Trump's Numbers In The Tank

Donald Trump is a man obsessed with numbers.  Sometimes, he’s unable to grasp the significance of big numbers (see “Failed Policies, Trumpcare”) and there are times he struggles with the concept of sharing certain numbers (see “Broken Promises, Release of Tax Returns”).  However, despite numerous bankruptcies, Donald believes that numbers can prove he’s a billionaire as he claims, and not “just” a millionaire as others familiar with his business ventures have maintained.  Numbers would also show if Donald owes large sums of money to Russian banks, but he still refuses to release those pesky tax returns.

There are two numbers in particular that Donald refuses to accept.  62,984,825 and 65,853,516.  The first figure is the number of votes he received in the 2016 presidential election.  The second figure, almost 3 million votes higher, was the number of votes Hillary Clinton received.  If you combine her total with the 4,489,233 votes Gary Johnson received and the 1,457,222 votes Jill Stein received, it’s clear that the vast majority of Americans wanted someone other than Trump--by a huge margin... almost 9 million votes!  Donald doesn’t like those numbers.

So, it’s safe to assume he must really despise a whole bunch of recent numbers.  FiveThirtyEight reports that Trump’s current approval rating of 41.3 constitutes a new low for this presidency, but it’s also a new low for ANY recent presidency at this juncture.  To add historical context:  Trump trails Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Bush 1, Clinton, Bush 2, and Obama.  In virtually every instance, Trump trails these former Presidents by huge margins.

Public Policy Polling has Trump with a 40% approval rate, while 53% disapprove.  CNBC reports similar numbers:  42% approve of Trump’s job performance, while 56% think he’s doing a poor job and the country is headed in the wrong direction.

However, the bad news gets even worse for Donald.  The latest Gallup poll measured his approval rating at a paltry 36% following the Trumpcare debacle.  To Donald, all these numbers must sound as bad as someone telling him that, upon review, it’s been discovered that Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ratings as host of “The Apprentice” had actually been higher than Trump’s.  News of that sort would likely cause angry denials followed by uncontrolled fits of rage.

Yes, numbers certainly matter.  They play a vital role in our lives... and sometimes, they’re just plain fun--but don't ask Donald.

Trump-Free Zones, January 20th... and Beyond

     Many years ago, Richard Nixon proclaimed that he had the support of a “silent majority”.  Years later, Jerry Falwell and extreme right-wing allies in the Republican Party touted their so-called “moral majority”.  Well, my friends, the cold hard truth is that we are an actual majority.  Donald Trump received only 46.1 % of the popular vote.  That means that the majority of Americans (53.9%) voted for someone else.  In fact, if we remove the votes cast for Jill Stein and Gary Johnson, Trump lost to Hillary Clinton by almost three million votes.  Contrary to his rants and tweets, his victory in the Electoral College does not constitute a mandate, but rather a mishap; a national tragedy.  And, as evidence continues to come to light regarding Russian tampering on Trump’s behalf, along with the deliberate timing of James Comey’s letter, the very legitimacy of any Trump presidency is called into question.

     This leaves us with the question of how best to deal with January 20th... and beyond.  I would suggest that we initially celebrate the many “Trump-free zones” already in existence, and endeavor to create many more.  Certain locations automatically qualify as TFZs:  institutions of higher learning, and every public school across the country (along with any number of private schools), for example.  Anywhere where healing is practiced:  hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices, birthing centers, rehabilitation facilities... all of these would automatically be “Trump-free zones”.  Then, of course, places of beauty, art, culture, etc... all of these would also be regarded as TFZs:  museums, theaters, concert venues, galleries, public gardens, parks, etc.  Finally, our churches, temples, and mosques--anywhere that welcomes faith and contemplation--these would also be TFZs. 

     Based on the popular vote, it’s certainly reasonable to conclude that most homes across our great country (and it never stopped being great), are Trump-free zones.  We must nourish the TFZ within each of us, and support it in others.  We are called to cultivate more and more Trump-free zones, thereby creating a brighter world based on justice and respect.  It may take time, but we have to believe that in the end love and decency will indeed trump hate.  If TFZs flourish throughout the land, the roots of racism and fascism will be choked--and those weeds will dry up, crumble, and the ashes will be blown into the darkest recesses of history.

     Beyond January 20th, it will be up to each of us to speak up and act out.  Talk to your friends and neighbors, use every facet of social media, and even go “old school” by writing letters to the editor of any newspaper or magazine you may read.  Because, one thing is for certain:  virtually every Trump proposal or policy will require determined and constant opposition.  We must take a page from the Republican playbook of 2008 wherein McConnell famously (infamously) stated that the primary Republican achievement had to be that of insuring that President Obama would be a one-term President (sorry Mitch, you failed).  Democrats should remember McConnell’s obstructionist tactics, minus one key component.  While McConnell, Ryan, Boehner, and Cantor (remember him?) could scarcely conceal the racism at the heart of their hatred for Obama, we’ll be battling Trump on the basis of truth, social justice, and a genuine concern for the future of our country.  That, my friends, is genuine patriotism.

After Trump

     The unimaginable has happened.  Donald Trump, who ran a campaign based on bullying, bigotry, misogyny, half-truths and outright lies, will be making himself at home in our White House... the People's House.  The "basket" of deplorables that Hillary Clinton made reference to morphed into an eighteen wheeler truck.  Much was made of that label, "deplorable"... I don't doubt that many of Trump's  supporters are indeed white supremacists who are panicked at their diminished influence/control.  Many others are alt-right types willing to do whatever it takes to further a dangerous agenda.  "Some, I assume (yes, I'm quoting Trump), are good people..." likely motivated by genuine economic frustration and fear.  They're wondering what happened to their seat at the table.  What happened to their American Dream?
     It's hard to be sure what Trump's economic policies might entail, since he seemed to go to great lengths not to engage in a detailed discussion of the issues during the campaign.  If it wasn't "great", "huge", "tremendous" and didn't involve a wall, it was unlikely to be mentioned.  In any case, Trump has given no indication that he either understands or cares about income inequality.  Furthermore, he'd never do anything that wasn't in the best interest of his fellow one-percenters. 
     For Trump supporters then, this lack of any economic agenda only seems to leave racial and cultural resentments as their unifying doctrine.  Not much in the way of building a better America...
     One would have thought that given the slow-but-steady forward march of history we wouldn't be confronted by hatred, fear, and paranoia on this scale again... yet here we are.  We'll need to raise our voices to defend immigrants, Muslims, the millions of our fellow citizens who'll have their health insurance stripped away, the environment, Mitch McConnell's plan to turn the Supreme Court into a cluster of ultra-conservative tools... you name it.  We have our work cut out for us.  As much as it may be tempting to look toward a more progressive society (Canada), this is our country.
     We can take comfort in the realization that we're not alone.  In fact, we are the majority.  53% of us voted for someone other than Donald J. Trump. Even setting aside the votes cast for Gary Johnson and Jill Stein, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote (by a margin of at least1-2 million, depending on the estimates).  So, although Trump and his supporters would be appalled at having this word attached to them, they're a minority.
     Leading up to the election, Trump and his supporters whined for months about how unfair "the system" was.  They assured us the election was rigged.  Funny how all that talk vanished in the blink of an eye! 
     In the next few weeks the President-elect is scheduled to appear in court to face allegations of massive fraud (Trump "University") brought in a lawsuit.  Perhaps he won't even make it to the White House... Even if he does, we'll use the same system he derided and demeaned to take our country back.  God knows, we all deserve better... even James Comey.