I watched as much of Trump’s speech in Arizona as I could stomach and I listened to interviews with Arizonan’s afterward and I have to reconfirm my belief that there’s a lot of “low information voters” in America and they are an easy target for someone like Trump. Trump stood on the stage and, as he ALWAYS does, spewed out a series of LIES that the people in the audience absorbed like a sponge absorbs water. Listening to some of them (the audience) after the event and the only word that came to mind was STUPID. I feel terrible writing that, but that was EXACTLY the response I felt listening to them.
Here’s what I believe the reality in America has come to. A significant portion of our population has been “educated” by Fox “news,” and people like Rush Limbaugh. They’ve pushed the “white privilege” philosophy very surreptitiously under the guise of “fair and balanced” – well, that’s Fox’s mantra – I’d have to say people like Limbaugh are unadulterated LIARS who aren’t very subtle at all. They’ve all been proponents of Goebbels’ “Big Lie Theory” for years and you can see the results listening to the people who were at Trump’s rally and actually believed words they SHOULD have known were false. Somehow these people actually believe they’re “conservatives.” Yikes!
For example, when Trump edited out the words “On many sides, many sides” from his defense of the comments he made after the Charlottesville incident and then attacked the “media” for its reporting of his actual remarks equating Neo-Nazi’s and KKK members with the people who were the “counter protesters,” the audience SHOULD have recognized the LIE. What was really egregious to me about that LIE was its origin. It was preconceived. It was of the most dastardly type of LIE. Trump planned it ahead of time. He actually pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket that he said had the “actual words I said on Saturday.” Then, he proceeded to read all his words EXCEPT the words that got him rebuked by every American who is opposed to white supremacists and white separatists – “on many sides, many sides.”
The people in the audience SHOULD have recognized the LIE. But either they’re willing recipients of Trump’s LYING (he told many other LIES during the speech, but that, unfortunately, is just “par for the course”) or they’re the VICTIMS of being the “ditto heads” who listen to Limbaugh (think about that, Limbaugh’s audience willingly refer to themselves as ditto heads) or the “low information voters” who watch Fox “news.” I have friends, who supported Trump, who get defensive when I suggest to them they’re getting their information on Fox. They fully believe Sean Hannity would never LIE to them. They believe the people on Fox are simply “conservatives.” Not one has EVER fact checked ANYTHING they’ve heard on Fox. They’ve been BRAINWASHED and they are not even suspecting. I offered a book, Conscience of a Conservative, for one of them to read and he declined. The truth is he can barely read anything.
On the one hand Trump tries to come across as someone urging “we the people” to “love each other” and he makes, occasionally, pleas for unity in America – and, then in the next breath he starts attacking people. And, his “attacking” is in the most deplorable manner I can imagine. I watched last night as he referred to George Stephanopoulus as “little George” and while he was doing this he took his right arm and pushed it toward the ground as if Stephanopoulos was about as tall as his knee. Kind of reminded me of when Trump went after the reporter who was suffering from a disabling disease. Trump has no boundaries for his reprehensible actions. And, most were on display in Phoenix last night.
Of course, Trump’s attempt at demeaning Stephanopoulos was just part of his attacks on virtually EVERY aspect of our “fourth estate” – the media which is responsible for providing “we the people” with the TRUTH about what our government is up to. And, THANK GOD for the media, because without them we’d have no idea what the Russians were up to and we’d NEVER know if Trump or his surrogates COLLUDED with the Russians during the campaign. (I have this terribly eery feeling it’s still happening) Trump praises anyone who complements him and attacks anyone who disagrees with him. Think of how that translates into actually governing. I believe that mentality is why Trump NEVER criticizes Vladimir Putin – I believe he’s envious of Putin and Putin’s ability to control EVERYTHING. I’ve been pointing out Trump’s AUTHORITARIAN tendencies since the beginning of his campaign for an office I thought he’d never get and he continues to confirm my instincts.
Obviously, the number of Americans susceptible to this type of BRAINWASHING was well beyond my estimates. I certainly understood that after decades of being attacked by Fox and other so-called “conservative” outlets, that Hillary Clinton was a damaged candidate. I, personally, was not an enthusiastic supporter of Clinton. However, it was obvious from the start, to me, that Trump was the WORST possible person to be in the “White House” at this time so I voted for Mrs. Clinton. I never believed all the “stuff” the republicans were throwing at her AND I always felt she was one of the most intelligent people running for or in public office – her testimony before the Benghazi committee showed the republicans to be petty political opportunists of the worst sort – I just didn’t agree with much of her more hawkish beliefs. Now, we have Trump essentially doing what Clinton would have done in Afghanistan. Of course, Mrs. Clinton would NEVER had treated the Europeans with the disrespect Trump has shown them. But I digress.
Another really interesting part of Trump’s speech last night to a bunch of ditto heads was his comments about the “wall.” All during the campaign he talked about how he would “build a was and MEXICO is going to pay for it.” Of course, even the ditto heads may have been smart enough to know that claim was hogwash. But, they just cheered Trump along last night as he pointed out he’s willing to “shut down the government” over the “wall” if Congress doesn’t fund it. That’s right, me, you, and the people in Trump’s audience apparently, in Trump’s mind, are going to pay for that wall. It’s as if those in his audience just have no ability to think. Maybe they’re willing to pay for that wall, but I’m NOT! And millions of other Americans want nothing to do with Trump’s “wall.”
Remember, Trump has an approval rating of somewhere around 34%. It fluctuates depending on how STUPID his latest STUPID remarks are. Evidently, for some Americans Trump’s remarks have to be incredibly STUPID before they take notice. Here’s another example. Trump is making his claim to being all about “law and order.” Then out comes the “Sheriff Joe” part of his speech. Sheriff Joe – as Trump refers to him (Joe Arpaio) – has been accused of various types of misconduct, including abuse of power; misuse of funds; failure to investigate sex crimes; improper clearance of cases; unlawful enforcement of immigration laws; and election law violations. He’s been convicted of criminal contempt of court for continuous violations of court orders that he would stop his racial profiling of Hispanic residents of his jurisdiction. Trump, evidently in complete contrast to his self proclaimed image as someone who believes in “law and order” is planning to pardon Arpaio – which he made clear in his speech. Trump said he wouldn’t “do it here, because of all the criticism from the media.” Again, Yikes!
Arpaio is part of the white nationalists that Trump has a hard time separating himself from. I believe he wants “we the people” to think he’s “turned the page” after “firing” Steve Bannon, but he’s still got Steven Miller, Sebastian Gorka, and Kellyanne Conway in his “White House.” Essentially, last night Trump proved that with Bannon gone, essentially NOTHING’S changed. Could you imagine being the White House chief of staff – meaning your job was to manage the president?
Many have said they think General Kelly will be able to bring “discipline” to Trump and the “White House.” Well, in one week – last Wednesday to this Tuesday, Trump has proven anyone who believed that wrong twice – in CAPITAL letters! Trump’s speech at “Trump Tower” last week and his performance in Phoenix last night just confirms that we have a deranged president and the sooner republicans in Congress solve this problem the better. (Unfortunately, Mike Pense sits in the background and he continues to undermine his own credibility as he acts like a puppy dog around Trump) Either impeachment or implementing the 25th amendment – preferably to me impeachment – and, then “we the people” can move on. It should be clear to EVERYONE (except the ditto heads) that our government and our nation is going nowhere while Trump is president and the DAMAGE is mounting.
Soon, the issues of budget and debt ceiling will be on the “burner.” Is Trump going to lead us to a default? Is he going to follow through on “shutting down the government” and then blaming democrats? It’s almost as he has no clue to how the government works. He’s got a majority in both houses of Congress – he should be able to get his agenda done. The clear problem is that he has NO agenda – he’s relying on the republicans he’s attacking to come up with something – and, of course, they can’t agree amongst themselves what that should be.
Trump comes across as an idiot as does his followers (or extremists in the sense of those who were carrying the Tiki Torches in Charlottesville). Trump reflexively attacks anyone who disagrees with him and much of his words and actions would fall into the category Hillary Clinton was referring to with the “basket of deplorables” comment. I’ve said this before, in many ways Trump is making Mrs. Clinton look like a prophet. His speech in Phoenix last night brought it all to the forefront. I’ll end this by saying once more Trump has no boundaries for his reprehensible actions. And, most were on display in Phoenix last night.