It is no secret that Trump is incredibly corrupt, really. It was well-known and established beyond any doubt already long before he first announced his candidacy for the presidency the first time, back in 2011 for the 2012 White House race. People do not remember that because Trump’s campaign was so bad, that it did not even make it to 2012. In fact, he did not make it far beyond the summer of 2011. He likes to pretend like 2016 was the first time that he ran, but it was not, and we should remember that.
Anyway, Trump received unusual levels of criticism during his run for the White House, and this went beyond the standard criticisms that most presidential candidates inevitably get. This went well beyond policy differences, or difference. Trump was attacked on a very personal level based on the serious distrust that many had of him and his character, based on the person he had shown himself to be for decades. Lyndsey Graham claimed that he would destroy the Republican party and that, moreover, if the Republicans made Trump their nominee, the GOP would deserve it. Rick Perry described Trump as a cancer on conservatism. Again, these went well beyond the boundaries of standard criticisms of policy differences and/or accusations of a lack of experience and such.
Of course, at the time, it was almost unthinkable that Trump would win> After all, he was rightly viewed as a clown, as a buffoonish figure. It was, frankly, hard to take him seriously, much less his candidacy for the nation’s highest office.
The thing was, nobody had the deep pockets of Trump, and it was understood that anyone who attacked Trump would receive incredible criticisms by his propaganda machine. This intimidated almost everyone, although Jeb Bush was not shy about attacking Trump. He was the only GOP candidate who showed a lack of reluctance, as everyone else was clearly intimidated by Trump.
We now know the results of this. With no one able, or willing, to criticize Trump among the White House contenders, Trump received a ton of momentum by his flash and pizazz. Certainly, not everyone was a fan, and many Republicans were vehemently opposed to Trump and the seeming polarization and even hatred that he symbolized. Yet, the other candidates for the White House were overly safe, and remained reluctant to criticize him too strongly. One by one, they fell, until Trump stood tall, and the last remaining candidate in the GOP race, Ted Cruz, was clearly in his shadow.
For all intents and purposes, Trump had locked up the Republican nomination with hardly a headache. It was so surprisingly easy, that it was hard to believe that he actually was the nominee, when it was difficult to view him as a serious candidate to begin with.
Then, of course, the Democrats nominated someone who had illegally asked for help from the party leadership, which was supposed to officially remain neutral, and who’s former President husband had met with the Attorney General at a Phoenix tarmac – shutting down the whole airport in the process – while the AG was investigating Hillary. Just days later, it was announced that the investigation was done, that no wrongdoing could be found. Then, she received a question to prepare for one of the presidential debates.
Yet, the Democrats insisted that this candidate was impeccable and trustworthy, even though by then, she was the most distrusted and even hated major party candidate in history. Perhaps it really should not have been a surprise, in an election year when political insiders were unpopular like never before, that Trump would win.
Still, it felt stunning, because Trump just seemed like a joke to that point.
The problem is, he never has ascended beyond that joke level, even though now, the ramifications for him being a joke are bordering on traffic. After all, again, this man is the President of the United States. He did not win the popular vote, yet he won the election, according to the rules, fair and square.
Except his actions since taking office are not fair and square. This man lies, he deceives, and he divides. And he has shown blatant levels of corruption, always axcting on the seeming assumption of being completely and irrefutably untouchable. He acts with a seeming impunity, apparently believing that nohing he ever does, no actions he ever takes, no matter how immoral or illegal, will ever catch up with him.
He feels that way because he got away with so much – pretty much everything – throughout his life, up to this point.
He feels that way because he manipulates people into believing that he has more power and can do things that no one else can do. And on some level, he is right, but only because people let him get away with it. Like the other GOP candidates for the White House were scared to criticize him because they were afraid of the backlash. Like his loyal supporters let him get away with lying and with some truly idiotic behavior and words, because they refuse to find fault with literally anything this man says or does.
And now, he has one of the two major parties in this country under his thumb.
This man is dangerous, and needs to be stopped.
He is a joke of a man, but the power that he wields is no joke, which makes him a joke no longer.
Potentially, it makes him a tragedy for this country, and perhaps for the world.
Republicans prepared to ignore ‘mountain’ of uncontested evidence by Steve Benen, 11/22/19:
Anyway, Trump received unusual levels of criticism during his run for the White House, and this went beyond the standard criticisms that most presidential candidates inevitably get. This went well beyond policy differences, or difference. Trump was attacked on a very personal level based on the serious distrust that many had of him and his character, based on the person he had shown himself to be for decades. Lyndsey Graham claimed that he would destroy the Republican party and that, moreover, if the Republicans made Trump their nominee, the GOP would deserve it. Rick Perry described Trump as a cancer on conservatism. Again, these went well beyond the boundaries of standard criticisms of policy differences and/or accusations of a lack of experience and such.
Of course, at the time, it was almost unthinkable that Trump would win> After all, he was rightly viewed as a clown, as a buffoonish figure. It was, frankly, hard to take him seriously, much less his candidacy for the nation’s highest office.
The thing was, nobody had the deep pockets of Trump, and it was understood that anyone who attacked Trump would receive incredible criticisms by his propaganda machine. This intimidated almost everyone, although Jeb Bush was not shy about attacking Trump. He was the only GOP candidate who showed a lack of reluctance, as everyone else was clearly intimidated by Trump.
We now know the results of this. With no one able, or willing, to criticize Trump among the White House contenders, Trump received a ton of momentum by his flash and pizazz. Certainly, not everyone was a fan, and many Republicans were vehemently opposed to Trump and the seeming polarization and even hatred that he symbolized. Yet, the other candidates for the White House were overly safe, and remained reluctant to criticize him too strongly. One by one, they fell, until Trump stood tall, and the last remaining candidate in the GOP race, Ted Cruz, was clearly in his shadow.
For all intents and purposes, Trump had locked up the Republican nomination with hardly a headache. It was so surprisingly easy, that it was hard to believe that he actually was the nominee, when it was difficult to view him as a serious candidate to begin with.
Then, of course, the Democrats nominated someone who had illegally asked for help from the party leadership, which was supposed to officially remain neutral, and who’s former President husband had met with the Attorney General at a Phoenix tarmac – shutting down the whole airport in the process – while the AG was investigating Hillary. Just days later, it was announced that the investigation was done, that no wrongdoing could be found. Then, she received a question to prepare for one of the presidential debates.
Yet, the Democrats insisted that this candidate was impeccable and trustworthy, even though by then, she was the most distrusted and even hated major party candidate in history. Perhaps it really should not have been a surprise, in an election year when political insiders were unpopular like never before, that Trump would win.
Still, it felt stunning, because Trump just seemed like a joke to that point.
The problem is, he never has ascended beyond that joke level, even though now, the ramifications for him being a joke are bordering on traffic. After all, again, this man is the President of the United States. He did not win the popular vote, yet he won the election, according to the rules, fair and square.
Except his actions since taking office are not fair and square. This man lies, he deceives, and he divides. And he has shown blatant levels of corruption, always axcting on the seeming assumption of being completely and irrefutably untouchable. He acts with a seeming impunity, apparently believing that nohing he ever does, no actions he ever takes, no matter how immoral or illegal, will ever catch up with him.
He feels that way because he got away with so much – pretty much everything – throughout his life, up to this point.
He feels that way because he manipulates people into believing that he has more power and can do things that no one else can do. And on some level, he is right, but only because people let him get away with it. Like the other GOP candidates for the White House were scared to criticize him because they were afraid of the backlash. Like his loyal supporters let him get away with lying and with some truly idiotic behavior and words, because they refuse to find fault with literally anything this man says or does.
And now, he has one of the two major parties in this country under his thumb.
This man is dangerous, and needs to be stopped.
He is a joke of a man, but the power that he wields is no joke, which makes him a joke no longer.
Potentially, it makes him a tragedy for this country, and perhaps for the world.
Republicans prepared to ignore ‘mountain’ of uncontested evidence by Steve Benen, 11/22/19:
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/republicans-prepared-ignore-mountain-uncontested-evidence?cid=sm_fb_maddow&fbclid=IwAR2mI-22mEjKNDzU1Y1l_amnelgASDIKGkXBCgPizrT9u2Mgse1cBAK5BBs
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