If he did it in a vacuum, it wouldn’t matter. If nobody listened to him, it wouldn’t matter. If nobody took it upon themselves to act on his comments, it wouldn’t matter.
But people do. When Donald Trump Tweets, others act.
And it’s never pleasant.
We’ve all heard the stories. Most recently it was this one:
Chuck Jones, who is President of United Steelworkers 1999, has done a terrible job representing workers. No wonder companies flee country!
What happens after Trump Tweets?
Threats. In phone calls, on social media, in the mail.
Trump himself doesn’t threaten. Like the folks who clean his toilets, he has people for that.
Two occurrences in the same neighborhood really point out the difference between reactions of members of the two different parties.
Vice-President Elect Mike Pence has moved into a short-term rental house in the mostly democratic Chevy Chase neighborhood of DC. When residents realized he was living there, the reaction was this, courtesy of the Washington Post:
Photo courtesy of the Washington Post, (taken by Gary Cameron/Reuters)
They put out rainbow flags.
The other occurrence took place at a restaurant in the same neighborhood, a pizza place called the Comet Ping Pong. As written up in the Washington Post,
A North Carolina man was arrested Sunday after he walked into a popular pizza restaurant in Northwest Washington carrying an assault rifle and fired one or more shots, D.C. police said. The man told police he had come to the restaurant to “self-investigate” a false election-related conspiracy theory involving Hillary Clinton that spread online during her presidential campaign.
This restaurant was the subject of false news accusations that Hillary Clinton was running a child sex ring from the restaurant’s bathrooms. (Who the hell believes such stupidity?) Other than General Mike Flynn, soon to be Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser:
I feel very secure now, don’t you?
Nevertheless, the gunman was arrested, several area businesses went on lock-down.
A D.C. police report made public Monday says Welch had been armed with an AR-15 assault-style rifle. The report also says police seized a Colt .38 caliber handgun and a shotgun. One of those weapons was found inside the restaurant; the other in the suspect’s car.
noun: Government by the least qualified or worst persons.
ETYMOLOGY:
From Greek kakistos (worst), superlative of kakos (bad) + -cracy (rule). Ultimately from the Indo-European root kakka-/kaka- (to defecate), which also gave us poppycock, cacophony, cacology, and cacography. Earliest documented use: 1829.
USAGE:
“We must weigh our votes carefully. Else we are in danger of turning America’s time-tested democracy into a kakistocracy.”
Dan Warner; The Best Man for the Job Is Not as Easy as it Sounds; The News Press (Fort Myers, Florida); Jan 17, 2016.
Since the folks at Word of the Day didn’t provide synonyms, I will:
Like many of you, I still wake in the night with a knot in my stomach. It’s Donald Trump, of course. He’s making me sick. He’s making me anxious. He’s making me unusually serious.
But of course, we are all here in this country — although I think all of us want to pack our bags and leave a country that just elected such a seriously flawed man. A man who cheats, and lies and treats all non-white men as if they are less than human.
This video has helped me. It reminded me that I’m part of the loyal opposition — loyal to the system of government as it should act under the Constitution. That I’m an American and I value my institutions and I will fight against tyranny. That I am descended from immigrants who helped build our country.
That I have to be part of the solution. Whatever that may be.
Oh and that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by over 2 million votes, at last count.
A friend of mine sent this petition on to me. I’m not really one for petitions. I agree with research I’ve read that says that signing petitions makes people believe they areactually doing something. And well, hollow gestures are, hollow.
Still, what the hell. I signed this petition, and thought I’d forward it to you. Remember what is at stake.
*****
Electoral College: Make Hillary Clinton President on December 19
On December 19, the Electors of the Electoral College will cast their ballots. If they all vote the way their states voted, Donald Trump will win. However, they can vote for Hillary Clinton if they choose. Even in states where that is not allowed, their vote would still be counted, they would simply pay a small fine – which we can be sure Clinton supporters will be glad to pay!
We are calling on the Electors to ignore their states’ votes and cast their ballots for Secretary Clinton. Why?
Mr. Trump is unfit to serve. His scapegoating of so many Americans, and his impulsivity, bullying, lying, admitted history of sexual assault, and utter lack of experience make him a danger to the Republic.
Secretary Clinton WON THE POPULAR VOTE and should be President.
Hillary won the popular vote. The only reason Trump “won” is because of the Electoral College.
But the Electoral College can actually give the White House to either candidate. So why not use this most undemocratic of our institutions to ensure a democratic result?
SHE WON THE POPULAR VOTE.
There is no reason Trump should be President.
“It’s the ‘People’s Will'”
No. She won the popular vote.
“Our system of government under our Constitution says he wins”
No. Our Constitution says the Electors choose.
“Too many states prohibit ‘Faithless Electors'”
24 states bind electors. If electors vote against their party, they usually pay a fine. And people get mad. But they can vote however they want and there is no legal means to stop them in most states.
FiftyFourandAHalf 