I’m having surgery tomorrow to fix a vitreous hemorrhage, a small retinal tear and a partially detached retina in my right eye. I’m hoping that the veterinarian I found up here knows what he’s doing. I’m not sure how long I will be out of commission, but I will likely be taking a brief break from the keyboard. I thought my vision was getting better but after a battery of tests today, the doctor informed me that my perception did not match reality and, in fact, my eye was in worse shape than I thought. I guess Donald Trump and I have a common problem of trying to distinguish between wishful thinking and reality. 2020 – what a year!!
Today is Veteran’s Day. It is appalling that we are in the midst of this mess being created by Trump’s refusal to concede this election in spite of zero evidence of widespread voter fraud. Thousands of men and women have fought and died for this country to preserve and defend the US Constitution and the institutions of American democracy. It is a huge insult to each and every man and woman (and their families) who have served in the military and sacrificed so much to watch Trump rip this country apart. I truly hope all of their sacrifices were not in vain.
Once again Trump’s followers are being conned and they are swallowing it hook, line and sinker. In spite of the fact that there has been no credible evidence of widespread voter fraud anywhere which so far has resulted in virtually all of the lawsuits alleging such have been thrown out of court, Trump and his allies continue to make these unfounded allegations. Why? Think about it. They have started raising money for a legal defense fund on the basis of these allegations.
However, if you read the fine print of these solicitations, they state that 60% of the funds will be used to retire existing campaign debt. The other 40% will go to the RNC general fund. Some of that 40% could very well be used for legal fees. However, there is nothing to preclude some portion of those funds to go to things like pouring funds into the upcoming Senate runoff races in Georgia which are critical to the Republican Party retaining control of the Senate.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that once Trump concedes, these funds will dry up. And if these funds dry up, then the funds required to payoff campaign debt and fund a media blitz in Georgia will have to come from other sources. It is in Trump’s and the Republican Party’s best interest to keep this ‘voter fraud’ narrative alive as long as they can to ensure they raise as much money as possible. Trump and his cronies understand the odds are against them of flipping the results of the election. They also certainly understand that once they concede, the money dries up. And I guess they have made the tradeoff and have decided that whatever money they expect to be raised is worth sacrificing America’s image as the beacon of democracy around the world that has been the hallmark of this country for over two hundred years.
Trump and his cronies may also be trying throw up a legal shit storm in the hopes of delaying the certification of votes which leads to the selection of delegates for the Electoral College. If they were successful in doing this, they would certainly be counting on a Republican Governors to select a full slate of Republican Electors regardless of how the election actually turned out in a given state. This is, no doubt, a hail Mary pass but no one should underestimate the lengths that Donald Trump will go to in an attempt to stay in power. As I have stated before, it is the only thing that stands between him and a whole raft of legal and financial problems. It is my fervent hope that the Democrats have assembled a team of lawyers who have thought through every conceivable Machiavellian plot that Trump might try and have gamed it out. This should not be the way democracy works but it certainly seems that is the game we are playing.
Everyone should think about this as we watch Trump’s continued actions. Joe Biden’s lead in the popular vote is over 4.6 million votes reflecting the wishes of 75 million Americans. We have all witnessed the spontaneous celebrations in the street when the election was called for Biden. How do you think those 75 million people in this country would react if Trump were to steal the election through questionable legal and political maneuvering? I believe that it would rip this country apart. Trump understands that as well, which is why his latest moves at the Pentagon are particularly disturbing.
The Trump administration has fired or seen the resignation of four top Pentagon officials since Monday, all of whom have been replaced by perceived Trump loyalists. Secretary of State, Mark Esper, was fired primarily because he opposed Trump’s desire to deploy US military personnel under the Insurrection Act to quell protests. The other officials that have now been replaced supported Esper in that decision. There are now Trump loyalists in those positions. If one were paranoid, one could believe that Trump is planning something that will result in protests and now perhaps he will have the ability and backing in the Pentagon to deploy US troops against those protests. The Pentagon is nervous – as should be the rest of the country. This is a highly unusual move for a lame duck president to make, but not all that unusual for two-bit dictators.
It is not hard to imagine a scenario where the fiery and baseless claims of voter fraud, rabid support of Trump’s AR-15 armed followers and now with perhaps US troops at his disposal, protests against Trump could actually lead to blood in the streets. Is this really the America we want to live in? How much must this country pay to satisfy Trump’s ego? Will Trump ever cross a bridge too far for his Republican supporters to finally break their deafening silence or get up off their knees at the altar of Trump and find the courage and principles to put the United States of America before their addiction to power? Thus far, it certainly doesn’t seem probable.
As I previously stated, I will not rest easy until a moving van with Trump’s stuff pulls away from the White House. If that moving van doesn’t show up and Trump continues to squat illegally in the White House after January 20, 2021, I guess I’ll have to make a decision as to whether or not I want to live in the United Dictatorship of Trump. Just kidding – I’ve already made that decision. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that – I hate moving!
Mike, I hope that your eye surgery is successful and heals quickly.