There are several words which can describe the behavior displayed by eight republicans who claim to be running for the GOP presidential nomination on Wednesday night. Embarrassing is one, humiliating is another. The term nauseatingly subservient also comes to mind.
By the night's end only one of the eight, Nikki Haley seemed to understand what the debate was actually designed for--a forum for candidates to display their views and policies, All the while explaining to the public why they should vote for them, not the guy who wasn't there.
A couple, most obviously, Vivek Ramaswami, appeared to be on stage only to audition for the absent Donald Trump's running mate. Ramaswami probably did score some points in that regard by declaring if elected his first act would be to pardon Donald Trump of all crimes he might be convicted of. He also claimed global warming was a deadly hoax, (more people have died from EPA regulations than have because of global warming) and if president he would stop all aid to Ukraine. Finally he announced Donald J. Trump was the greatest president in the 21st century. Which, of course, begged the question no one thought to ask, if you think that Vivek then why are you running against him?
In a test of their non existent courage the panel was asked to raise their hands if they would support Trump if he ran his campaign from a jail cell. In a slavish, stomach turning, display of servitude all, but two raised their hands. Only Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson distanced themselves from the cult. The braying crowd went wild. In that terrible moment any credibility Nikki Haley had managed to craft evaporated.
Indeed, by the end of that undignified shouting match they had all proved themselves to be nothing more than fools or sycophants. There wasn't a president among the bunch.
The road is now clear for The Big Orange Guy. Short of Donald Trump's plane going all Yevgeny Prigozhin nothing can stop him from grabbing the republican nomination.
And then came Thursday. Yesterday evening Trump made an appearance at the Fulton County Jail. He is now inmate #P011358009 and is currently free on $200,000 cash bond, secured through a local bail bondsman. His mug shot was available for public viewing almost immediately after his booking.
Today Trump started selling tee shirts with his jail; photo on the front, just above the words, "Never Surrender." The irony of it seemed to be lost on him, and his fans. The shot was available only because Donald J. Trump had surrendered himself to the Fulton County authorities. Trump's campaign stole the catch phrase from Ron DeSantis, but that's okay. The Florida governor won't be suing it much longer anyway.
MSNBC's Lawerence O'Donnell believes the mug shot shows a fearful Donald Trump. There are those on the right who see his face reflecting tenacity and courage. I see none of those things.
Looking at that instant frozen in time now forever, all I see is rage and hatred. And as far as I'm concerned, in the end, it is the most perfect portrait of Donald John Trump that any of us will ever see. In that horrible mug we witness the antithesis of everything America is and should strive to be.
It is the photo of an absolute, unrelenting, monster.
sic vita est
825-23
Don't know what to say. Interesting times, these.
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