It's been with an uncommon combination of repulsion and bemusement watching news reports of the tent revival meeting of the Republican Party cult at CPAC. It's not just the clueless speeches about reality in America or the wide-eyed devotion of acolytes, but also the bizarre joy at people there thinking that the golden idol of Trump was great and classy, and not that it more-accurately looked like something clownish that an anti-Trump group put together to ridicule him, like the Trump Baby balloon.
But the most bizarre thing about the Holy Rollers revivalist assembly is the fatal flaw that exists there and in all actions by the Republican Party since the insurrection to overthrow the government that Trump incited and most of the GOP in Congress voted to support. It's one thing for Republican Party leaders to push the tale that the election was supposedly stolen and that Trump not only won, but won in a landslide, and that Trump is the Great White Hope for the Republican Party but also for America. As dangerous and wrong-headed as that all is, it at least is understandable for them to try that before the Electoral votes were confirmed in order to rile up the base and raise money. But the problem, the fatal flaw, with continuing to push that over the next six weeks -- with no appearance of it letting up one iota -- is that Trump actually, really, truly lost the election. Lost it by seven million votes. And under Trump lost the the White House. Lost control of the Senate. Lost control of the House of Representatives. Had 500,000 Americans die under his stewardship. And left office with an approval rating of 34%. That's reality. And that's who the Republican Party is genuflecting to and going all-in with. And none of that even takes into consideration that Trump incited the insurrection to overthrow the government. That he became the first president in U.S. history to get impeached. That though he was acquitted, the vote in the Senate was 57-43 that he was guilty, That seven Republican senators voted that he was guilty -- which is seven more senators to vote an impeached-president guilty from the same party than all presidential impeachments in U.S. history before Trump combined. That Trump is likely to be indicted in at least three investigations. That he will likely have numerous civil suits filed against him, including many for wrongful death from the insurrection he incited. That he has about $800 million in loans coming due over the next four years. That he will be 78 in 2024 with seemingly badly-fading mental health. That he has suggested that he will be campaigning against Republicans in the mid-terms because they voted to defend the Constitution. And more. No, that's all bonus material. The fatal flaw has nothing about that. It's only that -- as much as the GOP leaders push him and push the fake "Stop the Steal" lunatic theory -- Trump actually lost the election by seven million votes. Actually lost the White House, Senate and House of Representatives. And actually left office with a 34% approval. By the way, none of this also takes into consideration that 50 million Americans have already had at least one vaccination against COVID-19 and that probably several hundred million Americans will have been vaccinated by the end of summer. That schools will likely be open in the fall. That businesses should be open later in the year. And that Joe Biden and Democrats will get credit for that. Because their clear organization of inoculating American is obvious to most Americans. And that 76% of Americans -- and 60% of Republicans -- support the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Bill that zero Republicans in Congress appear to support which will pass entirely because of Democratic votes. And which, among many things in the bill, will give Americans $1,400. No, this fatal flaw is only that Trump actually lost the election by 7 million votes. Lost all the seats of government. And has an approval of just 34%. Everything else that's so disastrous for the Republican Party because of their religious devotion to Trump is just extraneous bonus problems. And yet there at CPAC you not only got the full hosannah treatment, you got all the added treats like Josh Hawley crying out he won't be silenced, despite no efforts to silence him, just to investigate him for helping incite the insurrection. Cries of "Freedom!!!!" as if they were the homophobic and racist Mel Gibson playing William Wallace defending Scotland -- especially weird for a party that incited insurrection to overthrow democracy. Cries that they are trying to cancel the Muppets, despite their very successful deal to air their shows on Disney+ -- and which is a really weird platform agenda any way, even if there wasn't a pandemic. Ted Cruz making jokes about going to Cancun while his state was in the midst of a freezing energy-crisis disaster. And oh-so-much more. Actually, maybe the weirdest occurrence was another Ted Cruz attempt at a homophobic joke that polls would show 80% of men named Karen voted for Joe Biden. Which was followed up by a tweet by Don Jr. trying to "top that" by replying to Cruz and saying something like how polls would also probably show that 85% of government workers were incompetent. Never mind that government workers actually worked for his father. And that polls actually showed that only 34% support his father. But perhaps more to the point is that it's really not a smart idea to suck up to Ted Cruz at any time, but most especially these days. Even Eric is leaving Cruz alone. But there they were, the Republican Party leadership, still building their golden idol to Trump and praying at it. Still pushing their faithful to believe the fantasy that he won the election in a landslide because it was supposedly stolen. Still putting all their political future in Trump. Despite the fatal flaw...which (because they aren't totally stupid) they know. That Trump actually lost the election. By actually 7 million votes. That under Trump they actually lost the White House, Senate and House of Representatives. And that Trump left office with actually a 34% approval. And what was true before remains remarkably just as true. This isn't about Trump -- this is about the Republican Party that enabled him, is complicit, and is following him off the ledge.
2 Comments
Douglas Abramson
3/1/2021 07:42:30 pm
These dimbulbs think anything they don't like is "cancel culture"; conveniently forgetting that conservatives invented it in this country (Fatty Arbuckle?) and the Republicans fully embraced it after WWII (The Blacklist? The Dixie Chicks?) It's only a bad thing now that people are using their economic power to extend "cancel culture" to them. As for the idiotic examples cited at CPAC, "Mr Potato Head" wasn't canceled, Hasbro is now packaging male and female accessories in the same box (and probably charging twice as much) and branding it as "Potato Head". (This did cause Gaetz to accidentally say something funny: He didn't understand why it happened because he thought Mr Potato Head was the first transgender toy. I was very tempted to tweet at him that any man who wears as much makeup as he does, shouldn't be making trans jokes) The Muppets beef is even worse: Disney+ placed all five seasons behind the adult only firewall and put a warning that the show is old and some of the material might be considered offensive by some people today; and lists the problematic catagories. In other words, we warned you and we made sure little Johnny couldn't start the program by himself. If your kid sees something on The Muppet Show that you don't like, it ain't our fault; we did our due diligence and warned you! What I find interesting about both instances is that Hasbro owns the Potato Head brand free and clear and Disney owns The Muppet Show Muppets and all of their projects free and clear. The owners did what they wanted to with their property without any public or governmental interference. When did the GOP become the enemies of free enterprise?
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Robert Elisberg
3/1/2021 07:47:21 pm
Thanks for that spot-on analysis. Republican cries of..."fill in the blank" always do tend to reek of galling hypocrisy, and we could go much further.
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AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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