Yesterday, all hell broke loose in the political world, Trump Recorded Having Extremely Lewd Conversation About Women in 2005. As with every Trump outrage, there was much speculation about maybe this being the time he’s gone too far. Maybe this time the Republican establishment would repudiate him. And then: nothing.
But this one was clearly worse than usual. Trump spoke in some detail about trying to bed a married woman. Given that he admits to failure, it is clearly true. Then he speaks about his celebrity allowing him to get away with groping women. He says, “Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.” Whether or not that’s true seems less clear to me. But admitting to sexual assault to impress the boys is still vile. And all it seems to have cost Trump in terms of endorsements is two little known politicians from Utah.
Republican Establishment Is Outraged!
Otherwise, what we got was a lot of outrage from the Republican establishment. Paul Ryan released a statement, “I am sickened by what I heard today. Women are to be championed and revered, not objectified. I hope Mr Trump treats this situation with the seriousness it deserves and works to demonstrate to the country that he has greater respect for women than this clip suggests.” Mitch McConnell released a similar statement, “These comments are repugnant, and unacceptable in any circumstance.” He wants Trump to “apologize directly to women and girls everywhere.”
Why such faux outrage? I think Brian Beutler summed it up nicely in this tweet:
GOP opprobrium rankings:
Anti-Muslim bigotry < anti-Mexican bigotry < sexism < sexual assault bragging < minor marginal tax rate hike
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) October 8, 2016
That is: bragging about sexual assault is bad, but it’s nothing when you consider that Trump would cut taxes on the rich.
But really: the recording is, in an important sense, meaningless. We’ve had well over a year of Donald Trump running for president. We all know what kind of man he is. But more to the point: his supporters know what kind of man he is. And they don’t care. They will never care. There is roughly half the Republican base (basket of deplorables) that will vote for Trump no matter what. Even more concerning is that the Republican establishment is in agreement that tax cuts for the rich and benefit cuts for the poor more than offset anything Trump could ever do. If Trump turned out to be a serial killer, they would still support him.
Central Park Five
Meanwhile, just a day before, we learned, Donald Trump Still Thinks The Central Park Five Are Guilty. These are men who were exonerated by DNA evidence. Yet Trump just somehow knows. And he made a telling (and ironic) comment, “And the woman, so badly injured, will never be the same.” I’ve always found this kind of statement odd: there is a victim so we must punish someone regardless of their guilt! But that’s what “law and order” is all about: it’s an authoritarian approach to running a country — control through terrorism directed at the weakest members of society.
What I think is most interesting about this recording’s release is how it changes the dynamics of Sunday night’s debate (that I will be live blogging). Until the recording came out, Trump indicated that he was going to be calm and focused on policy. But last night, he released the following video statement that seems to indicate there is a new plan:
Basically: I’m sorry; but Bill Clinton is worse; and Hillary protected him!
What We Have Learned
So what have we learned? Donald Trump is a vile man? Nope: already knew that. The Republican establishment would feed all their mothers to hyenas in exchange for a reduction in the top marginal tax rate? Nope: already knew that too. That there is no shame on the right? Sorry. The whole thing is just more of the same. When exactly the three-fours of the country who aren’t deplorables will learn this, I cannot say.
There’s almost been a comical side to how much dancing GOP leaders do in backing / criticizing this low-rent Mussolini. They know politics, they know the odds of Trump winning are becoming slimmer every week. Yet some are such feeble non-entities (Christie, Carson) they have no hope except to bank it all on a shot of getting into Trump’s cabinet. Whereas the bigger names (Ryan) can be a little more forceful. They know if Trump wins, he’ll still play nice with them because he’d have to, and if he loses, they can shrug and blame it on the candidate for “not being a true conservative.”
Hopefully theoretical musing; were Trump to win, who would be President? We know he wouldn’t. It’d be that Cabinet. Would it be full of conservative think-tank guys all picked by the likes of Grover Norquist? Or idiot incompetent ass-kissers like Christie? Both options are terrifying. Think tank guys would actually know how to enact conservative wet dreams, and incompetents would make the Executive branch a decrepit shambles.
Less theoretical question. What does the party do now? I don’t think they can put the fascist strain back into code words. Anti-Black racism and military posturing aren’t enough anymore. Future candidates will have to be racist towards pretty much every non-Caucasian, and virulent sexists, and promise world domination. It’s such a list of lunacy, I don’t know how they can find a candidate that’s relatively intelligent who would seem convincing on all aspects of Pure Hate. They may be stuck with Trumps and Palins. And if they can’t take the White House, there’s a danger they lose control of Congress one day when a Democrat’s in the Oval.
And if we ever get real progressive reforms passed, that’s game over for the GOP. The party would be essentially finished. Bill Kristol once, in a rare moment of lucidity, wrote that single-payer health care is the GOP’s worst nightmare. It’d prove that government CAN run some things better than a business. The entire conservative intellectual basis would be shattered. All they’d have left is the bigotry. And the demographics don’t look good on that winning for long.
There has been some talk that after a Trump loss, he would blame the GOP and then start his own uber-Fox News. It might be hugely successful — especially if Fox News is seen as being part of the reason he lost. Regardless, Christie and Carson will have a good job with lots of attention where they don’t have to do anything.
The funny thing about the GOP is that you would think that the conservative party would be the one that thinks long-term. But it doesn’t. It is always: one election cycle. And it isn’t even that. Look at how the Republican House has dealt with the debt ceiling: threaten global economic meltdown ever 9 months or so.
But I wouldn’t count the Republicans out. They looked down in 1964, and were back in charge in 1968. In 1974, they looked dead again, and then came 1980. Also: don’t rule out the Democrats totally blowing it.
I do think that Trump has screwed the GOP in one really important way: Latinos. The whole thing about racism in politics is that the concept of “whiteness” is floating. So it was possible for the GOP to continue to be the white party by including Latinos under that banner. That was certainly part of the thinking of some Republican strategists regarding immigration reform. Trump has ruined that by reminding at least one generation of Latinos that they are not white — at least as far as the Republicans are concerned.
They do survive well. One writer (I forget who) suggested a possible future; the SCOTUS’s first openly gay judge, nominated by a Republican, being the swing vote on overturning “Roe.” It’s how the GOP rolls. They change moral/intellectual justifications for their positions all the time. Only the wealth-worship stays the same.
Oh, I could see that. But the GOP does seem to be in a pickle. I’m not sure how they will move forward. It will be interesting. Of course, as I’ve noted: the Democratic Party is really two reasonable parties: one conservative and one liberal. That’s what this country needs.
They have to appeal to all the groups they’ve been turding on. It won’t be easy. The rhetoric has become so foul lately, people are going to remember being shocked and insulted by it for years. I read a little bit ago on 538 that Asain-Americans are moving away from the party big time. And they’ve rarely been a target of GOP race-bating, not to the degree other groups have. It’s not a huge demographic, but it shows how much the overt racism is antagonizing everyone except white males.
This was actually a big thing in the 2012 election. A lot of pundits were surprised that most Asians were voting for Obama given that the Republicans hadn’t been horrible to them directly. But to me it makes perfect sense. Asians can see what the basis of all this is. It isn’t about blacks and Latinos; it is about white power. Trump has just made it so that even our cowardly media can’t deny it.
Oh, and for cheerier video, last night I found this wonderful Stewart bit from years ago. It’s not political; it’s about pizza. And it’s such a sustained riff, it’s hilarious. The line about Laguardia and DiMaggio had me almost losing my s**t: http://www.cc.com/video-clips/0ect4f/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-me-lover-s-pizza-with-crazy-broad
I remember seeing it at the time. Stewart’s anger about the fork was hilarious — as was his discussion of the proper way to eat pizza. I’m a California guy, but I knew how to eat pizza. You know why? Because I love pizza. Trump showed more than anything that he doesn’t like pizza.
Also: toppings on a pizza are a sin against God!
I’ll have you know, sir, that hot peppers may be the first condiment perfected by humankind, that they’re part of Central/South America’s great indigenous additions to American culture, they have some curative properties, and they ABSOLUTELY add to a good slice. Any disagreement, and you may have to name a second for pistols at dawn.
I have the honor to be Sir Your obed. servt
J. Fillmore
Oh, I wasn’t referring to that. It’s just that the essence of pizza is its purity. I don’t even particular mind if people want to put some meat on pizza. But I bristle at the thought of people trying to make pizza “healthy.” Here in California, you can get pizza with broccoli on it! My time in Italy (short though it was) showed that pizza just is what we normally call “cheese pizza.” Americans like to complicate things. Pizza is not complicated. You want vegetables? Have a salad with your pizza (which I usually do). But don’t go messing up the pizza!
The honor of pepper flakes has been upheld to my satisfaction.
I’m not as much of a pizza purist, but I do agree in general. The chains, in particular, are terrible with their stuffed crusts and triple meats and whatever. Domino’s (owned by a rancid conservative) has been trying for years to reinvent their brand with new gimcracks, and it never works. Because if people want awful pizza fast, they have a zillion other options now, and delivery was always the selling point for Domino’s, not their terrible pies.
I can handle some mild toppings, like olives and onions. But ultimately it’s about good crust/tomatoes/cheese.
Interestingly, you know Totino’s? I basically lived on those frozen pizzas for a few years. Lousy, like most frozen pizzas, but cheap, simple, and had a decent crust if you cooked them right. Well, they started out as a restaurant in Minneapolis! It’s closed now (the family owners got too old, and selling the brand name made them tons) but I actually went there a few times. Not bad! Definitely miles better than the frozen version. Thin, crisp crust, which sometimes I like. I’m very bi-curious on crusts. Thin, doughy, coal-fired, blackened, I can usually go for whatever. But it should ideally be stretched by tossing.
And leftovers should always be reheated in the oven. I won’t lie, I’ve used the microwave in a pinch, but I’m not proud of it.
I still enjoy pizzas with toppings. I just don’t enjoy them like I do the pure thing. But I’m glad that we are getting along on this issue. :-)
The thing about frozen pizza is that you have to think of it as a totally different thing. And frankly, I think Totino’s is about the best. Most frozen pizzas end up with much to hard a crust. And they are so lightweight that you can easily shove a quarter of one in your mouth. I had no idea that it was a real pizza joint.
For the record, I find most pizza places pretty bad. We did have one place here that made these great sour dough crusts. But my wife and I seemed to be the only people who liked them. They went out of business quickly. Oh well.
More fall out: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/rnc-halts-all-victory-project-work-for-trump-229363
I love the internet sometimes: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15MudzswjU45efqvus21goEqtknbsfy9w2CLaWvOa_z0/htmlview?sle=true#gid=0
That WAS fun. Apparently Comstock is not a latecomer to the Not-Trump train. She rejected his donations to her campaign back in March, Wiki says.
I realize these are Republicans, hence evil, but I am glad some denounce this depraved fool. And all credit to the Bushes for not showing up at his convention. The line you don’t cross keeps getting more and more despicable, but there’s gotta be a line. Democracy trashing the lives of millions, that’s bad. Democracy itself being derided as a joke and a fraud, that’s worse. We’ve come back from right-wing rule before. Not dictatorship.
I wish Dick Nixon was still around to eviscerate this oaf.
538 has an article with a bunch of links: http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/republican-officials-are-fleeing-trump-in-droves/
I’m not sure why Frank says Trump has only lost the endorsement of two politicians in Utah; it looks like close to ten times that much by now. Of course, far more are doing the “I reject these comments but still support the nominee” dance.
Well these things are written before they’re published, so Friday night the list was much shorter.
One truly wacky addition? The ex-Guvernator, who reportedly was as much of a serial sex offender.
Oh yeah! In the kind of writing I hate (unless it is my own), Huffington Post reported, “Even before the ugly second presidential debate, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s support for Donald Trump had reached the end of days.” Come on people! That’s reaching. Although the film is so amazingly bizarre that I actually have a certain fondness for it. Also: you just know if Satan comes back he will be as cool as Gabriel Byrne. He won’t be a sleazy buffoon like Trump.
Maybe Ryan’s real first name is Damien …
Right! More like him. But good God! He’s got to be cooler! I hope Satan isn’t that boring.
Because that was the case when Frank wrote the article. Still: mass exodus? No way. See my comment to Elizabeth’s comment.
Yeah, I love Google Docs. But I will say again that these don’t actually represent much of an exodus. Look at this: Paul Ryan Won’t Defend Donald Trump, Upsetting Trump and GOP Hard-Liners. So he won’t defend Trump, but is he withdrawing his endorsement? Of course not! This is just Ryan not wanting to be asked any more questions about Trump. Now he can say, “I’ve said before: I’m not going to defend Donald Trump.” And that’s actually a kindness to Trump because it means that Ryan doesn’t have to say things like “textbook definition of racism” and “disgusting.”
My point in the article is only that Trump will give the Republican establishment what it wants. And so they don’t care about anything else. I saw an analysis this morning that showed there is a great correlation between how competitive a district or state is and how likely the Republican is to withdraw their endorsement. So individuals will abandon him — but just to save their own skins. But the establishment would nominate another John Wayne Gacy as long as he promised tax, regulation, and benefit cuts.