The Democrats debate. And Trump Tweets.
Two nights. Two debates. 20 candidates. The Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate.
Once you get past the talking heads and media hype and the spectacle it was you are left with 20 good men and women who are trying to unseat Donald J. Trump as President of the United States. Any of these 20 individuals would be a major improvement over Trump. Any of them. From the most liberal/progressive to the most conservative.
Trump’s populist approach of Tweeting ‘every day man’ type comments – surely intended to fire up his base by demonstrating he is just a regular guy – is so tired. These 20 good folks have legitimate, developed, rational policy positions on issues from health care to war. Trump has simplistic anecdotal symbolic ideas that are simply not fleshed out, thought through, or – God forbid! – analyzed. Build the wall! Institute tariffs! Ask citizenship question in the Census!… and such.
(The Democrats are not without their populist traps. Medicare for all! It’s her body! No war!… These are shallow, simplistic bumper stickers slogans that do not withstand scrutiny.)
Yet, comparing the Democratic candidate to Trump is like comparing a tomato on the vine to a rotting tomato. One has so much potential; the other is washed up, proven worthless, with no redeeming value – except maybe to mix with manure as compost.
Any one of the Democrats will do.
I just hope that when s/he accepts the nomination, s/he will ask all candidates that ran to come up to the stage and be recognized as future cabinet members and department heads… What a symbolic gesture that would be! What better way to enlist the energy for each and every one of the candidates than to honor their efforts – and the efforts of their volunteers – by inviting them to the leadership table… Then maybe – just maybe – all those long hours of door knocking, campaigning, and fundraising will prove to be beneficial for the common good even if their nominee did not win. … Wouldn’t that be something? It would be quite something indeed to see each candidate willingly put himself/herself at the service of the winners, offering them their infrastructure (i.e.: mailing lists, list of donors, etc.) and promising to authentically and enthusiastically campaign for, excite others, and support the nominee.
If the Democrats hold together they will defeat Trump.
Now, whether Trump accepts the results of the elections is another matter… It would not surprise me if Team Trump is already concocting shenanigans to circumvent the election results if he were to lose. Will he declare a national emergency? Will he claim the election was flawed? It would not surprise me one iota it Trump simply refuses to accept a loss and takes dramatic steps to stay in power… Clearly this man has no limit – he has no filter – to what he would do to gain and stay in power.
#RESIST