THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE

We are besieged this week with press reports of Trump's assertions that he may not leave office even after the voters turn him out. Trump has used this stunt over and over again and the press has fallen for it each time. 

Every publication, from the New York Times, NPR, The Atlantic Magazine, Politico, etc., has front-paged the threat. And you can be sure that in the debate on September 29, Chris Wallace will ask the same question, and Trump will give the same answer.

The press is being suckered by the carnival barker. 

With the election less than six weeks away:

 Trump is looking like a loser. Polls put him behind in the swing states, behind in the electoral college, behind in the popular vote.

His management of the coronavirus pandemic has been unimaginably incompetent and corrupt. He relied on his instincts and told lies to the American public, and corrupted the heretofore respected government scientific agencies. His politically inspired spin efforts have directly caused the death of tens of thousands of Americans.

And Trump is an unalloyed racist. He has encouraged riots, supported white nationalists, appointed a cabinet full of swamp creatures, and is desperately trying to load the Supreme Court with conservative supporters whom, he thinks, will preserve his presidency even after the voters reject him.

And let's not forget his effort to do away with the Affordable Care Act and throw 23 million people off the health insurance rolls. And it is all of a piece because the people he will throw off those rolls are people who are the ones most adversely affected by his racist statements and so-called executive orders.

So, with the election just around the corner, what is it that NPR and the New York Times focus upon as front page news? Right: Trump's threats that he won't leave even if ( read "when"!), he loses the election.

"Step right up folks, and see the 2-headed dog!" and the press lines up to see the unimaginable.

Why? Surely the possibility of Trump's suggestion he will  produce a new Reichstag fire is a horrible thought. But why are sophisticated journalists giving credence to that threat? This is a man who, in under four years of his presidency has told more that 25,000 lies.Truth is meaningless. What counts is distraction: "Look at the shiny object! Pay no attention to reality! Pay attention to what I say, not to what I do!"

It's all a balance trick. It is called false equivalency: The unlikelihood of Trump succeeding in trashing our Constitutional democracy is balanced by the awful nature of the threat.

And it's not a surprise that Republican officials who fear Trump's base are hiding under the covers. Only a scant few are willing to speak out. And those that do, talk only about the generalities of preserving constitutional values. They dare not publicly utter a direct criticism of their chief Snake Oil Salesman. 

Unique among Republicans hiding in their Trumpian bunker was Richard Porter, a member of the Republican National Committee. He blamed the press for even asking Trump what he would do if he lost: 

"Of course he will respect the actual results -- it's a ridiculous question. He is just jerking your chain."

Let's face it. As a result of unforeseen consequences of our Constitutional structure, a minority of the public has elected a man who has lied and cheated his entire life. Why should we be surprised he continues to lie and cheat when he has the power of the presidency?

The question is how did our sophisticated press fall for this? How did they get sucked into lining up to buy a ticket to see the 2-headed dog?

A bientot.

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