by: Jeffrey A. Rendall
As the political fallout from the firing of former FBI Director James Comey trickles down from the media heavens – and Republican congressmen continue to suffer paranoid beat-downs from leftist protesters during otherwise innocuous town hall meetings – one wonders, what’s the best we can expect from our political system in the era of Trump?
If the past six months is any indication, not much. Ever since President Trump won the 2016 election the reactions from liberals, Democrats and the media (one and the same) have been nothing short of hysterical, and not in the humorous sense.
Take for example certain celebrities’ response to Trump’s entirely justifiable termination of Comey the other night. Katie Jerkovich of the Daily Caller reports, “Celebrities like Rosie O’Donnell, John Legend and others said it was time for President Donald Trump to be removed from office after he fired FBI Director James Comey Tuesday.
“Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines said that the president had a mental illness.”
The semi-washed up Maines wasn’t the only one questioning Trump’s capacity – and patriotism — over Comey. 60s/70s hippy legend Cher tweeted, “TRUMP SAYS 1 OF THE REASONS HE FIRED FBI DIRECTOR COMEY IS BECAUSE OF WHAT HE DID 2 HILLARY CLINTON.GOD,HE IS A A GUTLESS,LYING,TRAITOR ‼”
TRUMP SAYS 1 OF THE REASONS HE FIRED FBI DIRECTOR COMEY IS
BECAUSE OF WHAT HE DID 2
HILLARY CLINTON.GOD,HE IS A
A GUTLESS,LYING,TRAITOR ‼️— Cher (@cher) May 9, 2017
Others crying out in electronic anguish included Dumb and Dumber funnyman (and Canadian) Jim Carrey and All in the Family’s “Meathead” turned movie director Rob Reiner.
Who would’ve guessed the celebrity set worried so much about the employment status of the man who they’d blamed just days before for deliberately sabotaging the candidacy of their own Hillary Clinton?
I know, I know. Who cares what celebrities think about anything, right? I certainly don’t, but their rants are characteristic and representative of the liberal mindset found from coast-to-coast these days. These people are noteworthy because, like Trump, they became known through popular media and culture. The only reason any of them even have twitter followings today is because of their star power and name recognition earned in most cases decades ago. Why else would their “fans” even bother signing up?
What has Cher done lately? And the Dixie Chicks? Who listens to them anymore?
In the pre-social media days you might see a newspaper or magazine article featuring some has-been celebrity’s views on a political topic. Many a famous luminary twit used to poke fun at the intelligence of Ronald Reagan, for example. But those instances would take hours or days to reach the consumption level of the public. Now it’s virtually instantaneous…and it’s nauseating.
It’s all just noise. But that’s what we seem to be getting now from the “loyal opposition.”
Take Virginia Congressman Dave Brat’s experience the other night at a town hall meeting in his district. Al Weaver of the Washington Examiner reports, “At a church hall in suburban Richmond packed with 600 constituents, Brat took 35 questions from audience members over the course of an hour and a half, with much of the discussion — especially early on — focused on the bill and the effects on individuals with pre-existing conditions. Of the first 21 questions asked, 13 centered on healthcare, while 15 of the 35 questions overall were related to the issue, which has sent Democratic voters into a frenzy after the Thursday vote.
“Throughout, Brat attempted to describe the language in the bill pertaining to pre-existing conditions, only to be shouted down by dissatisfied voters, many of whom voiced support for Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders over President Trump when asked for a show of hands.”
For those who didn’t realize or may have forgotten Brat is the one who upset sitting House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the GOP primary in June of 2014 on the way to being elected to Cantor’s seat in November. Therefore it’s arguable Brat is one of the most successful primary challengers in American history and should serve as a role model for what can be accomplished at the grassroots level if citizens are engaged and dedicated enough to defeating the establishment.
Prior to being elected to Congress Brat was an economics professor at a small college (Randolph-Macon), you know, someone who studies statistics and theories but still in essence is a “normal” guy. He should be seen as a hero by his constituents or at the very least be treated with respect.
Being shouted down by avowed leftists isn’t civilized but it’s par for the course in the social media age; the only difference is at a public forum the people doing the yelling aren’t hiding behind a computer keyboard (or worse, their smartphone) somewhere typing in ALL CAPS. Instead they’re rudely interrupting the speaker on purpose and denying everyone else a chance to be heard in the process.
Needless to say these aren’t the people who voted for Brat or any other Republicans. They’re Democrat partisans, probably paid to be there and make trouble and unlike the Tea Party movement of 2010, their angst isn’t generated locally and organically. If these people are so honked off about something that is still in the development stages, what are they going to do once a policy is enacted into law? Resist?
That’s about all liberals have left. What they can’t win at the ballot box they’ll take through social media and public spectacle, as if screaming and hollering and acting like mosh pit slamming freaks at a punk rock concert is going to make anything better.
Trump should be wise to them. Erick Erickson wrote at The Resurgent, “The political left is outraged. They are outraged at everything Donald Trump does. President Trump’s mere existence and use of oxygen to stay alive angers and outrages the left.
“President Trump needs to pay attention to this. He needs to understand that the left will not work with him. They will give him no credit. They will attack him for doing the very things Barack Obama did. Just look at President Trump inviting the Supreme Court to a dinner. Barack Obama did it and the left was fine. Donald Trump did it and they’re screaming about a constitutional crisis.”
This new humble and reasonable Erickson replaced the rabid #NeverTrumper that he was throughout 2016. In the balance of his piece Erickson urges Trump to stop accommodating the left and instead fight them tooth and nail. Considering the source of the argument, it is quite surprising and welcome, indeed.
The unreasonable nature of the political left is forcing even former staunch Trump opponents to rally around the president’s flag. There have been more than enough instances in the past six months to indicate liberals aren’t the least bit interested in forming consensus to govern the country. They only want what they had years ago – complete control of the White House, Congress and a majority of state legislatures.
But the Democrat party of 2017 is not the same as it was decades ago when working people expected Democrats to be on their side. Instead today the minority party is only concerned with advancing fringe issues and fringe people who don’t give a hoot about process, much less history or tradition. If they can’t win through legitimate means they’re determined to take the whole shebang down with them.
If this is the best we can expect from our political system in the era of Trump it’s time to stop mincing words and label the “resistance” for what they truly are – anarchists and traitors. Erickson is right; they won’t be bargained with and even when you give them exactly what they want they still act “outraged.”
Gone are the days when we could look across the aisle and see a person with a different viewpoint who was still an American. Sadly, only “outraged” political adversaries have taken their place.
