It was almost four years ago — on Jan. 20, 2017 — two enduring myths were born.
First, from the Right: President Donald J. Trump’s inaugural crowd was bigger than that of President Barack H. Obama.
Second, from the Left: Trump would destroy American Democracy.
As to crowd size, photos taken from the same vantage point at the same time of day clearly showed the crowd for the historic first (half) Black president was larger than for the first builder/developer/casino operator/reality TV host.
Most of Trump’s acolytes did not believe the photographic evidence, setting the stage for four years of refusal to believe simple facts and self-evident truths. As Kellyanne Conway explained in regard to the inaugural numbers, Trump had “alternative facts.”
In TrumpWorld 2 + 2 can equal 5. It is staggering, but while lying is unethical and dishonest, it is not a betrayal of Democracy. Ask any politician.
Almost four years later the same guiding principle allowed Trump to claim election fraud without a scintilla of what the courts refer to as “evidence” or “proof,” which does not encompass theories of communist (and Hugo Chavez) interference put forth by (soon-to-be-disbarred?) attorney Sidney Powell.
I just mentioned the courts. Keep that in mind.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, almost from the beginning, some hysterical Democrats were wetting their pants with predictions about how Trump would doom Democracy.
Right off the bat, as The Donald lashed out against “fake news,” panicked Democrats were talking about how he would break the First Amendment and silence the press.
Really, people were seriously pushing that on social media.
“How will that work?,” I asked innocently.
“Is he going to send the 101st Airborne to surround the New York Times Building as Eisenhower surrounded Little Rock’s Central High School in 1957?”
Trump mimicked reporters, he shouted at them, he ridiculed them at rallies, he roasted them in tweets, but what did he actually do to them?
Less than Obama, who sicced the FBI and Justice Department on reporters.
Throughout his presidency, as Trump admittedly shattered norms of courtesy and procedure, the Left rang one alarm bell after another, that Trump was destroying Democracy.
Even today, you can fish around online and find some speculation that Trump will not leave office. He will barricade himself in the Oval Office and call on his militia supporters to bring their AR-15s to Pennsylvania Avenue to protect the presidency that he has lost.
Some of you, suffering with Trump Derangement Syndrome, probably believe that even now. And you call the Trumpsters delusional.
I mean, you impeached him for Christ’s sake, to no avail. Every time you attacked him, you made him stronger, like a space monster in a ‘50s science-fiction film.
The Steele dossier, the Russian connection, accusations of treason, the browbeating of poor little Ukraine . . . all proved hollow.
When my Democratic pals wailed about how Trump was destroying Democracy, I said, “How exactly? Show me one actual thing he has done to kill Democracy.”
I didn’t get a good answer from them, but for fairness I dug up a piece from the Washington Post, in which a group of university political scientists listed the threats against Democracy. Going to academics for a fair opinion of Trump is like asking vegetarians to judge a pig roast. For me, most of their points are perceptional rather than procedural, but you can decide.
How many times did we hear the phrase “constitutional crisis” from a cheerleading media that was hoping for one?
“He is ruling by executive order!”
So did Obama.
He is making agency heads “acting” so they don’t have to get Senate approval.
It’s all legal.
Way back at the beginning, what about the “Muslim ban” (that wasn’t actually a Muslim ban), to his continuing struggle in the courts to get the election reversed.
His first “Muslim ban” was knocked down by the courts, and Trump obeyed the court order and rewrote the “ban” until it passed muster.
As to his current wild mouse ride through the courts, he is following established procedure, like it or not. And each time the court rules against him he screams like a stuck pig but he accepts it. (OK, maybe he appeals, but that’s still coloring within the lines. It is using the Democratic tools used by Al Gore.)
This is why I referenced the courts way back at the beginning.
The Colonial geniuses who created us, designed a government with three equal branches — executive, legislative, and judicial.
While my Democratic friends were running around like Chicken Little, I did not see the sky falling.
If the executive is eccentric, to say the least, and if congress is cowardly,, the bulwark of the courts remain.
I always believed, and still do, that our Democracy is stronger than those who would subvert it. I knew Trump was no match for our 244-year record of self rule, that in the final analysis even those who believe in Trump’s inflated inaugural numbers — like Trump himself — will accept the order of the courts.
And he will be out of the White House by Jan. 20.
As I remember, along for calls for impeachment prior to 20 January 2017, the general consensus was that he would be removed from office before the end of his term. He’s making it appealing by his failure to concede, so I can’t say it won’t happen.
Thank you again, Stu, for stating what will not (or would not) be stated by the vast majority of the press and the vast legions of Trump haters. I certainly am no Trump supporter in the least, but it’s amazing how facts can be easily forgotten or twisted to by the opposition to make their points. Nothing new here, but thank you for setting the record straight on certain factoids about the current Prez.
On the other side of the coin, Trump may still go off into the sunset with one of the biggest chips on a former president’s shoulder – and make things either a living hell or grand mess going forward, both for himself and the country. He truly has taken on Alfred E. Neuman’s old expression, “What? Me worry?”
You’re welcome and I am toying with writing about “what next” for Trump.
HAPPY WEDNESDAY !!!
Stu,
Gotta hand it to you, again. Fair and accurate is the blog. You may remember, me calling President Trump, “The Great Exaggerator”. That title was bestowed when one of your blogs was addressing several presidents. I listed their (most favorite)monikers.
To the point. As we know, the President gave the official nod to transition. The First Family will be heading to Florida soon. It is a shame that his ego and bravado held him back. As my son said to me the other day. “Every billionaire that I know, is a complete a*&hole.” Must be something in the water.
I am hoping that SCOTUS will be heard from. I don’t believe that they will address the vote. It’s too hot to handle. I would like to see them rule on the voter registration. We all know that there is a lot wrong with the system. We didn’t just coin the phrase, “vote early, vote often”. The states should be ordered to clean up their voter registration books. Congress should review the 12th amendment and write a better procedure, addressing voting machines, mail-in voting and everything voting.
To be clear. I am republican. I am not impressed by any individuals that dwell in the swamp. Lots of cleaning up is still needed.
Tony
SCOTUS wants no part of this, I think, and I do not think Bill Gates is an a**hole. And I wonder if DJT actually is a billionaire. When will that tax audit end?
And thanks for the compliment.
Regarding the question of Trump being a billionaire….He might be – in name only. He’s one of those types that manages to turn all that he owes to other, and that others more properly own of his, from a liability into an asset. Viva Atlantic City (among other disasters).
“We, the People…” Those three words in the preamble to the Constitution say it all. No president, whether Left-wing radical or Right-wing zealot, is stronger than that phrase, WE, THE PEOPLE. Most of the time WE, THE PEOPLE sit on our collective arses and keep silent while government continues to encroach on our freedoms. But let government go too far and WE, THE PEOPLE can go nuts. WE, THE PEOPLE are the biggest threat to Democracy, IF we fail to speak out, to take action, to vote, to protest peacefully, to exercise our RIGHTS under the Constitution. If WETHE PEOPLE, become WE, THE SHEEPLE, then yeah…Democracy can go down the crapper. Let us now see what craziness the Far Left ‘progressives’ want to inflict on our freedoms under a new president. They have Biden right where they want him, reminding me of a saying in business: “When you have them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow.”
So far Biden’s picks have been anything other than far Left. (Everything being relative, but the Squad does not approve)
I agree 100%.Whether you like Trump or not he did some really good things he will, never get credit for.One example would be getting our NATO allies to pay their share for THEIR defense and getting tough on ILLEGAL immigration You mention freedom of speech.Well take a good look,the media,academia Hollywood,banning books and Wall st. have already taken that away from us.In 65 years I have never seen so many Americans afraid to speak their mind.They can be fired from their job,canceled,doxed or harassed.That is against American principle but the censors get away with this every day.Silicon Valley already censors what they don’t like and nobody in Washington is stopping them because Big Tech owns them.
Good points.
Philadelphia, PA
Dear Stu,
You wrote:
I always believed, and still do, that our Democracy is stronger than those who would subvert it. I knew Trump was no match for our 244-year record of self rule, that in the final analysis even those who believe in Trump’s inflated inaugural numbers — like Trump himself — will accept the order of the courts.
—end quotation—
Agreed.
The secret of the leftward mantra of Trump’s supposed threat to American democracy is that for worshipers on the left “democracy” does not mean constitutional government and democratic accountability, it is rather that Trump was perceived as a threat to multiculturalism and identity politics. Substitute “multiculturalism and identity politics” for “democracy” in the discourse of the Trump haters, and the nature of the perceived threat will be pretty uniformly de-coded. They have been selling a “package-deal” : commitment to democracy means commitment to “our” aims–whatever “We the people” at large may say.
H.G. Callaway
As usual, you are correct. Just minutes ago a historian on MSNBC predicted death of Democracy had Trump won a second term. Just an opinion, free of fact.
I will bet he made the same prediction at the start of his first term.
I still believe that trump will go down in history as the worst president ever. I’s scary to think that he would have been re-elected if he had no thumbs and could not twitter,
As to him being reelected, you are echoing some of my thoughts. Yes, few tweets and just pretending to care about COVID, he would have made it.
Stu, your point is one that I have been repeatedly making for the past 4 years to no avail. His bark has always been worse than his bite and as you note, he always follows whatever the courts direct him to in the end.
What I find frustrating is those who complain about this president were perfectly sanguine when another recent president threatened that if Congress didn’t do what he liked, he had a pen and a phone that he would us to get his way notwithstanding. To me, that is as great a threat to democracy as anything the current president has done.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Glad you agree.
Wait till you see what Trump’s next four years are like! Hint: PA State Senate hearings, EO from 2018 regarding those who cooperate to interfere in our elections.
I won’t say more bc those who don’t seek out the true news in the face of heavy, blatant censorship by the “mainstream” media and leftist social media deserve to be shocked.
Hint: Democrat leadership, both high and low, should transfer their assets and hope they look good in orange jumpsuits. I won’t say more; let the rest be a surprise.😉
I pay little attention to those who don’t use their real names.
Doesn’t change the message.