A Disquieting Reluctance to Do The Right Thing

 

I find it disquieting that, according to some polls, most of the voters who cast a ballot for Trump still believe that the election was "rigged."   This, despite the failure of Trump team to produce a single case where there was proven intent to change the actual count of ballots.

No foreign ballot harvesting, no rigged election machinery, no illegal marking of ballots.  No argument presented in court of anything but vague allegations. Claims of hundreds of affidavits, but not one presented to the Court for scrutiny and investigation. Nada. Zilch.

What is appalling is the silence of the Republican leadership.  Instead of disavowing these specious claims, or at least, calling for the immediate proof,  members of congress, governors and leading conservative pundits remain mute.  "Let the process unfold," they say.  What process?   Do they think they can get a case or two bumped up to be ruled in their favor by having the stacked SCOTUS conservative majority help them steal the election?  I don't think this will work.  I apparently have more faith in the Supreme Court to uphold the law and the constitution, and do the right thing.

"Stop the Steal" is more appropriately applied to Trump and his followers.  They are so invested in their ideology that they would prefer to invalidate the legally cast votes for Biden than to stick-up for the democratic process.  

It is clear that most Trump supporters are both underinformed and gullible.   They are willing to sacrifice democracy to autocracy.  It is un-American and deplorable. 

The Real Thanksgiving Story

Just for the record,  the real Thanksgiving Dinner went off very well with no scenes from "Hotel California." 

My daughter reports that the 22 lb turkey from a local organic farm cost $125.  Holy shit!  That's like almost $6 a pound.   It was delicious and moist.  Still cheaper than fish or beef.

We did not mention the election, except for the 16 year old grand son who wanted to see the adults fight.  He kept making anti-Trump statements.  (His dad was a pro-Trump guy). 

It was peaceful and congenial and we were all thankful for our blessings.

...

We did not talk about the terrible choices Trump is making for his cabinet.  I was always disappointed that Obama did not select the strongest people for his administration, (especially Treasury and AG and Sec of State, twice), but he looks like a genius compared to the Twitterer-in-Chief (elect)'s announced appointments and reported considerations,  Nikki Haley is an ok choice for UN Ambassador -- what the heck do they do, anyway? 

 I am not feeling to confident when the guy who has been named Attorney General is a racist homophobe (Sessions).  Ben Carson, who admits that he has no administrative experience is gonna be HUD Secretary.  Two others are blatant plum jobs as a reward for rich donors, who are utterly unqualified to be Cabinet members.  If Rudy Guiliani gets Sec of State, I'm moving to Mexico, if they will let me in.. 

Thanksgiving 2016

It’s a cloudy day in New England.  The family gathers for the annual dinner and opportunity to reconnect.  We arrive and get hugs all around except from the grandchildren who barely look up from their electronic devices, with a “Uh, Hi.” Then back to the chase or battle or grand theft felony games.  

Fine, we think, accepting the proffered bloody marys; we prefer adult conversation anyhow.  But there are warnings this post-election year.  The wrong guy has been elected and those of us who are in the majority must be careful not to talk about it.  “No politics! Period,” our host commands.  

Several members of the family voted for the wrong guy and will very likely be displaying some offensive righteousness, if allowed to enter a free-for-all discussion.  The majority, wallowing in moral superiority and fear, cannot bring ourselves to even acknowledge the reality of what has happened, because it can't happen here. Or so we thought.   How could the opposition not see the calamities that will surely fall upon all our heads?

We, who are proud to profess our tolerance of all human behavior, except what we call hate-speech, remain steadfastly intolerant of people who disagree with us on which candidate was worse.

No, we must not allow talk about it.  Like being at a wake, we shall not speak ill.  We make a list of approved topics – Mmm the stuffing is especially good this year. Is that a new painting hanging on the wall?  So, how about them Patriots?  How is that cure for nagging rectal itch working out?  Cold, isn’t it?  What a cute kitty,  (to grandkid:  Hows school going? What grade are you in now? Really?) and etcetera. 

(Speaking of grandkids, one grandpa I know tells me that when he would visit his grandkids, which was not often, they would ignore him and keep playing or watching their devices.  He decided to start giving them each a crisp twenty dollar bill.  He reports that now every time he comes in the door they compete with each other to run and give him a big hug.) 

       

But I digress.  

At the Thanksgiving gathering, we,  the majority, stand around, sipping our drinks, nervously waiting for the Alt-right contingent to arrive.  We hope they will not be gloating about the election outcome -- or worse, complaining about the not-my-president  riots protests.   And if we hear any talk about immigration, the wall, locking-her-up, extreme muslim terrorists, trade pacts, China, guns, or the revered cast of “Hamilton,” we will be furious.  The more we think about it, the more pissed-off we get.

Who do they think they are, lording it over us like that?  Those fucking deplorables!

We gather at the window as the hate wagon arrives with it’s gaudy Trump/Pence bumper sticker. 

“Hello everyone,” they greet us warmly. 

We see through that phoniness, and stab them with our steely knives.    

Birther Blowhard Barge Sinks. No Survivors.

Barack Obama has just launched a giant torpedo of truth that blows a huge hole below the waterline of the USS Trump-for-President. .

Trump had his noisy run at political opportunism during the past few weeks, getting attention by aligning himself with the whack jobs who have made Obama's citizenship their central issue.  Now those questions are finally answered. 

The Donald says he is proud of himself, but by finally releasing his birth certificate Obama essentially says to Candidate Trump: "You're Fired."

There is zero credibility left in the billionaire blowhard's believability quotient, since he staked his reputation on the "unbelievable" things that his army of researchers had discovered in Hawaii.  All gas and no beans.  Do not mourn as the candidacy disappears beneath the waves.  Do not throw life savers to the rats who will be scurrying to safety as the thin-hulled vessel sinks to the bottom. He got his face on everyone's TV; his ego is intact.
======
As for Obama, he tells us he has more important things to work on.  This is a silly issue.
I can't help hearing a haunting echo, remembering Bill Clinton's scolding rebuke to reporters when he was in denial about Ms Lewinski. 

Unfortunately, for those of us who never thought O's citizenship was a concern, the fact that Obama could have easily released the birth certificate anytime over the past several years, raises a series of perplexing questions:  Why?   Why didn't he do it sooner?  How come the Press reported that Hawaii laws forbade release of the "long form" original?   Who can we trust to tell us the truth in a timely manner?