 |
| Trump's base may be as big as 74 million people (AP) |
I am of course talking about the current President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. Even though I can’t stand him anymore, I feel obligated to express my gratitude for all the good stuff.
I realize of course that a huge number of people in this country (probably even most) do not share my view. They do not see anything he has done as good. That it is all bad. But that is as ridiculous as those that say everything he has done is good. Both of those views are a product of unmitigated bias.
I have said all this before. I just wanted to make clear that I have not changed my mind before I make the following criticism. Which in this case is not so much of Trump. Although it is well deserved, been there and done that. My criticism is against his supporters. Especially those that are Orthodox Jews.
It is no secret that over 80% of us voted him. I have little doubt that most of this support is more than a ‘hold your nose and vote for him’. It is the kind of support that transcends the rational mind. The kind of support that believes every word coming out of the President’s egotistical mouth.
Among Americans, it isn’t just the fringe that feels that way. It is his political base. Which consists of a sizable minority of the American people that voted for him. I don’t know if every single one of his voters feels that way. But if it is even close to that number, the consequences are frightening. We are talking about as many as 74 million people! That means much of mainstream America believes this man deserved another term in office. That’s a lot of people.
Think about that for a moment. As many as 74 million people, among them many intelligent Orthodox Jews, actually believe the election was rigged by Democrats so that their candidate would win. Believing as the President does that he actually won despite all evidence to the contrary.
And as if that weren’t enough, several respected Republican senators and house members are going along with the President’s request to challenge the Electoral College vote submitted to congress for certification tomorrow. Which has always been nothing more than technicality. This is unprecedented. They all know it will not change anything. Congress will vote to certify it. But they are doing it anyway.
Why are they doing this? The answer is simple, they are playing to Trump’s massive base. Which they need in order to get re-elected when their time comes.
I don’t think there has ever been a President with that kind of popularity and intense loyalty. Not even for JFK in his prime. If I am not mistaken the majority of Orthodox Jews are among them. And many of them don’t get why every Orthodox Jew doesn’t feel the same way!
They don’t get it?! Well I don’t get it either. But not the same thing they don’t get. I know why they feel that way. It is for the reasons I stated above. But to go so far as to accept the President’s claim that the election was rigged goes beyond all common sense. Every court challenge alleging that in states where he lost - there was massive fraud in numbers large enough to change the results - has been dismissed by the courts. Including courts presided over by conservative judges the President himself appointed. Not the least of which is the Supreme Court!
That there are so many Orthodox Jews that I respect as devout, ethical, and otherwise highly intelligent rational human beings feel that way is scary. Some of them are my friends - who have expressed the passionate disapproval of those of us that see him for the narcissistic unethical megalomaniac that he is.
What ever happened to common sense?! What ever happened to balance? What ever happened to the analytical mind that has always been the hallmark of Jewish thinking? How is it even remotely possible that they don’t see the obvious?
They might say I have been influenced by an extremely biased media. I know the media is biased. I have made my views about that very clear. But just because they have an irrational hatred for the man does not mean they are always wrong. And surely that should not mean giving the President our unabashed loyalty. There is a difference between appreciating what he has done for us - and supporting him with the passion that I so often find in my own people. That is just as bad as the visceral irrational hatred expressed by the President’s detractors!
The Jewish people have most always been characterized as highly intelligent. We ought to act like it. But in this case our brains (on both sides) seems to have gone out the window.
I have said this before and I will say it again. I can’t wait until he’s gone! I don’t want to ever see his face again. Much as I dislike his replacement, I will learn to live with it. And hope that he will not undo so much of the good (as I see it) his predecessor has done. Maybe he will even do some good things. Who knows?
In the meantime, once Trump is gone it is more important than ever that those of us that lean politically conservative reunite in common cause and support future conservative candidates to congress. And to run a Presidential candidate in 2024 that will reflect our values. That candidate should not - cannot be Trump.
It is my hope that 15 days from now once Trump is replaced in the Oval Office, media attention on him will wane and soon disappear. And along with that - the support that media attention often gets him.
A lot of pundits believe that his base will remain strong – giving him the opportunity to run again in 2024. But if the media totally ignores him, I don’t see that happening. I therefore also hope he is not prosecuted for any crimes he may have committed. Because that will surely keep him alive in the public eye. That will keep his base alive and fired up. Which is the last thing we need. Let Trump’s base wither away to the point of irrelevance. If that happens, maybe then sanity will return, Trump will not get re-nominated and we might get a conservative candidate in 2024 to run that will please us all. And she might even win.