Just so we don’t forget.
The office of the President of the United States is many things, but at its core, the job is mostly an executive position. The President has to run the Executive branch of the government, an enterprise bigger than any other on the planet. Complicating that, the U.S. President is popularly seen as the embodiment of many ideals: patriotism, honor, and what, for lack of a better phrase, I’ll call American values: the ideas that underpin our democracy.
Unless this is the first article here you’ve seen, you already know I think President Trump is phenomenally unqualified for the position. It’s not just that he doesn’t understand the job, the system, the executive, or our democracy. “He is uninterested in any topic he cannot refer to in the first person,” (a misquote of Mary Janice Davidson). If he profits, or his immediate family profits, he’s good. If there are brown person involved, he’s openly terrified. Otherwise, he’s disinterested.
But Trump is just the latest, most improved version of the new Republican ideal. Don’t forget: Trump was the only guy to unseat George W. Bush from his pedestal as ‘Worst Modern President.’ Hell they gave Obama a Nobel goddamn Peace Prize –remember that? — simply because he wasn’t Bush. THAT’S how relieved they were.
And what did the Republican party give us next?
Look at the party of ‘no’ put into power, and you can see what they actually stand for: gutting the safety net, first up, focusing on the most vulnerable and helpless; stripping out federal civil rights enforcement and ditching protections for LGBTQ people; eliminating worker protections; denying refugees any solace while demonizing anyone who isn’t a conservative Christian; and so more vile, pinched, uncharitable, unchristian positions than I care to list.
At the same time, they’re all for supporting their masters: billionaires and huge corporations. Big tax cuts for the rich, and a free eyes-closed pass for any business, sure, but if you aren’t in the upper tenth of one percent, they don’t want to hear from you. They put polluters in charge of the EPA, segregationists in charge of Justice, privileged private school zealots in charge of public schools, and unregistered Russian agents in charge of American’s closest secrets.
What’s the worst that could happen? It’s not like the free world has been weakened or anything.
Republicans have principles they pretend to, sure: patriotism, strong defense, fiscal responsibility, a smaller government that only interferes mildly in people’s lives, pushing choices back out to the people, and lots more stuff they don’t really believe at all.
Republicans don’t even pretend. Why bother? It’s not like they actually promised to govern. They only talked about disaster, disruption, and carnage. Can’t say they haven’t delivered.
So, what about the Democrats? They make it clear they’re not Republicans. And, except for a few, unusual individuals (hey ya Bernie and Liz!), they stop there, like that’s all they need to say. Over and over, we ask, “What are they for?” I’m not sure they know.
Democrats lose elections hand over fist to the party of the New Gilded Age, and they’re the only ones in the room who can’t figure out why.
