Brett Stephens -- a conservative commentator -- has an interesting piece in this morning's New York Times. There are two reasons, he writes, why Donald Trump lost the election:
The first is that he’s immoral — manifestly, comprehensively and unrepentantly.
The immorality didn’t just repel his political opponents. It enraged them, inspired them, drove them to the polls and gave Biden exactly the opening he needed to run on a winning message of unity and decency.
Trump’s immorality also blinded him to his opportunities. He could have mended fences with his opponents. Instead, he consistently sought to humiliate them in ways that proved self-defeating: Think of John McCain and the Obamacare repeal vote. He could have spent the past eight months as the nation’s consoler in chief, a role nearly every past president has gracefully played. Instead, he went from denier in chief, to quack doctor in chief, to false promise maker in chief — everything, that is, except the steady and compassionate figure the country desperately needed in the White House.
The second reason Trump lost is that conservatives never tried to check his immorality. They rationalized, excused, enabled and ultimately celebrated it. For Trump’s presidency to have had even a faint chance of succeeding, he needed his allies and fellow travelers to provide reality checks and expressions of disapproval, including occasions of outright revolt. What he mainly got was an echo chamber.
No one in his circle had the courage to speak truth to power:
In Trump’s conservative universe, nearly everyone became a lickspittle. Among his fervent supporters, or those who drew better ratings or poll numbers from his presidency, this was at least understandable. They had TV careers to preserve, political jobs to fill, a cult leader to worship.
And they continue to lick Trump's boots. All this points to a coming conservative reackoning:
Just as ignorance was strength in George Orwell’s “1984,” shamelessness became virtue in Trump’s G.O.P. The strategy of moral inversion appeared to be vindicated four years ago, since none of Trump’s successive scandals prevented his victory.
Unfortunately, it appears that there is no Orwell in Trumpworld.
Image: esquire.com
12 comments:
In hearing all the noise coming from trump world, I'm reminded that the system of checks and balances, ie Impeachment, was entirely ineffective in impeaching and convicting the most impeachable president in the history of the country. That alone makes me think that a work around is possible, why not subvert the electoral college as well? Delay everything until a republican skewed congress can apply all of their votes to Trump? While I remain hopeful that the Biden/Harris administration will see the light of day on January 21st, this is more than just noise and bluster from a pathetic man child, he has an entire well organized establishment behind him with much more at stake than that POS legal and financial woes. BC Waterboy
Stephens fails to explore how Trump's immorality increased his support among white voters, both men and women. That's a far more difficult issue for a guy like Stephens to address, but one the country desperately needs to examine.
It's far too easy to let white voters off the hook because Trump ultimately lost. But that was due in no small part to the extraordinary get-out-the-vote efforts by blacks, especially black women like Stacey Abrams. Concluding that Trump was ousted because of the innate decency of Americans ignores the fact that despite four years of incompetence, immorality and corruption, he increased his support by some 5 million votes! His loss was no sure thing.
Cap
I agree, waterboy. Trump would not have been elected president if the Republican party had not been fully complicit in his election. With the exception of something like four Republican senators, they are still fully complicit.
That's what so deeply disturbing, Cap. After four years of Trump, more Americans than last time around chose to drink the Kool-Aide.
Healing America. What Are the Odds? Joe Biden is sincere when he says he wants to heal America but he's up against powerful forces who won't stand for it.
What is today's Republican Party but a party of grievance and division? Disharmony is to the Republicans as an empty sea shell is to a hermit crab - it's their cover as they bury democracy and perfect plutocracy in its stead. Stoke division, rile up the Gullibillies, and, while they're distracted, pass laws giving political rights to corporations (Citizens United) or, as they did before the 2018 mid-terms, slip in a two trillion dollar tax cut for the richest of the rich. You can't get away with those brazen acts of political pillage without a population at each other's throats.
Look at how prominent Republicans - Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell, the leadership of the RNC - are responding to Trump's ludicrous claims that the election was rigged, victory stolen from the GOP. They know there's no evidence of that preposterous claim. They know it's a venal, guttersnipe tactic. They know that, without evidence, the courts will throw out their claims. Yet they're onside for it. Why? Because it's biscuits and gravy to the Gullibillies. It keeps them fed, fat and stoked. And that keeps America divided, perhaps mortally broken. It is the Republican Party's lifeline and they're toast without it. What's next? The old bullshit about "states' rights" or a repeal of the 13th and 14th Amendments? Who knows? Abraham Lincoln was right when he said, quoting Scripture, that "a house divided against itself cannot stand." And that's just how some people like it.
Lincoln knew full well the cost of a divided house, Mound. But I'm sure he would be gobsmacked by what's become of his party.
.. a link, not for the faint of heart, or afraid of 'depth'.. its long and detailed.. goes deep into the backroom stuff.. regards to Lorne and Mound.. I gave up re Blogger.. I know the diff between 'productive' and just driving me nuts
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/07/this-f-ing-virus-inside-donald-trumps-2020-undoing-434716
Thanks for the link, sal. It makes for interesting reading. There was a reason why Rudi Guiliani found himself outside a landscaping business sandwiched between a porn shop and a mortuary. The campaign, like Trump himself, was a monstrous screw-up.
Simplicity is a virtue. The new Blogger forgets that virtue.
This US election featured the highest turnout for a century. Total votes went up, Republican votes went up and Democrat votes went up. I'm not sure the figures indicate any surge in strength for Trump alone.
Precisely, rumley. More citizens voted on both sides. And they made their preference clear.
Rumley, I can't remember such an enthusiastic turnout since young American males flocked to enlist in the Union Army and the Confederacy. Oddly enough that too involved issues of white supremacy, xenophobia and conspiracy theories.
It seems to me, Mound, that Trump is wholly a creature of television. If the major television broadcasters decide to ignore Trump, his ability to gin up support will atrophy. Fox News is Trump TV. But if Fox News is his only outlet, he'll become a one-hit-wonder.
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