In the late 19th Century circus patrons, who were conned out of their money by the operators of games of chance, were referred to as “Rubes.’ There are multiple stories about how the term came into being. Not only did it describe the marks or victims of circus and carnival tricksters, it also became a call to arms to fellow carnival personnel when a fight broke out when inevitably con games were discovered.
Hey Rube!
At a meeting of evangelicals and Trump admirers Monday, President Trump fired up the most ardent of his base support with a call to arms, “They will overturn everything that we’ve done, and they’ll do it quickly and violently, and violently,” it would have been simpler if he had just stood in the sawdust, banged the sides of a metal pail and shouted, hurry—hurry, step right up. At some point, the pointless banter and transparent distractions will be his downfall even to his faithful when he can no longer control the glare of the big top spotlight. When trouble comes, find a minority group to disparage, when sexual dalliances are exposed throw an African nation against the wall and see what sticks.
He has pulled out all the stops since two of his center ring performers slipped from the trapeze. When his former Campaign Manager, Paul Manafort was convicted of eight charges in a Virginia court and Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to eight charges in a Manhattan court his panic has been more evident than usual. After the revelation that White House counsel Don McGahn spent 30 hours with Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller, Trump tweeted out this morning that McGahn is leaving the White House this fall. Trump has never understood or has been purposely obtuse to the fact that McGahn’s title is White House Counsel not ‘Trump’s Roy Cohn.’
In the middle of typing out what seems like daily but incipient Trump diatribes, I took a moment to watch as the family of John McCain mourns his passing as his body lies in state at the Arizona Capitol Rotunda. As solemn a moment as that was I could not help but to think of how even that occasion could not escape the cane-waving carnival barker passing his hat of discord. We all know by now how Trump had to be cajoled and embarrassed into being decent to the late Senator. I listened to the standard set of excuses that he is “new” to the job and does not understand protocol. The Trump liege, who spend most of their time covering his social and intellectual vulgarity, or just lying for him, could not find a reason why the respectful protocol was followed for the former First Lady Barbara Bush but not Senator McCain.
Hey Rube!
The simple answer is, a petty man, with petty thoughts and petty reactions, is in charge of American decorum and respect. America has now gotten used to waking up each morning checking our Twitter accounts, waiting for a breaking story of nonsensical Trump babbling or guessing who is next on the Trump disrespect list. The circus has come to town and the group of assembled Rubes is buying the tickets to throw baseballs and topple the weighted milk jugs, but even kids get sick of the lights, cotton candy and even the clown at some point.
Vote in ’18 for Change.