It would be easy- and not altogether inaccurate or unreasonable- to look at the GOP Presidential field and be struck, as I am, by three letters: “WTF???” Has our descent into an idiocracy marked by fear, xenophobia, and the refusal to think for ourselves become complete? Do we REALLY think of clowns like Donald Trump as Presidential timbre? Does the refrain so often heard from Trump’s supporters- “He doesn’t take any shit from anyone!”- truly reflect a collective “#@$% ‘em all; we’re Americans!!” attitude? Are we really so collective devoid of discernible brainwave activity?
When looked at through the fisheye lens of the media, which defaults to shiny objects (like Trump) that draw eyeballs and thus helps prop up ad rates, despair might seem a reasonable and appropriate response. When you factor in that to a large degree the GOP Presidential nominating process has long been a race to the bottom, Trump’s ascent and current position at the top of the polls are not a surprise. In order to secure the GOP nomination, candidates are placed in the position of having to prove they’re the most reliable and authentic “kill-‘em-and-grill-‘em” Conservative in the field. That “Conservative” in this context has come to mean “racist, xenophobic, devoid of compassion, and unwilling to compromise even in the slightest” doesn’t exactly cover Republicans in glory.
Republican candidates are forced to compete for the hearts and mind of Red Meat Conservative primary voters, who tend to be activists and among the most reflexive Neanderthals, bigots, and xenophobes America has to offer. They believe America to be the playground and personal property of good, God-fearing, Conservative White Christian patriots. They believe all other, lesser mortals- blacks, gays, Liberals, etc., ad infinitum ad nauseum- are dragging this country down and threatening our rightful military and economic dominance of the world. They demand smaller government…or, more accurately, government just small enough to leave them alone while forcing their moral/theological/ideological agenda on those who don’t think, love, live, and/or believe as they do.
Yes, it certainly looks as if ignorance, reaction, and hatred are carrying the day, doesn’t it? Except that it need not be that way, and one need only look at our recent history to understand what I mean.
The GOP nomination process in 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012 followed much the same script we’re seeing played out before us today- intellectual and moral midgets eagerly and furiously pandering to primary voters looking for someone who would play to their fears and tell them who to blame. 2000 ended up giving us George W. Bush- though he had to steal the election with the help of the Supreme Court and the state of Floriduh. Compared to today, the GOP nominating process was comparatively tame, but neither was it a model of decorum and informed, reasoned, rational discourse.
2004 saw Our Glorious and Benevolent Leader © running for re-election, and the knuckle-draggers who comprised his base resorted to wearing Band-Aids at the GOP National Convention as they ridiculed the Purple Heart then-Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) earned during his service in Vietnam. Groups like Swift Boat Veterans for Truth resorted to slander, character assassination, disinformation, and outright lies in efforts to embarrass Kerry and discredit his military service. It was as disgusting as it was dishonest…but also very much in character. It’s what modern Conservatism has devolved into.
2008 and 2012 brought us face to face with a whole new crop of miscreants and reprobates- like Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and pizza magnate Herman Cain, who gave new meaning to the phrase, “empty suit.” Oh…and let’s not forget former Alaska half-Governor Sarah Palin, who Sen. McCain chose as his running mate in 2008. Palin, who never met a malapropism she couldn’t mangle or an opportunity to pander she could resist, became (and, some would argue, remains) a national laughing stock. That she remains a hero to a large segment of the Rabid Far Right can be taken as proof of just how intellectually inept many of those who call themselves Conservatives truly are.
Of course, the past almost seven years have seen an unprecedented amount of racism, vitriol, and baseless accusations directed at Barack Obama. The current crop of GOP Presidential hopefuls is furiously pandering to this crowd, which explains why the nomination process really is a race to the bottom.
Yes, Donald Trump truly is an indictment of this country…but thankfully not all of it. Yes, there are and likely always will be those who traffic in hatred and xenophobia wrapped in a sick, bastardized version of Christianity. If recent history proves anything, it’s that these darker angels may be able to win the battle (the GOP primaries), but they- so far, at least- have been unable to win the war (the general election). Turns out that winning by appealing to a rabid, hateful minority is anything but a recipe for success when it comes to appealing to the much larger and far more moderate electorate who vote in general elections.
As ridiculous as Trump (and the rest of the moral and intellectual midgets in the GOP field) is, his appeal is limited. That there are low-information voters ignorant and inattentive enough to see him as a viable candidate is undeniable. That Trump can win a general election in which his lack of facility and familiarity with issues will be exposed and exploited is far less certain.
The truth is that the Democratic nominee, whoever it might be, will embarrass Donald Trump (or any other GOP candidate) next November. Republicans will once again be reduced to try to figure out what went wrong (remember the famous GOP “autopsy” that was roundly ignored as too inconvenient?)…and will once again refuse to learn the lessons staring them in the face.
Who knows what the future may hold for this country, but at least for now our growing collective drift towards idiocracy will remain a minority movement. Given the ill-prepared racists, homophobes, and xenophobes the GOP is offering up, that trend may continue…at least until Republicans can figure out how to learn the lessons history is trying to teach them.
