Columns are hard. You need elements; a beginning, a middle, an end. Sometimes the end is the hardest part, like bringing it in for a landing. There has to be something that pulls it all together. Something that makes it seem as though you had a point. A quick review of my archives indicates that I don’t have that in me very often. Most of the time I’m lazy, and would rather tweet randomly related thoughts. Donald Trump deserves better than this.
I’ve been intermittently aware of this person, over
the years. The 80’s were a blur, but I guess he was there (probably in Atlantic City, that one time). I remember him fooling around on, then divorcing his first wife. I remember him making rude comments to a reporter about his ex’s ..cosmetic enhancements, and some other personal business (I suppose he expected her to join a convent, after his dismissal). This after fooling around with, and dumping her for someone my age. I don’t recall much about the next divorce, since it’s tougher to muster sympathy for a cuckolding second spouse. He’d certainly developed a pattern, anyway.
Then there was Rosie. She had a bit of fun with with an incident that happened with one of the girls in Trump’s pageant. Father Donald deigned to give this person a second chance, and Miss O’Donnell was somewhat offended, in a completely amusing way. Needless to say, Donald had fits. He went on any show that would have him to talk about what a “fat”, “ugly” “degenerate” “loser” she was (perhaps applying “degenerate” to someone semi-recently out-of-the-closet wasn’t so much a problem, in 2006). His act was/is quite appealing to men who enjoy deriding women they find unattractive (no small number), and don’t dare do it themselves. Everyone’s a winner.
I know that a lot of folks didn’t and don’t like Rosie O’Donnell (Although, if you want to see the ‘War on Women’ rhetoric heat up, just wait until he goes after some woman who dares to publicly criticize him. The personal invective will curl your hair and widen the gender-gap.). But that’s not really the point. The point is a man who can’t or won’t control his mouth. And even that wouldn’t matter, had we not found ourselves in the ridiculous situation where a significant number of sorely misguided people think that Donald John Trump is a legitimate candidate for President of the United States. How the hell did that happen?
I have many thoughts on this, and most of them begin with the letters ‘Fox News Channel’. The network of Sarah Palin is overrun with simple thinkers shouting bumper-sticker solutions to the nation/world’s most complex problems. Fox has, over nearly two decades, built the simple-think monster that finds appeal in a Donald Trump. And even lacking that, a casual viewing would tell you what a popular guest Trump has been, in the years since Obama was elected. An egomaniac who’s threatened to run for President for decades could be forgiven for thinking he has a built-in constituency. Which, it would seem, he does.
Now, after questioning the President’s birthplace (which he’s yet to disavow) and offending entire constituencies, Trump has finally struck at the Holy of Holies; war veterans. Or “people who got caught”, in his words. That would include more than John McCain, whether Trump intended it or not. This is the peril of not controlling your mouth.
Unless this incident manages to deflate Trump, Republicans appear to be stuck with him. As someone who’d like us to win the next election, this is a problem.
Fox Contributor: GOP Has Put Up with Trump’s ‘Douchebaggery’ for Years | Mediaite
WSJ: Conservative ‘Elites’ Shouldn’t ‘Validate Trump’s Nonsense’ | Mediaite
Michael A. Cohen: GOP’s problem isn’t Donald Trump; it’s the voters – Opinion – The Boston Globe
