Sorry,
I know this is very long but mostly because I included his cabinet
picks. Well, maybe not mostly but it did add to it.
Tomorrow
is the day for the last tiny sliver of hope that Trump won't be voted
in.
I
have no hope that it won't happen though. The electors, whose job it
is to prevent an unqualified, temperamentally unsuited, bully who
brooks no criticism or insult, who has no respect for the
constitution or the rule of law which he feels doesn't apply to him,
who lies nearly as often as he speaks, and who isn't even interested
in doing the job he isn't qualified for anyway from becoming president will
still vote for him because they won't have the backbone to stand up
and do the right thing. They will couch it in the false narrative
that they are trying to represent the people in their state but that
is not their job. Well, it is as long as the candidate is
suitable. Their job is to protect the country at large from
someone inimical to democracy in either a vague or outright threat.
And Trump is an outright threat, actively engaged in threatening the
electors who are resisting with political reprisal and general
ruination if they don't vote for him which is against the fucking
law! More than one or two have come forward anonymously with
stories of, literally, blackmail...do what I want or else.
So,
no, I do not expect the electors, and later the Republican party, will do the right thing for this
country. Their allegiance is to themselves and their wallet first,
party second, and maybe the country third. Maybe. It may be to
Russia. And I don't think the people even make it on their lists.
These
last several weeks have just been one horror show after another. I
don't even know where to start. The nepotism of installing his
children in his regime and asking for top secret clearance for them,
Ivanka sitting in on political meetings to push her and her family's
business interests, Ivanka getting the office usually reserved for
the First Lady to do what? Or the not wanting to live in the White
House thing which means that we the people will be hit with a huge
security bill for his penthouse and I suppose by extension to all his
business complexes around the world with a big target now painted on
them.
Or
the fact that he so irresponsibly tweets untrue and ignorant things
with the intended result to tank a business's stock or to send his pack of rabid Trumpeters to
harass and threaten individuals who say things he doesn't like, or to
ruin a magazine for a review he didn't like of his restaurant, or to
send waves through delicate and balanced foreign relations. He's
like a third grader with no restraint or cares about the consequences
of his actions.
Or
his ridiculous claim that he won both the popular vote and the
electoral vote by a landslide, both false as he lost the popular vote
by more than 2.8 million votes and ranks 47th in electoral
votes.
Or
his deep ties to Russia which besides being in debt to them for
millions has appointed people with ties to Russia to positions in his
future government. Or his unconcern about the Russian cyber
interference in the election to the point of scorning our own
intelligence agencies that all agree that it did indeed happen and
that one of the hoped for results would be less faith in America from
our allies. And to that our republican controlled congress that
spent years hounding Hillary Clinton over Benghazi doesn't think
this warrants appointing a special investigator.
Or
his team of attack dog lawyers with their pages of list of questions
to beleaguer the folks doing the recounts in order to impede their
progress and get as much thrown out or undone as possible with an
almost 2/1 ratio lawyers/counters which is against the fucking
law.
Or
his selections for cabinet positions...
Environmental
Protection Agency – Scott Pruitt, climate change denier, fossil
fuel frontman, scorner of environmental protection, wants to
dismantle the agency
Department of
Energy – Rick Perry, big ties to Big Oil, latest claim to fame
being on Dancing With The Stars, as presidential candidate wanted to
dismantle the agency
Department of Labor
– Andy Puzder, millionaire fast food CEO, opposes minimum wage,
overtime, and worker safety regulations, wants to dismantle the
agency
Department of
Education – Betsy Devoss, millionaire who never went to public
school, never sent her kids to public school, does not have an
education degree, pushes the voucher program as a way to introduce
christianity into schools, wants to dismantle public education
Treasury Department
– Steven Mnuchin, Goldman-Sachs man, foreclosed on 36,000 Americans
during the housing bubble bust
Secretary of
Commerce – Wilbur Ross, billionaire wall streeter, caused the
deaths of 12 men when his mine collapsed because of ignored safety
violations, against free trade, robber baron
Secretary of
Transportation – Elaine Chao, wife of Mitch McConnell
Housing and Urban
Development - Ben Carson, no pertinent experience, against the fair
housing law
Health and Human
Services – Tom Price, opposed to the ACA, opposed to CHIP, opposed
to mental health equity, favors privatizing Medicare and cutting
Medicaid
Small Business
Administration – Linda McMahon, ran World Wrestling Entertainment,
donated millions to Trump
Department of the
Interior – Ryan Zinke, favors drilling on federal public land,
favors pipelines
State Department –
Rex Tillerson, close business ties to Putin, climate change denier,
ties to ExxonMobil
Defense Department
– James 'Mad Dog' Mattis, retired general, hawk, wants to 'get
tough' on Iran
Homeland Security –
John Kelly, retired general
CIA – Mike
Pompeo, in favor of torture, wants to expand Guantanamo
Attorney General –
Jeff Sessions, racist, sexist, bigot, hardliner
Ambassador to the
UN – Nikki Haley, no experience in foreign affairs
Granted,
all these positions need to be confirmed by congress and I hope the
Dems and however many Republicans that still have a shred of decency
will put up a vigorous fight and defeat these totally, for the most
part, unsuitable selections. However these positions do not need
confirmation:
National Security
Advisor – Michael Flynn, retired general, irrational fear of
muslims, passes along conspiracy theories and fake news, close ties
to Russia
Chief of Staff –
Reince Priebus, chairman of the RNC
Chief Strategist –
Steve Bannon, racist, bigot, misogynist, white supremacist
White House Council
– Donald McGahn, served on the Federal Elections Commission,
specializes in election law
No,
the electors are going to go ahead and give this man the White House
which he scorns, free to destabilize the world and loot the
treasury while he's at it, free to destroy the very government and
nation he will be sworn in to protect and NO ONE has the balls to
stop him.
Add
to all this that he is so unpopular that he can't find anyone to
entertain at his inauguration even though he is reportedly offering
an unlimited amount of money, a name your price deal, even promising
positions in his government to any agent who can come across with
some A list entertainers, which is against the fucking law!
The
DC area school marching bands won't even perform for him.
I'm so disgusted with this country right now...for what did our Fathers and Grandfather Fight??? We are right where they gave their lives to stop us from going!! He is such a thug, he will never have my confidence or my respect! I pray every single day for the right person to come forward....
ReplyDeleteI am in awe that we aren't hearing a thing from all his voters over his about face on almost every lie he promised. Where is the outrage? Do they not care when he says I was just kidding. He must think his voters are morons as do I. I too think we are at the brink with Swampthing and our only hope to be rid of him and his ilk is impeachment. Even Mark Cuban is backtracking and saying we need to give him a chance. He has had his chance and he is even worse than we thought.
ReplyDeletethe nation has been punked all the way, and now the world...
ReplyDeleteI started to write something but ultimately, I am dumbstruck, gobsmacked, without words to describe how I feel about this cataclysmic election
ReplyDeleteWell, you've said it all and said it well. Every moment since the election my background thoughts have been a constant mantra of "We're screwed, we're screwed, we're so fucking screwed."
ReplyDeleteYou are preaching to the choir as most bloggers, unless the post a hate-filled angry blog, agree with a liberal heart on our sleeve agenda. Yes, some of my readers are good people, but their brains are in the wrong place. Amazing the hypocrisy of those who voted for him. I am terrified of the mistakes he will make and the problems he will cause. There is no doubt in my mind that eventually he will be impeached or threatened with criminal action, but this will be after many painful changes to this country.
ReplyDeleteI know how hard this election has been on many of us, but I take comfort in the thought that Caligula was raving insane yet he couldn't bring down the Roman Empire. I hope we're that fortunate.
ReplyDeleteI never could have imagined, IMAGINED, in my lifetime - well, ever - that the United States of American could be in such danger from a threat within. I had a nightmare about Putin last night. I have no idea how I will cope with this and I think of all the children who are already scared and worried. Someone has to stop him. Someone has to do what should have been done to Hitler - stop him in his tracks. At least I will be heartened if even a few electors change their vote.
ReplyDeleteAt best, the things that we fought and died for in the past 70 years will be negated. At worst, this maniac will bring down this country and maybe all civilization. This is a horror show, and it is real. We have had bad Presidents, but no one truly evil. In January, all that will change - unless very, very brave electors do the right thing for their country.
ReplyDeleteWhen he campaigned, he said more than once that he did not want to gut Medicare and Social Security, and yet he's appointed people who want to do just that. The bill proposed by Sam Johnson wants to take money away from current recipients of SS. One wonders if cuts to the safety net, which no one campaigned on, will get their attention.
ReplyDeleteOne of the worst things is Trump is using the big business tactic of just lying. He says it often enough, people believe it. The Tobacco industry and their phony science worked for years, now it's invaded politics. We're so screwed. I am going to miss clean air and clean water.
The whole thing is a nightmare. And as I type the electoral college has confirmed him, with only two diverging votes. (Weirdly, more of Hillary's electors voted for someone else than Trump's! WTF?!)
ReplyDeleteHope you are enjoying the holiday season.
ReplyDelete:'(
ReplyDeleteThe horror, the horror.
ReplyDeleteYou've summarized this debacle perfectly.
This is not too long. It is exactly what many people need to read, in order to put things into perspective... in order to realize that your title is no hyperbole.
ReplyDelete