America's New Reality Show: the Donald Trump Presidency

On November 8 I was sitting at the Hyatt in downtown Dallas, at the party of the Democrats of Texas, preparing to celebrate our first woman President. By 3 a.m. on November 9, I was dumbfounded. President Elect Trump? The reality tv star from the Apprentice? The bankrupt playboy of the 1990s who cheated on his wives with any woman he could find? Who admitted groping women's genitals without consent? Who has probably never read the Constitution and who has no knowledge of the American government or foreign policy? Yep. A person who is listening to a white nationalist for advice? America elected a reality television guy who bragged that he could grab a woman's pussy because hes a star. Unbelievable.

I could talk about the growth of an almost dead economy since Obama took over. The numbers speak for themselves, we have recovered and are still recovering. (Check it out: http://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/15/grading-the-obama-economy-by-the-numbers.html ). It took a long time to claw our way out because of the absolute hell Bush caused, thanks to the typical Republican economic plan of lowering taxes for the wealthy, starting two wars, and deregulation. There are still things that need to be fixed, but unfortunately, the Republican Congress petulantly decided they would not give Obama anything he wanted, so there! I wonder why they disliked Obama so much? What was so different about Obama? Could it be... he's Black? Hmmm. I wonder. Donald Trump , who loves attention more than any TV star ever known, decided our first African American President was born in Kenya. (oh sure, Donald, Hillary started it, blah blah blah. She didn't start the birther movement, you did. Does this man ever tell the truth?) What a joke. And rust belt America bought it, hook, line and sinker. And so, the far and alt right takeover of America has begun.

For myself, I could not imagine that anyone could believe all of the outrageous lies Donald Trump spouted. Mexicans are rapists? Men of all races and religions rape. That was just the beginning of outright lies told over and over again. Republicans , Democrats, newspapers all said, no, this guy is dangerous. He is not fit or qualified to be President. That was true then, and it is true now. But a man makes fun of the disabled and says he can grab women's pussies is now President Elect. In just two weeks, Trump has appointed a bunch of far right, prejudiced white men to take major positions in the government. The entire world is horrified and frightened. Who is his top advisor? Breitbart's Steve Bannon. White nationalists are celebrating all over the country. Bannon was the CEO of an organization who gave the alt right, oh hell lets call them what they are, white nationalists, a public platform. He said they would have to take over the Republican Party . With Bannon and the birther movement, white nationalists and racists crawled out from under their rocks. As the Trump campaign continued, they became more vocal, and it was shocking. Recently, they help a do in DC. Hail Trump! Hail the White Christian Nation! I wish these people would go back to their caves and crawl back under their rocks. Sadly, from the first, the media gave The Donald free air time and tons of coverage. He does know how to manipulate the press. Too late they decided to do their jobs and fact check his lies. By then, it didn't matter.

So. Steve Bannon will be advising Trump in the White House. That is bad enough. Trump tapped Myron Ebell, a well known climate denier, to handle the transition of the Enivronmental Protection Agency. A climate denier. The guy is not even a scientist. Trump is not a scientist, and Trump has not met with NASA or NOAA. After all the progress we have made, after the historic Paris Climate Agreement, Trump appoints Myron Ebell and says he is going to lift restrictions on dirty coal and oil drilling. What a genius. Ever heard of Occam's Razor? Well, we now have Trump's Razor: whatever is the stupidest thing to do must be the right answer.

Another horrifying choice is 3 Star General Flynn as National Security Advisor. If you pray, you'd better start. A decorated soldier, he was fired from the DIA because of his combative style, among other things. He supports Russia and was paid to go over to Russia for a Russian TV dinner with Putin! He tweeted "Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL." He has called for Muslims to be registered in the USA, subjected to loyalty tests and in some cases deported. American citizens! He retweeted an anti-Jewish tweet. I seem to remember Germany, where a certain group was rounded up and registered. Then murdered. Of course, we rounded up Japanese Americans in the World War II, so weve done it before. Has the human race learned nothing? This unstable, combative general who was fired doesn't even have to be confirmed! He says Islam is wicked to the core and must be rooted out. It parades as a religion, but it is really an ideology. So, we have a narcissist with impulse control issues who will be President listening to a combative National Security Advisor with no impulse control. What a great combination for a peaceful world. And Trump has the nuclear codes.

Everyone is saying Pompeo for CIA Director is an almost mainstream choice. But just to let you know, he had to apologize for a tweet his campaign sent calling his opponent Raj Goyle, an Indian-American Democrat, a "turban topper" who "could be a muslim, a hindy, a buddhist etc who knows". His campaign slogan was "vote American" (meaning vote white). Of course, Raj Goyle IS an American citizen, but hes the wrong color.

And Jeff Sessions for Attorney General. I really cannot decide which of these old white guys is worse. Sessions has been accused of racism, but I can't imagine why: maybe because he opposed the voting rights act? He voted against the employment non-discrimination act. He voted against the Matthew Shepherd and James Byrd Jr Hate Crimes Prevention Act. He voted for a ban on marriage equality. He voted against repealing "Don't Ask Don't Tell". He opposes immigration reform. He is as far right as any Attorney General has ever been.

Today we hear Ben Carson may take over HUD. Thats innocuous enough, I guess, and hey, hes African American. And Gov. Nikki Haley, daughter of two Indian immigrants, may be the Ambassador to the United Nations. Ah, finally, a little diversity among the old white guys! Let me tell you, the world is in a sorry state when I am hoping that Mitt Romney will be Secretary of State. He seems moderate compared to the rest of these far right white guys, and at least Romney tried very hard to make sure Trump was not elected. That shows good sense.

I started by being devastated. Then I was tearful but hopeful that maybe Obama was right and Trump was pragmatic. After these alt right far right nominations, with a nod to Blacks and Indians, I say this: this man is a keg of gunpowder. He had a chance to nominate moderates, to come out and speak to the nation in a reassuring manner, to alleviate the fears he has engendered, the hate crimes he has inspired. But he cannot do that. He cannot do it because he has no intention of bringing the country together. He is taking a sharp, scary turn right. Not only are these appointments anathema, but his business conflicts are ever more visible, and his children have no business whatsoever on his transition team unless they turn the business over to a blind trust. This is not a monarchy. The Trump family is not America's royalty. Just today we find out that his oldest son was part of a meeting about Russia and Syria! God help us all. Trumps election is looking like a tragedy for America, and for the world. Trump changes positions so quickly he gives me whiplash. Buckle up, folks, and pray we don't crash.