Donald J. Trump: The Stan Laurel of Presidents
“Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me (us) into!”
Oliver Hardy to Stan Laurel in 17 Laurel & Hardy comedies from 1929-51
In March of 2013, the Republican National Committee released its 100 page “Growth and Opportunity Project.”
What a document.
It was really an autopsy of the 2012 presidential campaign, in which Barack Obama maintained his wide coalition of voters that helped him easily beat Mitt Romney.
Republicans had finally admitted that without increased support from women, Hispanics and African-Americans, they might not be able to win back the White House in 2016.
“If Hispanic Americans hear the GOP doesn’t want them in the United States, they won’t pay attention to our next sentence,” it said on page 17 of that report.
Enter Donald Trump.
From the very day that he announced his candidacy – June 16th, 2015 – it appeared he’d not read that report, or if he had read it, he wasn’t about to pay heed to it.
It was on that day that he uttered the words about Mexican immigrants (“They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists”) that proved he had no real interest in fulfilling the Republican promise of “minority outreach.”
As Trump’s candidacy progressed, and his popularity grew, Republicans stood by and ignored their own pledge to be more inclusive.
By last August, Trump’s verbal attacks had become so vile that the co-author of that Republican autopsy report, Sally Bradshaw, left the Republican Party altogether.
“I can’t look my children in the eye and tell them I voted for Donald Trump,” Bradshaw said.
When Trump won, Republicans had completely ignored their own report.
It’s now collecting dust somewhere.
In fact, the chairman of the RNC at the time the report was published, Reince Priebus, would become Trump’s chief of staff.
How’s that for paying lip-service to “minority outreach?”
Now comes Charlottesville.
While Mr. Trump probably didn’t take the time to read that Republican report, I suspect he may have read Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf.
“Anyone in this world who does not succeed in being hated by his adversaries does not seem to me to be worth much as a friend,” it says in Volume One – A Reckoning.
Trump’s entire candidacy, and his presidency, have been launchpads for his provocative attacks on people he deems to be his lesser.
He knows there’s political power in conjuring up enemies, if white nationalists have the same enemies.
He doesn’t seem to mind being hated, when he has “friends” who are equally hated.
Even when it’s quite clear to most people that the aggressors in Charlottesville were not “on many sides,” Trump finds his strongest supporter is the ex-Klansman David Duke.
It’s here that you may claim that I don’t really know what’s in Donald Trump’s heart.
I say, Bah!
The man has worn his heart on his sleeve for decades.
It’s always been apparent that when he feels slighted, he reacts like a 10 year-old who other 10 year-olds refuse to play with.
All of last week, Democrats and Republicans, who’d probably seen that, now famous, HBO mini-documentary on Vice News, have responded in horror about the vicious sentiments expressed by the white nationalists in Charlottesville.
But Trump has claimed, “They were there to innocently protest.” And that there were those among them who were “a lot of fine people.”
Republicans have offered rebukes to the hatred on display that day.
But coming out against hatred is some mighty low hanging fruit.
I don’t expect any awards if I come out strongly against child pornography, or abuse of the elderly.
If Republicans are sincerely interested in “minority outreach,” they will be very specific about a president who has found “friends” who are willing to reorder America in a way that excludes everybody except white people.
Until then, those Republicans who have spoken out against racism, can’t simply stop there. There is far more work to do in that regard.
They must directly let Donald Trump know, “Well, this is another nice mess you’ve gotten us into.”
Edward A. Owens is a three time Emmy Award winner and 20-year veteran of television news. E-mail him at freedoms@bellatlantic.net