a network which is less about honest reporting and more about being a propaganda machine for Trump and his minions within the Republican Party. And we have someone who would rather spend his days  watching the flattering coveratge of himself than actually governing.
   And what happens when he actually does attempt to govern? Well in the past two years, he has managed to insult and alienate every single one of our traditional allies. He has created a false “crisis” on our southern border and convinced a significant portion of the population that we are being overrun by criminal aliens — gang members, rapists and murderers. The truth? The vast majority of people attempting to come here are from impoverished Central American countries and are attempting to create a better life for themselves and their families. Earlier this year, he shut down the government in a fight over funding for a border wall that has zero chance of stemming the tide of people crossing our border illegally. Why? Because the vast majority of people coming to this country do so through legal ports of entry. The vast majority also come here legally initially and simply overstay their welcome. I don’t know a wall in existence that can stop that.
   Finally, and most damning, Trump has completely divided this nation. Where we once had honest policy disagreements, today, we are divided among “us” and “them.” Those who support Trump, and those who don’t. Instead of being able to have civilized policy discussions about what’s best for our country, we have descended into the gutter of “scorched earth” politics. Today, it’s all about victory at any cost and gaining and keeping power, country be damned. And who loses with all this infighting? Average Americans, that’s who.
   Let me be frank. Trump is a cancer that slowly killing the Republican Party. He has moved the party so far to the right that it’s going to be downright impossible for them ever to reclaim the middle ground. He has corrupted the party and made a mockery of  its long-held ideals. And he has forever exposed the hypocrisy inherent in its moral pronouncements and in its decades-long alliance with the Religious Right.
   It’s been said that Trump’s rise was the result of people being tired of “politics as usual.” It’s been theorized that his supporters WANTED him to go to Washington to blow things up. Well he has certainly done that, and we are all the poorer for it. The truth is, the sooner Trump is removed, the sooner the adults in the room reassert control, the better, and safer we, and the world will be.

We need world's help to fight N. Korea

    Sometimes, I really hate it when I'm right. Six months ago, when Donald Trump was inaugurated, I predicted that he would get us in a nuclear confrontation within six months. It took slightly longer, but it gives me no pleasure to report that this confrontation appears to be imminent.
   On Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that North Korea has now developed a nuclear device small enough to be placed in a missile. Combine this alarming news with recent reports that North Korea has now developed a missile capable of striking the mainland of the United Sates, and everyone should be very, very nervous. True to form, Trump reacted like the school-yard bully he is and threatened to rain "fire and fury" down on North Korea. For its part, North Korea has threatened to strike Guam with a missile. A couple thoughts:
   This is a time when we need a thoughtful, measured response. Instead, we're stuck with a school-yard bully, a man-child with access to this nation's nuclear codes and no idea what he's doing. This is no time for the "cowboy diplomacy" made famous by George "Dubya" Bush. This is a time when we need to be leaning on our allies. The question is, how many allies do we really have left?
   One of the worst things Trump has done since taking power is to alienate many of our traditional allies. He's insulted them. He's failed to affirm that we stand with them (this one is specific to NATO). He's shown himself to be utterly ignorant of world affairs and our role in them. He has withdrawn us from some key treaties and wants to renegotiate some key trade agreements. He has, in effect, moved to isolate us from the rest of the world. So how can we now expect those allies to come to our defense when Trump has basically provoked this confrontation with North Korea with his thoughtless schoolyard taunts?
   Remember the fist Gulf War? That war was successful largely because we had the world on our side when confronting Saddam Hussein. After 9/11, we had the goodwill and support of the entire world. And while the younger Bush was reckless with his talk of being "with us or against us," even he knew how far he could push things. Even he managed to build a coalition, even if it wasn't as solid or as big as the one built by his father.
   Unfortunately, Trump knows no such boundaries. He honestly believes that we can win this battle through our military might alone. In his mind, we don't need the rest of the world. That is a very dangerous mindset. While it is true that we are the world's sole remaining superpower, it's also true that we can't win this battle alone. Our confrontation with North Korea will ultimately affect the rest of the world. And we need the world's help if we are to have any hope of containing this growing threat. We can only hope that Trump's ignorance and ham-handed foreign policy haven't made that impossible.