Trump’s bulls__t bull’s-eye
By Steve Klinger
653 words
Whatever one might think about Donald Trump’s claim to be a “stable genius,” his rambling and seemingly unfocused rant of a speech to an enthusiastic throng of CPAC attendees on Saturday demonstrated the kind of demagoguery at which he has become adept—and included a chilling shot across the bow of the smoldering political debate dividing this country. What Trump did was raise the ante in a very dangerous way, and in so doing reinforce the concern Michael Cohen expressed last Wednesday in public testimony before Congress, a concern that has been on my mind for a couple of years now but gets very limited attention in the mainstream media or on guardedly progressive cable networks like MSNBC.
Addressing the House Oversight Committee on Feb. 27, Cohen said in a closing statement, “I fear that if he loses the election in 2020, there will never be a peaceful transition of power.” Coming from a longtime Trump “enforcer,” lightly regarded for his political or intellectual gravitas, the warning was both surprising and sobering.
Trump had already raised the stakes last month when he declared a national emergency over border wall funding, ignoring the wishes of Congress and making an unprecedented grab for executive power that many thought threatened the checks and balances written into the Constitution by the founding fathers. But on Saturday his rhetoric seemed to launch a new phase of escalation and make Cohen’s concerns even more ominous.
Speaking about the Mueller investigation and the broadening inquiries in the newly Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, Trump hurled words like “lunatic,” “sick” and “dirty,” and characterized Democrats’ efforts as a no-holds-barred assault on his presidency: “They’re trying to take you out with bullshit, OK? With bullshit.”
Unprecedented, unpresidential, debasing and vulgar are only some of the adjectives that would be appropriate to describe the president’s language. But looked at another way, the invective was unerringly on target—a bulls__t bull’s-eye, if you will. To an adoring base that has elevated Trump to the status of a cult leader (chosen by God, some say), he accomplished several things at once. Not only did he extend his defiance of politically correct behavior and language, he coined a new rallying cry, to be echoed when Mueller’s report is issued, or when Democrats reveal the findings of their investigations, or the Justice Department’s Southern District of New York builds criminal cases against him.
Trump or his inner circle was involved in collusion with Russia? Bullshit, they’ll shout. Trump obstructed justice, violated campaign finance laws, committed bank fraud, insurance fraud, witness tampering, violations of the emoluments clause? Bullshit, they’ll scream. Impeach the president? Bullshit.
But with Congress gridlocked and successful impeachment unlikely, the 2020 election still seems like the best shot we’ll have at derailing Trump’s authoritarian juggernaut, and that’s where my fear and Cohen’s warning converge: If he wins, it’s all over for democracy in this country, but even if he loses, who among us can really see Trump going quietly? Even in 2016, prepared to lose to Hillary, he was all ready to cry fraud and contest the election. Not only will he almost certainly do so after a loss in 2020, but he is steering his base toward mass violence to protest the “deep state” conspiracy, “voter fraud” from minorities and a diabolical “coup” to drive him from office. Should he get away with the trumped-up border emergency, an allegedly rigged election will surely be his next excuse for a national emergency. If it’s not just a witch-hunt but a “bullshit” assault designed to take out the greatest president ever, a Democratic victory at the polls may be nearly as dangerous as a loss.
This country never fully got over the Civil War (on a cultural level, if not a geographic one) and may be headed for another iteration. With his bullshit bull’s-eye, a narcissistic rich kid from Queens may just have fired the first round.
-end-
Steve Klinger is a veteran community journalist and college English instructor based in southern New Mexico. Frequently skeptical about the capacity of the written word to inspire activism, he also writes songs, hoping to add the power of music to his topical lyrics.
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The Suffers
Premiere New Music Video for
"All I Want To Do"
With Live For Live Music: https://bit.ly/2SRH1Hh
New Album
Everything Here
Out Now
"On Everything Here, the musicians revel in the multidimensional, multicultural possibilities of
their take on soul."
- NPR Music
March 9, 2019 - Houston, TX - The Suffers have shared a brand new video today for "All I Want To Do" off of their 2018 sophomore album
Everything Here. Fans can watch the music video exclusively with Live for Live Music, here: https://bit.ly/2SRH1Hh
The Suffers are currently on their Everything Here Spring Tour, traveling across the U.S. with stops at Flying Burrito Festival, Treefort Festival, Homegrown Music and Arts Festival, Beale Street Music Festival, Rhythm and Blooms Festival, and more. Their latest album Everything Here is available now via Shanachie Entertainment. Fans can stream or download the full album here: http://bit.ly/2NgA4gO. For a full list of tour dates, please see below, and for further information on The Suffers, please visit: www.thesuffers.com.
Established in 2011, The Suffers' lineup was curated by bassist Adam Castaneda and vocalist/keyboardist Pat Kelly, who brought on trumpet player Jon Durbin, trombonist Michael Razo, guitarist Kevin Bernier, percussionist Jose "Chapy" Luna, and drummer/vocalist Nick Zamora, while frontwoman Kam Franklin topped off the group with soaring vocals.
The last three years have brought the band to new heights, as they played 300+ shows across North America, Europe, Colombia, Japan and Australia, visited NPR in Washington, DC for a Tiny Desk Concert, made their national television debut on Late Show With David Letterman, and released their highly anticipated self-titled album alongside performances on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and Jimmy Kimmel Live!
In a short time, the band has progressed from packing Houston venues to accepting invitations for featured performances at Hangout Music Festival, Forecastle Festival, Electric Forest Festival, Afropunk, Pemberton Music Festival, Austin City Limits, Newport Folk Festival, High Water Festival, XPoNential Festival, High Sierra Music Festival, Landmark Music Festival, Voodoo Music + Arts Experience, LouFest, AmericanaFest, UTOPiAfest, SXSW, Free Press Summer Festival, Untapped Festival, CMJ Music Marathon, and more. The Suffers have remained a local favorite, accepting 23 Houston Press Music Awards in the last four years. For further information on The Suffers, please visit: www.thesuffers.com.
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Upcoming Tour Dates
Mar 9 - Phoenix, AZ @ Flying Burrito Festival
Mar 11 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
Mar 12 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
Mar 14 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
Mar 15 - Petaluma, CA @ The Mystic Theatre
Mar 17 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
Mar 19 - Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
Mar 21 - Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Festival
Mar 22 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room
Mar 24 - Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
Apr 13 - Dallas, TX @ Homegrown Festival
Apr 25 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Mid City Ballroom
Apr 26 - New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks
May 4 - Memphis, TN @ Beale Street Music Festival
May 19 - Knoxville, TN @ Rhythm and Blooms Festival
May 26 - Austin, TX @ Hot Luck Food and Music Festival
Jul 14 - Greenfield, MA @ Green River Festival
Sep 8 - Chattanooga, TN @ Moon River Music Festival
Check out more on The Suffers, here:
Website: www.thesuffers.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesuffers
Twitter: www.twitter.com/thesuffers
Instagram: www.instagram.com/thesuffers
YouTube: www.youtube.com/TheSuffersTX
SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/thesuffers
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Bishop Votes Against “Democrat Politician Protection Act”
WASHINGTON – The US House of Representatives voted to pass H.R .1, a bill sponsored by Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Rep. Rob Bishop (UT-01) voted against the measure and release the following statement:
“This bill ensures corrupt elections.
Period.”
