Of Mugwumps And Never Trumps
This is short because you still have a lot of reading to do. Heather Cox Richardson is a widely published historian with an interesting style that pulls the reader into an analysis of current events and parallels in history. She is a “juiced up” Doris Kerns Goodwin.
Here is her October 24th “Letters From An American” installment that she posted on Substack yesterday. It is particularly incisive and emphasizes, in this issue, Mark Twain’s observation that “history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.”
You’re welcome.
Thanks for this. I read Richardson’s articles on occasion & always appreciate them. Dare we hope that the Republicans will clean house & revert back to a somewhat normal party? I admit I’m not that optimistic. SO nervous about this election. Oh, and am happy to see the Houston Chronicle has more guts than the Washington Post (or, fewer outside business interests they’re protecting) and endorsed Harris.
1Thanks half Empty, great read!
2Republicanism is a poisonous blend of Christian extremism, White Supremacy and Corporate Fascism (power and greed). Of course they are all vying for power and once a leader shows up with intelligence and charisma our Democracy is surely dead.
Republicans have been systematically dissembling our Democracy since the Powell Memo outlined the way to do this …by controlling the Courts, Education and the Media. They declared open war against Liberalism around 30 years ago and we are seeing the deadly results.
And with Fox ‘Lie and Blame the Democrats’ News spewing right wing Hate 24/7 we now have a whole generation brought up on Hate.
Republicans can NOT win on the issues. They’ve got NOTHING. All they have is a divide and conquer class war that pits ignorant racist and bigoted people against the rest of us in a meaningless battle of wedge issues and the already proven to fail agenda of tax cuts for the rich, deregulation, privatization, etc. and nothing else, so all they can do is blame Liberals, black people, gays the government, anybody and everyone else for their own failings.
But history has shown us that Hate does not prevail as we have TOO MANY good people willing to stand up for right over wrong.
OK, here’s a sign of small-scale good news. I got a haircut this week (that’s not the good news, except maybe to my wife). I go to a barber shop about 5 miles outside of the college-town bubble, and is well into the meth and MAGA territory. But there I heard a joke that (a) I first heard a variant of in the 1980s, and (b) would have been unthinkable in 2016 or 2020. From one of the barbers:
“Trump and Obama found themselves at a New York barbershop at the same time. Not having much to say to each other, they said nothing. The barbers were also somewhat taken aback and were silent. Trump’s barber finished first, and asked him if he wanted some aftershave spritzed on him. He said ‘No way. If my wife smells that on me, she’ll think I’ve been to a whorehouse.’ About then, Obama’s barber finished and asked him the same question. Obama smiled and said sure. Then he turned to Trump and explained ‘My wife doesn’t know what a whorehouse smells like’.”
OK, it’s old but still a good joke. For me the groundshaking aspect is that it’s something no one would have told in earlier years. I’ve been going to the same place and known the same barbers for 30 years now, and they’ve always been careful to avoid politics. But now they not only told it, but the five other crusty old guys there laughed at it. I know this sounds like something Thomas Friedman would write, but I have a feeling Trump is in trouble, even amoung the rural whites that he thinks are his base. For the first time in this campaign season, I’m actually feeling … optimistic.
3The Surly Professor @3 Hahaha thanks!
4My question is did your barber offer you aftershave? And did you accept?
Professor I’ve been thinking along those lines for awhile now. And it may be wishful thinking, but I haven’t seen anywhere near as many trump yard signs and bumper stickers and flags. Last time they were everywhere. On multiple occasions then they’d festoon their trucks with trump flags and drive through neighborhoods honking and hollering. And I haven’t seen that at all this time. But I also realize there’s areas like brother Sandridge talks about where it’s liable to be as bad now if not worse.
5But I am feeling a little optimistic.
I sure hope we’re right.
Half Empty, thanks for the article. And Professor, thanks for a Saturday night smile. Man I’m ready for this election to be over (or move on to what’s next with TFFG facing the music).
6I voted 2 days ago.
I read HCR every day and always come away feeling much better informed. She’s a history professor and her daily Substack is like a daily mini history lesson.
7So far, I have not seen a single Trump/MAGA sign in anyone’s yard. Even the ones that usually have a pile of empty pseudophed boxes scattered around, don’t seem enthusiastic this time around. That’s yet another reason for some hope, and for ignoring the attempt by the Republicans to game the polls. I’ll have a better idea on election day – there’s two polling places on campus and seeing how busy they are is a great barometer. In 2008 they were packed; in 2016 there were no lines.
lex: they never offered a spritz to me. I think the only guys they do that for are the ones who really, badly, need a bath.
8Some more brief interesting history from the wise Thom Hartmann …
“If We Don’t Break the Cycle, a ‘Trump’ Will Always Lurk in the Shadows.
As long as dark money, lies, and hate dominate politics, the next Trump is inevitable…”
Thom Hartmann
https://hartmannreport.com/p/if-we-dont-break-the-cycle-a-trump-ec5?r=1eqjf&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&fbclid=IwY2xjawGLdxFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHfIEi8l2w5Wghl82PxRvlrClSuWooyUYDYXaZ4hBGkVrHc6bkujl9z-x2g_aem_fL3NcMGiGOFiTYHEobJL8g
9lex @9, et al., Y’all should try truncating those long, unwieldy URL links, and simplify things.
For this example, everything after the ‘-ec5’ in the URL given, beginning with the “?”, is superfluous.
And more importantly, contains your personal identifying information (for that and other websites and servers), among other things.
Many URLs can be usefully shortened, and it will help protect you too.
10Dang, forgot to illustrate it.
This is the truncated URL to get to the desired website.
And containing only the necessary info to access that website, and stripped of all that extraneous and personal information:
https://hartmannreport.com/p/if-we-dont-break-the-cycle-a-trump-ec5
Much simpler, eh?
11P.P. – I have been to some very old historic areas lately that have been havens for the Right Wing. Guess what! Harris signs heavily outweigh Trump signs. Also, these areas have suddenly turned much younger with much more pedestrian and motor traffic plus new housing such as townhouses. COVID provided a very good experience of work from home which I suspect so many of hte younger people in these areas are doing. Plus one area is now staring straight at a whopping amount of new technological businesses right across the county line which is smack outside their kitchen windows. I actually started to see some of this erupt when Hillary was running. Her signs also outnumbered Trump’s. At the time, I thought the Hillary count was just a “one of”. Thank goodness it wasn’t!
12Sandridge @11 Thank you!!! Good to know.
13and The Surly Professor @8 Thanks no spritz for me either!