I understand that Donald Trump is not very presidential, at least in terms of recent history. He was however legitimately elected president under our system. It wss thought by many that he would win the popular vote in November, but lose in the electoral college. Had Hillary won with that predicted formula, there wouldn't be the outrage that now exists.
Is there a point at which the discontent and disrespect for the presidential election is counter to the interests of the country? Although, I keep hearing the protesters say that they're acting out for love of country, I think that it's more of a visceral hatred of Trump. Recently, several AMA psychiatrists pronounced Trump mentally unstable through the media. It's apparent that such a proclamation is against professional standards. The doctors said that they felt compelled to speak out. How noble of them. A judge who stopped the government from blocking federal grants to sanctuary cities has been identified as a campaign bungler for Obama. How noble of him.
Partisanship is nothing new, but this negative attitude towards our 45th president is unprecedented. Professional news broadcasters, who always tried to appear objective, now feel free to join in the tar and feathering. I do not believe that the current atmosphere serves the interests of our country.
As I told you on Monday, I think you raise a very good point. Essentially I think you're arguing that the office is entitled to respect and that the democratically elected president must be considered legitimate in spite of personal opinion.
ReplyDeleteAs a student of history and a strong believer in democracy, I have always wholeheartedly subscribed to this notion. I was unhappy when Reagan and Bush Jr. were elected but I willingly put partisanahip aside in the interest of uniting behind the president. And I'm well aware that many Republicans did the same for Clinton (for Obama, not so much). This election seems different, for the exact reasons you stated above and in our discussion on Monday. I want to respect the office and the fact that Trump was legitimately elected but I feel a tremendous amount of cognitive dissonance at the thought of a President Trump.Your arguments weigh on my mind every day, and I still weigh my doubts about Trump agaibat the fact of his election every day. At some point I may be reconciled to Trump. At this point I'm not sure when or if that will happen.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.
Partisanship is expected and healthy for good government. There must always be an opposition party and a skeptical press to act as a check on the party holding power. What we are witnessing now, on the part of both the left and the mainstream media goes far beyond healthy opposition and skeptical reporting. It is in short ugly, and dangerous. Clearly they refuse to accept the results of the last election and are determined to de-legitimize the outcome and the candidate who won. They are/will use lies, smears, violence, intimidation, blackmail, boycotts... to achieve their goal.This is new in our modern American history and opens the door for more to come. Can we expect those on the receiving end to accept this treatment forever? What happens when they start giving back what they are getting? The Left, the Democratic Party, and the mainstream media are playing a dangerous game, opening a Pandora's box to potential, unprecedented division and violence.
ReplyDeleteOne of the demands by the Democrats is to see President Trump's tax returns. When asked why, the answer usually is "to insure that he's not taken any money by foreign governments that might influence his actions".. or something along similar lines.
ReplyDeleteNow I suppose that Hillary Clinton gave many speeches to "Fat Cat" Wall Street Bankers, and both her and Bill give many speeches to foreign governments in the past few years, it's also reaonable to ask what was said during those speeches.
Obama now is on the stump getting $400,000 an hour for speeches... What did the Clintons get paid? Is it reasonable to ask the Clintons for transcrpits of those speeches and how much they were paid as well?
The leftists aren't rioting in the streets protesting that, are they ?
I believe we are fighting the 2nd Civil War, and a culture war. And the culture war can’t get any worse.
ReplyDeleteBoth parties have done nothing for 50 years – except enrich themselves and acquire more power. Now things are such a mess it’s almost impossible to repair the damage that’s been done. Much like a property, that hasn’t and maintenance for 50 years.
I do blame more of the culture war on the Democrats. Instead of having a platform that was inclusive, they chose to find and promote the issues of every fringe group they could find / manufacture. Issues like transgender and bathrooms – really – these people must have been going to the bathroom all these years, without a problem. Same for illegal immigrants – what don’t they understand about illegal? I would say the Democrats have gone from being liberals to leftists.
We haven’t had a budget in years. Now the Republicans want a continuing resolution – for a WEEK. How pathetic.
The civil war is about those of us, who want to be left alone (property and monetarily wise), and those that want to expand the welfare state - to make housing / food / medical / college a ‘right’. But a right isn’t something that someone else has to pay for.
I don’t know what Trump will accomplish, but he’s not a politician or a lawyer – which is refreshing.
"The civil war is about those of us, who want to be left alone (property and monetarily wise), and those that want to expand the welfare state - to make housing / food / medical / college a ‘right’. But a right isn’t something that someone else has to pay for."
ReplyDeleteFunny how the above is ass backwards politically from what the author above intended.
It is the GOP that refuses to "let us alone,"...... that insists it's politicians decide what doctors can tell their patients about gun safety, that Republican legislators decide about womens' health/reproductive rights and choice. And about their "God" tearing down the wall between church and state, and erecting barriers to disenfranchise voters thought to vote against them.
Aid to those who need access to housing / food / medical / college is a "give-away" to be denied, but favorable tax policy/grants funded by middle class taxpayers to billionaires for building stadiums used 8 times a year or for locating a corporate HQ somewhere is a necessity.
No wonder Republican politicians constantly speak about how they pray and that they were told by God to run for office......for truly, as Voltaire said, religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich.
The above diatribe, is exactly the hatred you (MM) were referring to.
ReplyDeleteAn example of hatred / spin / and offers no real solutions.
Nowhere have I said I'm a Republican - I simply said there are a lot of folks who want to be left alone.
But carefully cloaked is the sentence: "Aid to those who need access to housing / food / medical / college is a "give-away" to be denied". I love the word 'access'. I need access to a BMW 5 Series. How does this aid happen? Does it fall from the sky.
If the DNC didn't screw Bernie - he might be president - a frightening thought. The people of Venezuela voted in the socialists - see where that has gotten them.
The problem with the left is they believe their own lies, that Republicans don't care about the poor and disadvantaged and hold their small government views for reasons of selfishness.
ReplyDeleteWhy are they ignorant of the right's perspective? Because they want to be. It is that simple.
Trump is not an innocent victim of people's opposition: He glories in mocking and attacking people simply because they disagree with him and on repeating over and over that he knows better than everyone else. So when people react to this negatively no one should be surprised. You reap what you sew. Scott may be the only person who actually believes otherwise.
ReplyDeleteMike Molovinsky's argument is the only one that makes sense. He's entitled to respect because the office is entitled to respect and he was elected. The rest is just partisan BS.
Nothing the president did or does justifies the ugly and often vile nature of the left today. The previous president enjoyed mocking and lecturing his opposition. There were no riots, attempts to stifle speech, or organized boycotts or smears to destroy media opposition.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you would say the same if Hillary had won? I wonder if you said the same when Obama was president? I wonder if you were one of the people spreading the scurrilous libel about Obama.being born in Africa or Indonesia?
ReplyDeleteI'm not advocating tit for tat. What I'm saying is we may feel as strongly about Trump's unfitness as you or others felt about Hillary or Obama's fitness.