A few months back, I wrote here about the rock and hard place the Republican Party has crammed itself into with Trump announcing he was a candidate to avoid prosecution – er, sorry, I mean to be president of the United States.
On the one hand, the problem is that there is a growing contingent in the GOP that believes (based on understandable reason) if Trump is the party’s nominee and standard bearer his losing streak will continue and it will crush the GOP in 2024, not only for the White House but also drag down the other races whose candidates will have to loyally support him and his white supremacist, anti-Semitic pathologically lying fascism and continue the Big Lie and support of the Insurrection to overthrow the government and democracy, all of which massively undercut the party in the 2022 Mid-terms. This growing force doesn’t want him to win, happy to see him lose and go away. Further, Rupert Murdoch and his Fox “News” and newspapers have already begun shifting their support to Ron DeSantis. And that’s the other hand. Because if Trump doesn’t get the party’s nomination and does go away in defeat – he will not go away. For starters, being Trump he will already have been doing his best to undermine and weaken DeSantis – or whoever the nominee is. And then, as the loser, and being a malignant narcissist, he will do his best to burn the GOP down. He will likely do all he can to keep shredding the nominee and make clear to his insanely loyal base shouldn’t vote for that person. If only 5% of his acolytes follow his lead – and it seem reasonable to think the number would be much higher – that would be disastrous for Republicans. Except that’s not the worse scenario. The worst scenario that I (and others) have suggested is that Trump could run as a third-party candidate. And if he did that, Republicans would be crushed. Because the only people he would ever attract votes from would be Republicans. I mention this all because yesterday Trump said the quiet part out loud and gave public voice of sorts to that reality. On his Trump Social platform, he personally posted a link to an editorial from a MAGA publication called “America Greatness” written by Dan Galenter. While Galenter notes the obvious that if Trump ran in a third party Democrats would easily win. But he’s okay with that and writes -- "I have no intention of supporting a Republican Party that manifestly contravenes the desires of its voters. The RNC can pretend Trump isn’t loved by the base anymore, that he doesn’t have packed rallies everywhere he goes. But I’m not buying it: Talk to Republican voters anywhere outside the Beltway, and it is obvious that he is admired and even loved by those who consider themselves 'ordinary' Americans." To be clear, the “America Greatness” publication is a blip in the public consciousness, as is Dan Galenter. But the fact that Trump linked to it on his platform is a foghorn with Klieg lights shining attention on it. Now, of course, this could all be a TrumpBluff to scare his party into making sure he wins. But it doesn’t matter. Because if that happens, enough of the GOP is plenty terrified enough already that he might be their nominee. And just as terrified that it isn’t a bluff. And they should be terrified. By both options. Because they’re both horrible. The only good alternative is if Trump drops out on his own, which he won’t do, unless he’s indicted – which itself would be really horrible for the GOP, because they’ve enabled Trump and the Big Lie and fascism and the Insurrection for the past six years. And they brought it on themselves. Because they have enabled him for the past six years. It couldn’t happen to more deserving people.
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I’m not sure if I agree with their order of things – and the announcer narration ranges between fine and cloying – and wish they didn’t cut the cheering when the real person shows up, but overall (whatever the order, like having Tina Fey as Sarah Palin just an “honorable mention” and however it’s edited) this is a wonderful collection of great impressions done with the actual person participating. Scott Jennings is a strategist for Mitch McConnell, a conservative commentator on CNN. On Monday, he was on the air discussing how he “backed into the presidency” in 2016 (perhaps that means he lost the popular vote, though I never heard Republicans reference that during his time in office) and added that it has been downhill since then –
“…and from that point forward losing in 2018, losing in 2020, losing in '21, losing in '22, all the legal stuff that has come along — every Republican out there is carrying his bags and those bags are getting heavier all the time. So whether you want to call it losing magic or whatever, it's just getting too heavy to carry Donald Trump's bags.” Just to be clear, as annoyed as Republicans are paying for Trump’s failures, for the rest of us, we are sick of paying for the Republican Party enabling Trump for 6 years, which covers being a today for Putin and the Russians, cozying up to dictators like Xi, Kim, Erdogan and Orban, having America’s world reputation shredded, insisting the pandemic would disappear like a miracle in weeks, ignoring medical advice while pushing bleach and deadly UV light, and maintaining the Big Lie of supposed election fraud, while empowering the Insurrection to try to overthrow the government and against democracy. So, y’know, there is a limit to my tears about how heavy it is carrying Donald Trump’s bags. Further, it’s not just that they’re soooo heavy to carry, but the Republican Party bought those bags. They had a lot of bags to choose from, but those are the ones they thought were the best. And Trump did ask them to carry them, but they begged to be allowed to do so. And argued among one another who was the most qualified to carrying them. Hoping beyond hope that he would endorse them as the best carrier of anyone. If those bags are now heavy with the garbage and excrement he kept stuffing them with, he stuffed them in full view and they helped cram them. If those bags are now heavy even with him out of office but announced to be running against, they had the chance – twice – to convict him at Trump’s two impeachment trials, including the one for the Insurrection, which would have got him and his bags out of politics, but enough of them were still just fine with him and his luggage. But maybe even more notable is that Mr. Jennings only references "Trump's failures" that the GOP is tired of carrying. They're not tired of Trump’s fascist policies and actions they voted for and supported, not tired of the Big Lie so many are still pushing, not tired of the Insurrection effort to overthrow the government – what Jennings says exhausts Republicans is just that Trump failed at them. So, yeah, oh, the exhausting burden of carrying those heavy bags. The heart bleeds. In fact, even when talking about Trump’s failures, Jennings still isn’t quite ready to dump those bags off at the Goodwill store. And makes clear that, well…maybe, no, it really isn’t all the GOP who are sick and tired of carrying those oh-so heavy bags, because there are plenty of Republicans anxious to line up for the honor. "I mean, look,” Jennings says, “he is not without things to build a campaign out of. He's got money, he's got a cadre of advisers fully dependent upon them for their livelihoods. He has people that want Donald Trump. There is a base of people inside the party that would rather have Trump than anybody else. So that's not an insignificant thing to start with." No, not insignificant at all. In fact, very significant. Indeed, a base of people inside the Republican Party. The GOP base. So his “every Republican” is tired carrying Trump’s heavy bags flim-flam is really just razzle-dazzle to redefine the words “every Republican” he wants you to believe. And it’s all just because Trump has been losing. Not because he’s a fascist, white supremacist, pathological liar. Scott Jennings and today’s Republican Party is okay with all that and the heavy bags it brings. As they’ve been for the past six years. If you don't want to carry all that heavy baggage, don't bring it on the trip. This Australian video is too weird and wildly clever and funny. The less said, the better, but it will become clear soon enough. I haven't found a clear explanation of how this came about, but -- I believe that the video is by Samantha May behind the camera who is the one talking to the horses. And after it was posted, a fellow named Ethan, who goes by Ozzy Man, added the rest later. And they deserve lots of credit, even if the work was done separately, to make it come across seamlessly as if written as a piece. There's a third voice, though it's unidentified -- but I think it may also be Ozzy Man. Well, there you go. Yesterday I posted a Media Alert for those with Netflix streaming about David Letterman going to Ukraine for his series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction... and talking with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. As it turns out, Netflix has made the 44-minute episode available to everyone. So, while I was spot-on, I was also premature. And when I posted a link to it on Facebook yesterday, I thought only people with Netflix accounts would be able to access and foolishly had no idea I was actually embedding it. Here it is. This is not part of the Holiday Music Fest this year -- that's over and done with. But it does overlap very closely with the season, so I thought today would be a good day for it. But before getting to the video of note, it helps to set it up with this other companion video that puts the Main Show in perspective. Brett Goldstein plays the deeply gruff character 'Roy Kent' on the series Ted Lasso, and writes for the show, as well. But in addition to being a pretty genial fellow, he hwas a major love for the Muppets (when he appeared on Sesame Street with them, he said he was one of his career highlights) -- and especially a great love of their movie musical The Muppets Christmas Carol. (With songs by Paul Williams.) In this 21-minute video, Goldstein interviews Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo (who narrates the film as Charles Dickens) and Kermit's nephew Robin about his favorite movie. It's fun, endearing and weird watching the whole interview. And the details sort of help with the video to follow. But it's really just to establish the point how much he loves the movie. So, even just a few minutes should suffice if you want to jump past. Now, you might think, okay, that shows how much Brett Goldstein loves The Muppets Christmas Carol. But no! How much does he really love the movie? Here he is, performing his one-man, 6-minute The Muppets Christmas Carol, singing the songs and each in costume. That's how much Brett Goldstein loves The Muppets Christmas Carol. |
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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