By Donald A. Collins | 23 November 2020
Church and State
One veteran editor and keen political observer responded to my November 20th op ed entitled “Trump undercuts American democracy” by emailing me this message: “I’m almost finished with Michael Cohen’s book Disloyal at your recommendation. Fascinating insights into one of the most flawed humans ever to inhabit the planet.”
My own brilliant editor added real impact to my 11/20 piece which opened with the Shutterstock photo of 3 young men wearing bright red tee shirts which carried the labels “In GOD We Trump”.
I emailed my piece to many friends and associates and was pleased to get many replies which agreed with me. But I was more interested with the several I got which made clear that my views were very strongly disagreed with by the Trumpeters.
I am pleased to note that my views were echoed better than I had expressed them and in no uncertain terms by Mark Shields and David Brooks on Judy Woodruff’s Friday, November 20th WETA evening news broadcast.
However, what scares me so much is that a majority of the 73 million who voted for Trump bought the Trump “kool aid” and apparently agree or can’t see what this neo Nazi avalanche of lies is doing to our democracy.
American democracy is being subject to a stress test by Trump. Although Washington Republicans are failing it, thousands of other officials are passing it with distinction. My Sunday Guardian column:https://t.co/pWpQFntyXC
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) November 22, 2020
A Presidential transition has never since George Washington been so handled by the incumbent.
The several negative responses I got from this last piece were truly frightening. Particularly this one from a wonderful masseuse my wife and I have used for years who was born and raised in Germany and who still goes there to visit her family.
Her message to me apparently didn’t “get” Trump’s lies at all. Here is her email to me:
November 21, 2020
Dear Don,
I am so disappointed that you support Biden and the socialist left. I always believed we were in agreement on the issue of immigration and lowering the world population and I always appreciated your wise words to that effect. I cannot believe that any normal person would vote for the senile and corrupt Biden.
Trump is not perfect or even that likable but I like what he does for the country. He loves America and the American people.
Trump traded his wealth in service to his country and Biden traded his country for his wealth. Not my own words but so very true.
I am so sorry
(Name withheld for her privacy’s sake.)
In my muted and brief email reply I acknowledged our wide disagreements and suggested she watch the WETA series (PBS) entitled “Rise of the Nazis” but of course getting through to most of these folks is probably not possible.
Many doubtless have taken their news from hard right sources and likely don’t read the mainstream daily papers and other media which Trump has spent 4 years calling “Fake Media”. Finding truth in any of his pronouncements has been elusive, but the media has well documented his untruths so at least if one wants to know the facts they are readily available.
I suspect few of his Kool Aid Kids have read Michael Cohen’s book or Bob Woodward’s Rage or Trump’s niece, Mary Trump’s book with its insider family analysis.
Mary Trump, the President's niece, says her uncle's refusal to cooperate with the Biden transition team puts "American lives at danger every day."
"It's despicable. It's criminal. And the Republicans need to be held accountable just as much as Donald does at this point." pic.twitter.com/IUg4DDyDh8
— CNN Tonight (@CNNTonight) November 19, 2020
If they had, these bio exposures by such credible sources could have perhaps shed some small doubt on the validity of Rudi’s preposterous ranting at his recent news conference. Sadly these claims of fraud persist despite the dangers so clearly expressed by Professor Timothy D. Snyder’s history lesson article I cited in the Boston Globe.
Another astonishing email came from an MD who is a graduate of a top Eastern prep school and an Ivy League university. She and my daughter were classmates at both at about the same time (ages 60). This MD emailed me to stop sending her my “Ramblings” and asked me to acknowledge that I got her request. I of course immediately acknowledged her request without comment as any attempt there would likely be futile.
According to a recent poll by The Hill,
Roughly half of Republicans believe President Trump “rightfully won” the election, with 68 percent saying they had concerns about a “rigged” vote counting process in favor of President-elect Joe Biden, according to a new Reuters-Ipsos opinion poll released Wednesday.
Overall, 73 percent of Americans polled in the Nov. 13-17 survey said they believed Biden won the election, while 5 percent say they thought Trump won.
However, only 29 percent of Republicans believed that Biden had “rightfully won,” compared to 52 percent of Republicans who said the same about Trump.
The poll also reported that 55 percent of adults believed the 2020 election was “legitimate and accurate,” a 7 percentage point decrease from a similar poll released following the 2016 election.
That Biden has his work cut out for him is not at question. And the majority of Trump’s voters are not going to be convinced easily. However, Trump’s refusal to concede or participate in the transition which will cause COVID deaths to increase may make his political future less powerful. And the lawsuits which will pursue him and his family when he departs The White House may cause him to have less time to spend on his golf courses. Over 400,000 COVID deaths are projected by March 1, 2021.
Former US Navy officer, banker and venture capitalist, Donald A. Collins, a free lance writer living in Washington, DC., has spent over 40 years working for women’s reproductive health as a board member and/or officer of numerous family planning organizations including Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Guttmacher Institute, Family Health International and Ipas. Yale under graduate, NYU MBA. He is the author of From the Dissident Left: A Collection of Essays 2004-2013.
From the Dissident Left: A Collection of Essays 2004-2013
By Donald A. Collins
Publisher: Church and State Press (July 30, 2014)
ASIN: B00MA40TVE
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