Well, this is one of those blogs that I shy away from writing. It is about politics. It is about President Trump. It is a no-win topic. But, it is a topic that is bothering me and I have some things to get off of my chest.
Approximately half of the readers will agree with me while the other half will not. Both sides will be vehement in their opinion. This is the kind of polarization our President fed off of to get elected in 2016. He has also exacerbated this polarization during his term in office.
Let me state up front that I never voted for the man.
While I might agree with some of his policies, I have never warmed up to his personality and style. His opponent in 2016 lost the election because many people simply did not like her. She lost the Electoral College vote though she won the popular vote. There are folks who vote by the issues and there are people who have personal issues with a particular candidate.
Trump has, in my view, never acted Presidential. From the moment he was elected he ruled way to much by Twitter. He has accused anyone and everyone who disagreed with him of being purveyors of false news or outright called them names. Yet, he had no issues doing using false news himself most recently exemplified by refusing to concede to President-elect Biden, incessantly insisting he is the winner of the election, and that there is rampant election fraud.
The problem with fake news is that no matter who is peddling it, it will resonate with a segment of the population. Whether I was agreeing or disagreeing with this notion of election fraud, there are plenty of my friends and acquaintances who would be willing to school me on my misguided thinking.
The magic of fake news is that confirms to many that there is a conspiracy, that the cards are stacked against us, and there is deep state or cabal. To those who have been living blissfully in a glass half full existence, fake news introduces doubt; the golly gee whiz, “I don’t know what I don’t know” kind of doubt. I have to fight against this doubt myself. Any inkling of doubts have evaporated, however, as the judicial system is not overturning any of the results and the Attorney General stated just this week that there is no evidence of fraud.
Presidents of the United State should not be sowing seeds doubt like this. This is not any kind of “art of the deal.” It is, rather, win at any cost. It is excessive egomania in a profession where a seriously strong ego is a necessary requirement to seek the highest offices.
Another thing is that Presidents should act Presidential. Tweeting as Trump does, calling people names and making rash and brash statements is beneath the minimum standards decorum of the office. Is decorum that important? I believe in a democracy it is. Is there a standard of decorum? Again, I believe there is. There is no law governing this nor could there be. People running for or in the office simply showed know how to behave in public.
I find the behavior of our President both appalling and, yes, dangerous to the integrity of our democracy. If the American Century that began at the end of World War I is indeed ending (to be replaced by the Chinese century?), it also coincides with Trump’s style of populism and modus gobernandus (oh yeah, I just made this up). Which is the chicken, and which is the egg will be argued for years.
I also believe, Trump could have won the election. A few articles I read this week floated the notion that the way he handled the pandemic cost him the election. I believe this even before I read this op-eds. His push to reopen the economy, treatment of governors especially in Michigan and New York, pushing hydroxychloroquine, and discrediting medical experts all contributed to this. He vacated part of the center and gave it Biden in an election with a record turnout.
His refusal to concede and this fight to overturn the results demonstrates his excessive ego, his desire to win at any cost, and lack of decorum and respect for the office. While it looks like we may weather and survive this, I do worry whatever new standard he has established for both Presidential elections and behavior.
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