One of the most sickening trends in American politics today - and probably a large part of the reason for the ridiculously high levels of polarization in the country - is this idea that people do not want to criticize members of the party that they side with. Better not criticize "my candidate" for fear that this will weaken him or her, and then that other guy from the other party will get in and ruin everything.
The fact of the matter is that these people are human beings, and thus flawed. Also, they are not our all-powerful rulers or overlords. We are not supposed to drop everything to do their bidding. Far from it. In fact, they are our public servants. We are their bosses, and if we are displeased with their performance, we have every right to boot them out. In fact, for the good of the country, that is what we should do.
So this overindulgence in regaling the nominee for the party that we favor, and refusing to acknowledge any flaws in their characters, is more than a little troubling. The main problem that I have with Trump and his followers is that they refuse to see any faults in the man. They seem to think he can do no wrong, as if he is perfect. Like the Catholics view the Pope, they seem to think that Trump is infallible.
However, many Democrats feel the same way about people in their party. They praise the Clintons, even though there is a hell of a lot there to criticize, not least of all their elitism. When people had questions abut Hillary's character, those concerns are real. After all, she illegally asked for - and illegally received - assistance by Democratic Party leadership to get past Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic Primary. She received a question from Donna Brasile in preparation for the debate with Donald Trump. Her former president husband met with the then sitting Attorney General at a tarmac in Phoenix, temporarily shutting down the public airport, while supposedly Bill Clinton shot the breeze with Loretta Lynch, basically just catching up. They both denied that they talked about an active investigation into the activities of Hillary Clinton, yet within a day or two, that investigation suddenly officially ended, just like that. I'm no Trump supporter, and I would have preferred Hillary winning in 2016, but those kinds of things are very suspicious to me. Also, her blaming everyone but herself for her election defeat, and coming up with this elaborate Russiagate thing which, according to her, got Trump elected, frankly smelled like bullshit to me from the beginning. Brought to you by some of the same people who voted for the Iraq invasion just a little more than a decade earlier.
Or Obama. I thought that he was impressive in the beginning, too. But his first term in office - a full four years - was often almost considered George W. Bush's third term, since he changed so few of the policies. He also suspended habeas corpus, a constitutionally protected right. And what about all of those drone strikes, or spying on countries allied to the United States (Germany, specifically)? Are those all admirable qualities that we are looking for in a leader? Or are those things that maybe he deserved some heat and serious criticism for? Why would it be that I might be considered a Trump stooge by many of his fans if I dare to criticize him or his policies, as I am doing freely right now?
Look, I have made no secret about how much I despite Trump. But that does not make Joe Biden perfect, or beyond reproach. He is a very flawed man, and frankly, I did not like him as a politician for years - even decades - before he won the presidency. When he looks frankly frail, and when his age seems to be a huge concern, maybe those concerns should not simply be dismissed. I mean, I kind of believe that both of these likely candidates in 2024 are old and hardly inspire confidence. And I'm glad that Jon Stewart took this on for his return with The Daily Show.
Take a look at the video, and see what you think:
Jon Stewart Tackles The Biden-Trump Rematch That Nobody Wants | The Daily Show
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