IS THERE A 'TRUMP MIRACLE?'
And is the the clock ticking against the day when he'll have to leave town - and in a hurry?
“SO, WHAT’S TODAY'S TOPIC? Cat asked as we were sitting down for one of our unscheduled, disorganized and irregular blog planning meetings. “It better not be another one of your downer posts, where you leave everyone upset and hopeless, convinced that nothing can stop Donald Trump."
“The Trump Miracle,” I said, “That’s today's theme.”
“Excuse me, Phoebe – am I in the right meeting?” Cat asked. “I thought we’re blogging about how even simple household creatures like us can checkmate, if not actually get rid of the worst president in history. Extending the Trump brand to miracles seems like we’re heading in the wrong direction.”
“Nobody ever said all miracles are good miracles,” I said. “A miracle is just something that’s totally amazing, but can’t be immediately explained by scientists or clever pets.”
Cat seemed mildly interested, and not wishing to torment him with a thousand Socratic questions until he stumbled on the “right” answer, I gave it to him in straight.
Nothing that Trump does matters. The miracle part is that when the same sort of thing is done or said by any other politician, their careers would end. But not Trump. Nobody can explain it.
Let’s go back to his announcement that he was running for President, when he called Mexican immigrants rapists – not all Mexicans, there must be some good ones, somewhere, maybe, perhaps. At the time, many Republicans were convinced they had to appeal to a growing Hispanic voting bloc. Didn’t matter.
Exhibit A in the Miracle of Trump Verses The American People is the recording that surfaced shortly before the election, in which Trump, as he was preparing for an appearance on the “Access Hollywood” TV show where he was to meet an actress, and he bragged about how he treats women
The “On Trump’s Trail's” research department found this transcript of the 2005 recording in the New York Time. It's worth repeating, if only for its sheer salaciousness:
Donald J. Trump: You know and ... Unknown (voice): She used to be great. She’s still very beautiful. Trump: I moved on her, actually. You know, she was down on Palm Beach. I moved on her, and I failed. I’ll admit it. Unknown: Whoa. Trump: I did try and fuck her. She was married. Unknown: That’s huge news. Trump: No, no, Nancy. No, this was [unintelligible] — and I moved on her very heavily. In fact, I took her out furniture shopping. She wanted to get some furniture. I said, “I’ll show you where they have some nice furniture.” I took her out furniture -- I moved on her like a bitch. But I couldn’t get there. And she was married. Then all of a sudden I see her, she’s now got the big phony tits and everything. She’s totally changed her look. Billy Bush (the program host): Sheesh, your girl’s hot as shit. In the purple. Trump: Whoa! Whoa! Bush: Yes! The Donald has scored. Whoa, my man! [Crosstalk] Trump: Look at you, you are a pussy. [Crosstalk] Trump: All right, you and I will walk out (of a crew trailer, onto the TV program set). [Silence] Trump: Maybe it’s a different one. Bush: It better not be the publicist. No, it’s, it’s her, it’s -- Trump: Yeah, that’s her. With the gold. I better use some Tic Tacs just in case I start kissing her. You know, I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Bush: Whatever you want. Trump: Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything. |
THAT WOULD HAVE been curtains for any other politician. Not for Trump.
Over and over, no matter what he does or says, nothing seems to stop Trump.
Not his hero-worship of Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
Not his attacks on NFL players protesting discrimination against black people, suggesting they behave or leave the country.
Not canceling the international climate-change agreement aimed at saving the planet.
Not pardoning the outlaw Arizona sheriff, Joe Arpaio. Not pardoning, just recently, Dinesh D’Souza, right-wing conservative publicist.
Not the 3,251 “false or misleading” statements Trump’s made since taking office, as calculated by the Washington Post – an average of 6.5 lies every day.
Not his trade wars with our allied countries like Canada. CANADA?
Consider the departure of former New York state attorney general, Eric Schneiderman. The New Yorker magazine posted a detailed story May 7 at 6:47 p.m. about four women who said he hit, choked and otherwise abused them. At 9:45 p.m. Schneiderman announced his resignation.
TV star Roseanne Barr about 6 a.m on May 29, Tweeted that Valarie Jarrett, advisor to former President Barack Obama, was the offspring of an ape. By 11 a.m., the ABC network cancelled her show.
But Trump skates, every time.
“STOP! PHOEBE, stop. Just stop it,” Cat yelled, when he looked at what I was writing. “How is this uplifting? How is this encouraging in any way? I thought we were going positive, ‘Keep Hope Alive,’ and all of that. But, instead, what are we giving our readers? The Trump Miracle. Where’s the hope in that?”
“Simple answer, my Feline Fiend,” I told him.
“Maybe the Trump Miracle is no miracle at all,” I said. “What if the Trump Miracle is like every other run-of-the-mill miracle – simply a phenomenon that can’t be explained at present, but that eventually will be understood, so that what at first seemed magical becomes rational, even mundane.”
“In Trump’s case,” I said, “perhaps the reason he got elected was simply a convergence of bad luck factors.
“First, there was a racist backlash against a man of color, Obama, for living in a White House for eight years.
“Then there was the hatred, some of it misogynistic, for Trump's opponent, Hillary Clinton.
“Add in the absurdity of the Electoral College, which sometimes awards an election to the candidate with the least votes.
“Finally, consider workers’ despair about jobs being lost to low-wage countries and more frighteningly to robots.
“And the reason Trump continues unscarred by scandal now that he’s President? Maybe it’s because of the cult-like devotion of his ‘base.' Combine that with Republican cowardice to stand up to Trump in Congress or in election campaigns. Then consider that the sweeping powers of the Presidency, which may be helping to insulate and protect him.”
“The good news, my Furry Fellow. is that since there is no Trump Miracle, at some point, he’ll get what’s coming to him,” I said. “Just because it hasn’t happened yet, doesn’t mean it won’t. Just because there’s racism, a cult following and chickenshit Republicans, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t other forces at work, forces for good, including what’s building in the grassroots as renewed interest in democracy.
“And here’s a related theory, Mr. Furball,” I said.
“I believe that Trump’s crimes, misdeeds, embarrassments, hurts, insults and abuses have not really slid off him and disappeared, unseen and forgotten, into the political sewers. His sins are cumulative,” I said, “and eventually, they’ll crush him.”
“What are you smoking, Phoebe?” Cat said, with parental alarm.
“Maybe it’ll begin with one insignificant misstep,” I said, “one that’s finally recognized by enough Trump supporters, plus his opponents, to show what a horrible person he is. And suddenly, it's an avalanche, and Donald J. Trump is gone.”
“Now that,” said Cat, “really would be a miracle.”
“But that's the point, Cat, ultimately there are no miracles,” I said. “Which is a good thing.”