By Carl Weinschenk
Donald Trump fights a lot of wars. There is the war between left and right, between ethical and unethical, between decent and crude, between right and wrong. But most of all, it’s him against us. Most of us aren’t like that. So here is something to keep in mind: The only way to win a war of attrition is to remain focused and vigilant.
Trump is the ultimate survivor. If we are going to save the soul of our nation, we must understand that every instinct the man has for self-preservation – instincts that have seen him survive business collapses, two impeachments, a sexual assault conviction, the Access Hollywood tape, a friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, 22 felony convictions and all the rest – will be arrayed against us during the run up to the midterm elections in November.
Trump knows that a loss of the House of Representatives will make the rest of his life a disaster. Precisely how it would play out is impossible to predict. But it’s safe to say he would be hounded by his enemies and deserted by his current allies. Most of the latter group hate Trump. He has shown them who they are and are tied to him by their own weakness. It’s Shakespearian.
He is drowning in horrible polls and is on the ropes. He can see the writing on the way and no doubt is panicked. This makes him more dangerous than before.
Tired of Trump
Most people are sick and tired of Trump. The man is an odious ubiquity. He is everywhere: From the dangerous (starting a war and lying about its conclusion), the ridiculous (a UFC fight on the White House lawn) to the existentially idiotic (giving a no-bid contract to a company that is lame enough to screw up the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool). The overwhelming instinct is to tune him out and focus on sports, stamp collecting, pickleball or just about anything else until this era mercifully ends.
It’s not just how present Trump is. It’s what is at the core of that presence. Trump’s main tool in controlling American politics is humiliation. Republicans – and some Democrats – have been shown to be craven, complicit, spineless, scheming and greedy. This all is deeply depressing and, again, gives folks reason to turn away.
Fight the Power
We need to fight through all this negativity and set our sights on a better day. We can’t just chuck the whole thing. It would be his best road to a peaceful life after next January. But it would be the end of our country–and it would mean that he is right about who we are.
There are good signs. Opposition to Trump seems to be at an all-time high and growing. Democratic turnout in the primaries has been good. Though it’s possible to argue that the success of Democratic Socialists is not a good thing on policy grounds, it generally suggests that people are seeking something as distant from our current politics as possible.
Teddy Roosevelt called the presidency a “bully pulpit.” Trump is using it to make us feel powerless and weary. Ultimately, he wins if we all check out. We must not let that happen. Stay engaged.
Image: Center for Dental Sleep Health