The Power of the Dark Side

 


January 20th is more than a month away and the Trumpsphere is back in full effect. 45/47 is dominating the airways more than ever before. It started with the proclamation that this was the greatest election victory ever (it wasn't) and that this was a mandate for the people that Trump was needed to save America (again)! It was followed up by some of the most amazing cabinet selections that would ever find their way into a history book. By modest estimations, the president-elect's cabinet was the wealthiest ever - worth hundreds of billions of dollars. 

A week later, interviews on Face The Nation and Meet The Press revealed that the Trump team might have to dial down some of the campaign promises. Even the president-elect admitted that he might not be able to lower food and gas prices. Other Trump assurances about the economy, the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, the tariffs, and mass deportations have also started to unravel. 

These events threw some moderates and many liberals into a tizzy. To them, it was proof that Trump was a liar, evil, out of control and that the end of democracy was near. As a result, the forces of good and liberalism are calling out the resistance. However, there is a disruption in the force. Or should we call it confusion?

We know this is going to be a daily event - so people just turn off your televisions and shut off your social media. The firestorm started right after the election when Morning Joe cohosts Joe and Mika, former friends of the incoming president, announced that they reached out to congratulate the man that they had called a fascist. The criticism has not stopped. Then in fear of what might happen next, President Biden decided to break his promise and pardoned his son. The outgoing president has faced harsh editorials from every major liberal leaning newspaper and news media outlet.

So why is Michelle Goldberg's recent essay"Trump's FBI Pick Has an Enemies List. Biden Should Pardon Everyone on It." not a surprise?  It simply confirms that the fear of Trump is real. An enemies list teamed with Trump loyalists suggests that many may be punished for challenging the Trump Republican agenda. Bending the knee is evident in donations to the inauguration committee. 

America just continues to reveal it self as a confusing place. No one really seems to know what they want. That public facing campaign promises would not last must be seen as stated. The press has not learned how to deal with Trump after a decade of practice. And as he approaches 80, this is one skill that seems to be getting better. How else can you explain his $15 million victory against ABC for the misuse of the word rape? While the left complains, Trump is rewriting his own history. 

I feel like regardless of your political views, the ability of Mr. Trump to change our views of the past is akin to the power of the dark side. It seems to grow daily and gain more converts than imaginable. Rather than staging a direct confrontation to fight it, the rebels are only able to mount scrappy covert attacks. Traditional Republicans live in fear and almost instantly concede to their party's leader.  Almost daily, there is a wild request that cannot be refused. Mr. Trump has been acting like the president-in-waiting since the summer. He has stopped border deals and budget deals. Threats from his Florida home have been directed to judges as well as elected officials. And no one has told him to wait until January 20th!

The president-elect picks unqualified people to serve as ambassadors and no one complains. Similarly, he speaks of birthright citizenship lacking a clear understanding of its history or its presence in other nations and the entire party parrots his comments like a bunch of ignorant fools. He announces that he wants his daughter in law to be selected as a senator even though he knows it is not his decision. Suddenly, it becomes a major topic of conversation and the Florida governor feels pressured.

In truth, reality is broken!  The FAFO crowd was right, most of the left has been wrong, and some of the best MAGA people are acknowledging that they might have been tricked. For better or worse, Donald Trump cannot achieve most of his plans, but he can fundamentally alter America. And maybe, just maybe, he knew this all along. Could it have possibly been that he did have another agenda (like get richer and stay out of jail) or was he just working the same grift, but it really does not matter. Because he knew that with the help of J.D. Vance, Elon Musk and others that Americans would react to fear. That the nation was so afraid of electing a woman of non-European ancestry that he could stand in as a hero and save the day!

Rather than accept and admit that we are a nation of sexist and racist people, we allowed ourselves to believe another narrative that makes no sense.  And thanks to Elon Musk we are now being forced to deal with our nativism.  However, what all Americans want Mr. Trump to do is lead. In fact, lead with clarity and strength. Yet, he cannot do this because this means giving a firm message on visas, birthright citizenship, tariffs and other items. Unfortunately, he can only lead in fear. In doing so, the national responses are signs of fear like newspapers refusing to publish certain editorials and cartoons, talk of ending the Green New Deal, selling federal land, companies giving millions to an inauguration committee, companies ending DEI initiatives, and others publicly apologizing for doing or saying the "right things". Such activities normally do not happen in a democracy. And none of this behavior is going to lower the price of gasoline, bread and milk, end climate related disasters, or improve the roads, schools and healthcare.

The Dark Side has already won.

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