Did you watch that? No, I mean, really?! I am not sure what is happening in this Democracy/Monarchy right now. The politics, of course, are horrific. For what it’s worth, there really is an optimist trapped inside my sarcastic, critical, thoughtful, and emotional bones. I shouldn’t be surprised about the debate; it’s not as if Trump hadn’t shown his true, ugly colors before now. He has shown himself, repeatedly, just like the anti-Christ in the Exorcist films. During the election, a dear friend of mine warned, “If someone shows you who they are, believe them.”
However, Tuesday night I was just struck dumb by what I was watching. One doddering old, white man: Rolling his eyes, sighing, trying to restrain himself, but cornered into sighing some more, more nervous laughter and his understandable disbelief. Biden.
The second old, white man: bullying, scoffing, interrupting. Repeat. Then interrupting some more. No listening whatsoever. None. Sadly, that second old, white man is the United States President, and I’m referring to the Trump-Biden “debate,” of course. It was not a debate. It didn’t even pretend to be a debate. It was a debacle. What we saw Tuesday night was the visible second-to-last thread of democracy being snipped with scissors, or sliced with a razor. Slowly, the optimist who once lived inside me is dying…
I just caught myself and then reflected on the fact that I called both of them “old, white men.” It’s true; I just did. It’s an expression I’ve heard. Does it matter that they are old? Does it matter that they are white? I’m white, too. Since I turned 50 this year, I don’t know if I count as old yet, but some would say yes, I do. It’s up to you if it matters. I mean, come on, just relax. Take a joke, for Pete’s sake! It’s just locker room talk, okay?
It isn’t news that Trump lies. It’s nothing new, and it’s something he’s been doing both before and since he’s been in office, shaming this country. It was always part of his appeal for his base: “He tells it like it is. He tells the truth.” Sure he does, if the land you live in is a perpetual, imaginary, happy-people-land filled with rainbows, unicorns, puppies, and an endless supply of cotton candy. Oh, and kittens! In Trump Land, the virus “will just disappear, it’ll be like a miracle.” In Trump Land, it will be done by Easter, and there will be a vaccine in time for the election! No, this is an alternative universe, hallucinatory Trump Land, also known as a TV ratings orchestrated, alternative-reality show full of complete shitake. In Trump Land, the 200 plus k (also known as 200 THOUSAND!) people who have died in the United States are somehow all Biden’s fault. Or Obama’s. The Corona virus deaths have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Trump’s own lack of preparation in the months we had before Covid hit us over our heads with a rock. Over and over.
One of the problems, of course, is that if you repeat something loudly enough, often enough, people will begin to believe it. Early in his Presidency, Trump didn’t appreciate when the media stopped fawning all over him (which they did, at first) so they became “fake news,” Trump’s catchy phrase. Thus began a new era. What may have once been a healthy skepticism of media and news reporting has now become an absolute political binary between the New York Times reader and the Fox News viewer…so now it’s down the logic path we stumble, and down the “facts” begin to crumble. In the space of one term in office, Trump has obliterated truth, science, and facts.
Anyone paying attention can guess that I’m no Trump fan. Nope, not even for a nanosecond. Tuesday night, though, goes far beyond just two old white politicians trying to duke it out in a Corona-virus empty ring. What we saw Tuesday was an angry, unhinged incumbent making not even the slightest effort toward decency, civility, or, one of the strengths of our country, an intelligent, intellectual debate. There was no effort to discuss important political issues like climate change, the importance of safe democratic voting, or other important things like, I dunno, staying alive in a pandemic? (By the way, one great idea might be voting by mail. Just a thought.) Instead, what we saw was Joe Biden struggling to keep his composure while being interrupted repeatedly, almost constantly, through the entire horrible ordeal. He didn’t always succeed, either. The first “Presidential” debate of 2020. Yikes.
It’s embarrassing, really. My sister, Zoe, said she didn’t even want her 10-year-old to watch the debate because of the unprecedented sham their family was witnessing. My head is still spinning. My urge to vomit hasn’t been this strong since Trump won in 2016. It keeps going. As an aside, I did actually have nausea for a week after Trump won the election. (I was not alone in that, and I hadn’t even eaten bad take out!).
I don’t expect to agree with most of what my Republican friends think. (And I do have some). Family you are stuck with, but I love all of them anyway, family and friends, regardless of their mistaken political views. That’s what Democracy is. However, what we saw Tuesday night was scary, if not terrifying. As I have said about Trump since the get-go was that he shows soooo little respect for others. Since Trump, what becomes the expectation for appropriate behavior has been thrown through the window. Attached to a flaming brick.
In the strangest Presidential debate ever recorded, Trump would not even do something as simple and decent as denouncing white supremacy. He did however, say, “sure, I’m willing to do that.” “I’ll say that, I’ll say whatever you want me to say,” but then foolishly, scarily, added, “Stand down and stand by.” Yikes!
Since the debate, I’ve looked at both “liberal media” sources and pro-Trump sources. To be fair –though not Fox’s version of “fair and balanced”– Biden made some serious mistakes. “Will you shut up, man?” was not his shining moment. (I admit liked it, though).
Media targeting Republicans challenged the idea that Trump “refused” to denounce racist hate groups, citing that he was talked over but that he actually said, “sure, I’ll do that.” He did say that, at least, and I heard it. However, “I’ll say that,” but not actually saying he denounces racist hate groups, is not exactly the same thing. I also heard the “stand down and stand by” part of his response. This is just one more example of the Trump dog whistle for his base, or if not for the entirety of his base, the ones particularly inclined to violence. Some people think he did denounce racist hate groups because he said he would, he’d “say anything they wanted him to say.” But he didn’t say it. (I wouldn’t believe it anyway. Trump has told more lies than any other President in office.) Former President Clinton also disgraced the Office by refusing to admit he was having an affair with Monica Lewinsky. I was ashamed then, too.
For “our” side (if you are on it), I will absolutely admit that Biden was light years from polite when he called Trump a “clown.” When he said, “will you shut up, man?” that was also wrong. Not exactly professional. Not grown up. No wonder my sister didn’t want her 10 year old daughter to watch. Ugh. Of course, I already agree with Biden, so it’s not that hard for me to agree with Biden. Still, just like my Repub friends point out, is name calling okay? Is it right? No, it’s not. And it’s a it’s a strategy, for lack of a better word, than the lame rebuttal “well, you did it, too” or “you said it, too” is like a child, and equally ineffective. However, I AM willing to concede that Biden said it.
I had a hard time, and am still having a hard time, processing the demise of our democracy. In a global pandemic, mail-in voting has been questioned, its integrity challenged by the President himself. His failure to reassure the United States citizens that mail-in voting is safe, valid, and the best choice at this time is concerning. His appointment of a new Postmaster General, Louis De Joy, in May 2020 has set off more than a few alarm bells.
“GOP is naming a political operative with no USPS experience as the Postmaster General right before an election where millions of people will try to vote by mail to save their own lives. They are eroding our democracy and crushing our public institutions before our very eyes.”
Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (emphasis mine)
Since the Corona virus, Trump has said, “It’ll be gone, just vanish, like a miracle.” We would “reopen by Easter…it’ll be beautiful.” It hasn’t vanished, and it isn’t beautiful. We are so fucked.