A Disgrace Of Historic Proportions

Let's stop pretending that Donald Trump is a new phenomenon. He's anything but. Donald Trump is a poorly performed remix of Nixon's Southern Strategy. Donald Trump, much like the products he peddles, is a cheap knock-off of Lee Atwater's dog-whistle campaigns. He, like so many before him, has made a career out of stoking racial fears and playing on age-old insecurities. He riles crowds into a frenzy by tossing red meat about immigrants flooding in to murder your children, Muslims coming to attack your homes, and transgenders infiltrating your bathrooms. It's the same song, just different lyrics. It's all flash and no substance.

Let's be honest, Donald Trump hasn't had an original thought in his life. Let's not pretend that when he emerged from his golden tower he was some sort of political genius. Let's keep it real, Donald Trump didn't create a new playbook. Much like his wife did to Michelle Obama 's speech, he plagiarized it.

Donald Trump's speeches are a cornucopia of conspiracy theories, Breitbart headlines, and the type of code words often spoken privately by many of his supporters and publicly by his swarm of lowbrow enthusiasts. Donald Trump is the symptom of an infection that has frequently re-emerged throughout our nation's history: opportunism. It's how Republicans can justify being privately outraged by the behavior of this President but publicly stand behind him. Don't believe me, ask half of the President's staff what they really think about him when they think the mics are off.

It's not all sunshine and lollipops at 1600 Pennsylvania, but anyone with half a brain knows that. If you think that this President won't sell us out the same way he has sold out Spicer, Priebus, Session, and every other Republican who chose access over country, then I have some "amazing" subprime mortgages to offer.

It's no mistake that the language Trump uses mimics the language used by intellectually empty political pundits like Tomi Lahren and Sean Hannity . Anything beyond surface level commentary would leave the axis of incompetence resembling a drooling infant, not the serious adults they purport to be. To be fair, they have been insanely successful peddling fear and "otherness," but so was a certain German dictator.

Before we had any hint of Russia, we watched as a future President of the United States referred to immigrants as criminals, African Americans as thugs, and women as objects of his own pleasure. There is no end to the disgrace that has been allowed into the people's house. Do not be confused, though, this isn't about right or left; this is about right and wrong. This is no more about Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton than it is about Daffy Duck or the Loch Ness Monster. Those are distractions. This is about the President of the United States and the axis of incompetence enabling his every outburst.

What's ironic about Donald Trump and his emotionally vulnerable supporters is their faux toughness. Like the bullies that most likely victimized them at a young age, they appear incapable of dealing with critique. Like snowflakes--a term Trump supporters have become enamored with--when any heat is applied, they go into full meltdown mode, reduced to the screaming toddlers every weekend shopper is familiar with.

For these frauds it was never about policy, it was and always will be about fame. It's about Access. Like moths to a flame, the closer they get to cameras, the lower the level of self-respect. The higher the ratings go, the more chicanery becomes acceptable. The more Americans normalize their behavior, the more they will continue to test the boundaries of acceptability. If a "business man" ran his company like this, the shareholders would revolt. If a publicly traded corporation went through a quarter as tumultuous as this, the board would certainly give a vote of no confidence. Why are Americans treating this axis of incompetence any differently?

Do not be confused, this is not the behavior of people putting America first. This is not the behavior of patriots attempting to make America great again. These are the actions of cowards who have corporatized our politics and bastardized our level of discussion. Nothing good can come of this, today or tomorrow.

This Presidency is a slap in the face to every single American, whether they acknowledge it or not. This White House is unprofessional, inept, and incapable of governing the country. This President is an embarrassment to every President that has come before him. He has no respect for the office, his staff, or the country that he represents. Instead of disrupting Washington and shaking up the political establishment, in his first six months, Donald Trump has pushed the country dangerously close to both an international and Constitutional crisis.

This isnt about Democrats resisting Republicans, this is about Americans resisting authoritarianism. Oppressive governments dont just form overnight, they establish themselves incrementally. They start by attacking the press, causing you to question the most basic facts. Then they divide the country into tribal factions to ensure that a healthy majority can't challenge them. Finally, they militarize the government by blurring the lines between the executive branch and the military. If this doesn't sound familiar, then you aren't paying attention.

This is a battle for our national conscience. This is a battle for our national morality. The health of our nation is at stake. The civility of our union is in question. Democrats shouldn't be the only ones resisting this presidency, Republicans should too. This is beyond party politics and the petty squabbling of cable pundits. This is about morality, civility, and our Constitution. Incompetence cannot win. The axis must end.