Over a year ago, tv host and comic Bill Maher told the world he feared that if Donald Trump were voted out of office he would not leave. People like me, poo-pooed the idea and laughed not with Maher, but at Maher. Even to speculate seemed so outlandish, that only a comic would come up with the idea. Was Maher prophetic? After watching the President unravel on national tv last evening, I fear he is a victim of his fantasies. The biggest, the best, and the smartest was reduced to begging. For the first time, the studio lighting showed through his thinning hair. He looked more ginger than pumpkin, and his voice was hoarse from…maybe screaming into a pillow?
We got a glimpse at what his critics thought would be pleasing and his supporters thought was impossible, Donald Trump the Loser. Most of you know I am not a fan of the President, but he could not even let me enjoy the moments leading up to his inevitable political demise. Donald Trump took to the podium on the stage of the White House briefing room and disgraced our democracy. His insistence on labeling mail-in-ballots, fraudulent, hurt America. The older “white working class” voters he suspected were hiding in their suburban basement bunkers while protecting their wives’ pedestals let him down. Vladimir Putin toasted with his favorite vodka while Trump defamed American democracy.
In his [Trump] zeal to tap into anger and grievance, he forgot that animus travels north and south on Highway Resentment. I consider myself an analytical voter. Yes, I review past voting records of candidates and read white papers. I read both the Republican and Democratic platforms for the past 20 years. I try to be dispassionate in financial decisions and compassionate on social issues. When I walked to the polls on Tuesday morning I had made a conscious decision to show up in person. I wanted to march the 4 blocks up my street to my polling station. I wanted to defy any Trump voter who dared try and stop me. I wanted to firmly push the touch screen buttons until it screamed for mercy. Yes, while Donald Trump made his supporters angry enough to run buses off the road he made me angry enough to run him out of office.
Then it hit me, the secret to Trump’s pseudo-success…making you as angry in your ignorance as him. Angry enough to look for trouble, angry enough to take out your frustrations on an inanimate object, and eventually accepting caged babies, and thousands of deaths—BECAUSE I AM ANGRY, AND I DESERVE MORE! Maybe that explains the rage tweeting, the inability to admit fallibility, the name-calling, and the creation of a perfect world in his head. Mr. Trump brought me back to reality yesterday when I watched him march to the podium, staring blankly into the eyes of those he feels do not deserve him and storm off to shouts of “sore loser.”
For a few moments Tuesday morning, I lost my way. I felt the rage of resentment. For relaxation this morning, I found an old recording (vinyl of course) of Georgia on My Mind. Thank you, Ray, …Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…
Voted in 2020 for Change—and my life.