According to this week’s most current polls, Fox News reported that 49% approve of Trump’s job performance compared to 51% that do not. Among Democrats polled, a whopping 92% disapproved compared to 8% that did approve. The exact opposite showed from Republicans with a 92% favorability.*
So, what can we take from these numbers? Well, the answer is obvious: NOTHING HAS REALLY CHANGED. Those who supported Mr. Trump the first time continue to do so despite the outrage expressed by those who steadfastly oppose him. Largely divided along ideological lines, an increasingly visible and vocal anti-Trump opposition remains locked in a bitter fight with his supporters who are equally intractable.
It’s like Déjà vu all over again!
I suppose that unlike so many others who voted for him, I was never fooled in the first (or second) place. There has never been any question as to where my sentiments lie. I NEVER supported him and nothing that this President can do or say besides “I am resigning” will change that. But I do at least acknowledge that many Trump voters were desperately seeking someone who understood THEIR plight, even if he expressed that in an imperfect way. OK, perhaps. Once. But what I DON’T understand is how people could have fallen for his bizarre antics and rhetoric twice! Maybe I’m old school but I believe that people should live by the adage; fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Well, there were enough red flags for me from the very beginning for me to see him for the grifter I believe he is. So, it’s inconceivable that so many would still see some redeeming value in a Trump presidency and further mind-blowing that they continue to support it.
Let me give just one example of the hubris from The Man Who Would Be King. It should have been The Great Disqualifier and still cannot be rationalized.
Way back In 2015, during a campaign appearance in South Carolina, then candidate Trump used hand gestures to mock an award-winning Washington Post reporter, Serge Kovaleski, who suffers with a body-altering disability and had the audacity to publish an article Mr. Trump found personally objectionable. Looking like some kind of deranged bunny, Trump showed his complete lack of empathy AND understanding for someone who dared defy him AND look different. It became his M.O.
I mean, who does that? I certainly have NEVER and NEVER would. Furthermore, I don’t tolerate those who do! It’s demeaning and unfortunately all too typical of Mr. Trump’s mean-spirited rhetoric where cruelty IS the point. So, I often use the following questions and corresponding answers in an effort to understand how his followers spin this (and other travesties) into a palatable platform that they were willing to support – and CONTINUE to. It’s my little test. First, I ask if they have ever mocked a disabled person? Invariable response: “No. Never. Of course not!” Next, I inquire if they have friends who do? Answer – Not only would they never mock the disabled, but they would also not have friends who do.” Really? When I press them further by asking how can they then accept it in the candidate of their choice, to LEAD THE Country, the excuses begin: “Oh, he was only kidding. Don’t you have a sense of humor? It was taken out of context. He didn’t MEAN it” – all while trying to tell me what I KNOW that I have seen and heard! Sadly, not a single Trump supporter has passed the test. Not one. Not then. Not now. They simply accept it. Perhaps they’re simply too embarrassed to admit that they actually do. One way or the other, it’s vile. Obviously, that has NOT changed.
This alone should have been egregious enough to cancel ANY candidate. I’m not sure that I can adequately explain why that didn’t happen. It’s beyond politics. It’s about morality. However, it did. The fact that despite what they saw and heard nearly half of America still supports the Trump agenda is beyond the pale. So, let me make this simple, clear, and absolute. There are no more excuses. There is no more moral ambiguity – there never was. We are what we are. I cannot, will not, make excuses or tolerate someone who continues to support a man AND an administration that is of such poor in moral character. The choice has always been clear. Nothing has changed – until WE change it.
As evidenced by the growing number of civic organizations like Indivisible Rockland and others, resistance to this Administration’s policies is growing larger, more vocal, and active. There IS hope. However, I must question if, in a sense, we are simply preaching to the choir? How do we reach those who refuse to be reached?
March. Resist. Be heard. Vote.
*USA Today
** CBS News
Editor’s note: The views expressed in this article are those of this independent writer and not the Nyack News & Views editorial staff. We welcome submissions from anybody who is interested in publishing their thoughts, ideas and perspectives about issues facing our community, both large and small. Please send to info@nyacknewsandviews.com with detailed contact information.
Photo credit: Frank LoBuono
