Well, the second debate was hard to watch, mainly because neither of them did themselves, or us, very proud. Hillary was able to get in some serious policy discussion, and when asked at the end what she admires about Trump she managed to come up with some praise for his kids instead of the more truthful but probably less politic "Not one fucking thing."
Still, it was mostly a bunch of personal insults, the more grievous of which came from Donald, as expected. His were more personal, tacky, and pointless than hers ("She has hate in her heart," said the Mexicans-are-rapists candidate.)
Lost in the morass was the single most disturbing thing Donald Trump said: if he wins he'll appoint a special prosecutor to go after Hillary Clinton and put her in prison. That got enthusiastic applause from his henchpeople in the audience and, no doubt, will be cheered across the digital landscape that's found in a certain deplorable basket.
But think about it: if you piss off Donald, he puts you in prison. A gulag, I'd guess. Nor do his supporters find the idea the least bit repugnant or frightening. And they say when we liberals call him a demagogic tyrant and criticize his supporters, we're being nasty. Maybe that promise of his will burble up through the cesspool and be seen for what it was: the announcement of a would-be dictator, the first step toward subjugation, cheered on by those who assume they'd never be next.
I can't help thinking of President Obama right after he was elected, when there were calls for prosecution of his predecessors Dick and George for what were actual, undeniable, by-definition war crimes. Not in the country's best interest, the president decided, in what was the first of several decisions that disappointed the leftest side of his supporters. (For the record, I thought it was the right decision, but would have, on a personal-satisfaction level, loved to have seen it happen. But we liberals are able to think beyond immediate and selfish gratification.)
No, that was damn scary stuff, what Donald said and how his delusional followers reacted. USA! USA! USA! Give me your tyrants, your poorly informed, your huffing masses yearning to bleed me...
[Added: looking at various sources after I wrote the above without searching, it seems others saw it as I did. Reassuring on some level. Mike Pence, however, called it one of the best moments of the debate. So there you have it.]
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What will become of Trump after he loses the election? It's now crystal clear that he will. It's also clear that not even leper colonies would admit him. Well, the high rent ones anyway. With his brand trashed his high road leads straight down the low road to Deplorableland.
ReplyDeleteCan his massive ego permit him to walk away from this ride? I wonder. Can he turn his back on his new, lowlife followers? It's a long shot, but given that he's been drunk on political honey and their love, he just might take a stab at creating the "Trump Party". He's their savior, their king! How could he possibly have lost?! "Traitors!! Rigging!! The GOP did this to me!!" And the Trump guillotine hurtles down and cleaves the GOP in half!
It could happen. I'm not holding my breath. Just my nose.
Der Trumpleiter won't bother with a Gulag. Too posh. Not needed, either, since we still have Gitmo to hold our Political Prisoners, where his minions will, as per their extensive experience, do "a whole lot worse than waterboarding." I understand that death by hypothermia is a standard practice since the torturers can claim mere negligence instead of maliciously lethal BDSM.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's the real danger: those millions who don't care about, in fact love Trump for, his lies, vulgarity, and dictatorial dreams. They'll be around no matter where he is. Doing, I'm certain, violence. And they'll be in Congress, too, doing nearly literal violence to governance.
ReplyDeleteDr. Strangelove makes the point that worries me too. If we think the divide in congress is bad now, once Hillary wins (I already have the libations), the earth's tectonic shifts will look like cracks in the sidewalk. On a similar note, gun and ammo sales will, once again go through the roof. Trust me, it's already beginning.
ReplyDeleteTrump has all but called for violence if he loses.
ReplyDeleteHe's called for violence for every other reason. He may have called for violence if he loses, it's just really hard to find it among the many calls for violence.
ReplyDeletehttp://mashable.com/2016/03/12/trump-rally-incite-violence/#xqWdA2Yn0iqy
I DO remember him calling for violence if he loses!
ReplyDeletehttp://time.com/4445813/donald-trump-second-amendment-speech/
Many lessons could be learned by the Conservatives. Catering only to the base will not win elections, but it's one helluva way to fleece people out of their money once you lose with "INFOWARS" type media. Conservatives know this,... but they do not know what a deeply flawed person is. People can read the same thing and get wayyy off the tracks. While others can think for themselves and comprehend.
ReplyDeleteTake this for example...Why is the Right Wing in such bad shape? Why can't they attracts more "Blacks?".
"European hunters are responsible for the early decline of black rino populations. It was not uncommon for five or six rinos to be killed in a day for food or simply for amusement. European settlers that arrived in Africa in the early 20th century to colonize and establish farms and plantations continued this senseless slaughter. Most people regarded rinos as vermin and exterminated them at all costs."
“DOOMED.” That was the front page headline of the UK newspaper, the Daily Mirror, in 1961, accompanied by a full-page photo of two African rinos. The article said that rinos were “doomed to disappear from the face of the earth due to man’s folly, greed, neglect” and encouraged readers to support a new conservation organization:..."
Are we still talking about the same thing?
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/black-rhino