If you have ever found yourself in the unfortunate circumstance of being in a toxic and dysfunctional relationship characterized by daily physical and/or verbal abuse, public humiliation, intimidation, deceit, infidelity, impropriety at your expense and outright hostility to the point of being in a constant state of fear or anxiety, you know better than most how a majority of Americans feel toward their nation’s Chief Executive. In all sincerity, what did any of us expect when we awoke on November 9th, 2016? It is not like we didn’t know the quality of the 45th President’s character long before he assumed office on January 20th, 2017. It is true we get the government we elect and deserve the consequences when we, through whatever electoral mechanism, choose a leader for all the wrong reasons. The sad reality is that those consequences effect everyone, regardless if we supported him or not.
I have been sitting back and quietly observing everything that has transpired thus far this year with regard to our national leadership. Knowing long ahead of time what we were getting with this Commander-In-Chief, his conduct and actions have not been surprising to me. My surprise is directed at the many who have enabled him and has been exceeded only by my disappointment in those who I once considered conscientious public servants regardless of party affiliation. Those enablers in Congress and government, almost all with an “R” next to their name, have stood idly by while basic standards of civility, conventional and institutional norms along with respect for the rule of law have all been brazenly and publicly trampled by a rogue executive. Their refusal to hold him accountable for the crimes for which he was impeached, for whatever reason, have sent a powerful message:
Checks and balances do not apply to this President. He may violate any norm, standard, rule or law with impunity and the Republican Senate majority will look the other way while he does it.
Almost immediately, as if to underscore this message, this impeached and non-convicted President not only sought to punish the whistleblowers and those who attempted to reign in his wrongdoings, he intervened in the sentencing of his criminally convicted long time supporter Roger Stone and has gone on a pardon spree the likes of which have not been seen from an occupant of the White House in my lifetime. It isn’t so much the numbers that stand out, it is the sort of convicts rating Presidential favor and why. This action sends yet another powerful message:
Corruption will not only be tolerated in the service of my Administration, it will be the norm by which we do business!
Polarization of the electorate has been with us since the founding of the Republic. The advent of modern mass media has made for easier partisan manipulation of that dynamic. The rancor evoked by this President’s statements and actions have intensified that polarity which has led to the lowering of the level of discourse, exacerbated the division between the opposing sides and all but destroyed respect for the institutional bastions of American democracy. Most media pundits and ordinary citizens alike have long since given up on wondering how much lower we will sink. Just when we think this man cannot violate something or someone else, he does. No boundary is sacrosanct in 45’s administration. American politics has always had its own brand of snark and dirt but we can only hope the new norms created in the past three years do not have a lingering effect in this regime’s aftermath. It is entirely reasonable for anyone to hope for the best, but I honestly do expect the worst.
Former Vice-President Dick Cheney once said, “The only poll that matters is on Election Day.” That is true. November 3rd, 2020 will be a pivotal date on the timeline of the grand American experiment. Four more years of chaos leadership by tweet and business by open, in-our-face corruption will forever transform the character of the American nation, much like a disfiguring and disabling illness can transform and reduce a world class athlete to a shadow of their former self. As was outlined in this post’s opening paragraph, We the People now find ourselves stuck in a dysfunctional and toxic relationship with our nation’s Chief Executive. We must remember that we only deserve as much abuse as we will tolerate. Speaking for myself, I have long since had my fill of abuse of the values I swore multiple times to uphold. The United States is still a nation of laws and not men and women, regardless how often or badly they are flouted.
Make no mistake, it is the duty of every conscientious and patriotic American who loves their country to get to their polling place on Election Day November 3rd, mark a ballot and DEFEAT the incumbent President! This transcends duty, IT IS THE #1 MORAL IMPERATIVE for every voting AMERICAN!