Republicans have systematically corrupted nearly everything about government and politics to the point where one is forced to wonder if our democracy can survive it all. Which is of course, the whole point of all the corruption in the first place, isn’t it? It’s clear
Republicans just aren’t that interested in democracy’s survival any more.
Congress, the courts, the presidency under Donald Trump - even the ex-presidency with Trump, have all been deeply stained by Republican corruption, with the struts of trustworthiness kicked out from under each of them.
Donald Trump, the twice impeached former resident of the White House, he of 30,000+ documented lies during his four year/poor excuse of a presidency, with his 91 criminal indictments, has been the chief corrupter, of course.
But he has been far from alone. Much of his MAGA base now apes him in all his excesses and joins him in celebrating lies, bullying and name calling. Apparently, all that is more satisfying and certainly easier than engaging in even the tiniest bit of critical thinking.
So we wind up with a public discourse that is driven - not by thoughtful consideration and respectful conversations that air out all sides - but by “junk political talk” that is every bit as toxic to the body politic, as junk food is to our physical bodies.
Much of that “junk political talk” is currently on display in Iowa at Republican caucus campaign events as Republican presidential candidates criss cross the state, double crossing democracy, not providing solutions, but sharing their resentments and showcasing their ability to “own the libs.”
None of that, of course, is designed to help Iowans or the nation decide the best course on difficult issues but rather to defame, mislead, and inflame. Like the circuses of old that helped bring down the Roman Empire, the point isn’t to really do anything productive, but for everybody to simply have a good time and, hopefully, move the performer to center stage where they can continue to misinform, inflame, and defame from a larger, brighter, more visible center ring.
What do the Republican candidates actually stand for? Not much that they want to talk about in public. Oh, maybe that Hunter Biden shouldn’t be president. They are pretty sure about that.
Also that each Republican candidate, in their own view, should be president. But they’ll have to get back to you with any policy reasons that should happen beyond the tired old cliches.
They don’t even have much to say about Trump, who they should be running against, since he represents the single biggest, most imminent threat to their White House prospects - and more importantly, to American democracy. With the exceptions of ex-New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, they don’t have much to say about Trump beyond that he did mostly good things. (Actually, um, no.) And that his multiple impeachments and mountains of criminal indictments (91) don’t mean anything. They pretend they are kind of normal at this point. (Also no. In fact, Hell no.)
Better to deny it all, keep your head down, and keep moving.
That’s certainly “junk political talk” when they ought to be leveling with their fellow Republians and warning them about the urgent danger he is to the country and its democracy.
By the way, not even the infamous Boston mob boss Whitey Bulger racked up 91 criminal indictments. Bulger was tried on 32 criminal indictments. So even if criminal indictments were normal for an ex-president (they are not), Trump’s 91 certainly aren’t normal for anybody. But, you know, there’s still no reason to talk about whether it’s a good idea to put a guy with that record back in the White House.
Which brings us to the car wreck masquerading as a Republican presidential candidates debate last Wednesday in California.
It was - in my view - an embarrassing, disgraceful waste of time - filled with “junk political talk,” constant shouting over one another and at the moderators, name calling, cliches, ancient bumper sticker tag lines, and little else. Seriously? That’s the best they’ve got?
I’ve been an avid viewer of presidential debates since 1960 (yes, I started as a child), and even I practically had to tie myself into my chair to finish watching. It was a mess.
The only thing the American people learned from watching that farce was to be darned sure to not make the mistake of watching the next one.
Does anyone honestly believe that is the way potential leaders of the free world should behave in public, much less at a forum designed to help citizens pick a president? More to the point, does anyone believe any one of them looked or sounded the least bit presidential on Wednesday night? Sophomoric, yes. Presidential, no. Very hard no.
Did any one of them look or sound capable of forging consensus out of chaos either with Congress or foreign allies or adversaries?
That calling an opponent “Donald Duck” or arguing about office drapes in a nationally televised debate are certain signs of “presidential timber?”
Of course not.
Republicans have suckled for so long on a diet of lies, name calling and silly, cliched sound bites - all completely untethered from reality - that they no longer know how to participate in thoughtful public discourse about things that matter.
All they know is “junk political talk.”
Absurdity is their new normal and America is the worse for it.
You can see it in what they say and do in Congress, too. Actual governing is no long their thing, as the September 30 near government shut down (again) makes clear.
Now, how do Iowans fit into the narrative about how to change this?
Here’s how: During the Iowa Caucuses campaign, Iowans can and should be the grown ups in the room:
When candidates start talking nonsense in Iowa, pull them back to the real world.
When candidates start name calling, press for real answers, and tell them you are not interested in school yard tactics.
When they make a claim, recognize that the likelihood of that claim being false, misleading - or even just plain being made up - from this crowd is high. Ask for credible evidence and attribution.
By the way, MAGA folks - “Everybody knows….” and “Everybody says….” are not evidence nor attribution. They are usually fiary dust sprinkled over and left behind to cover a trail of lies.
When they dodge your question and try to pole vault from it to make an attack somebody else, remind them they haven’t addressed, much less answered, your question, ask it again, and insist on getting an answer.
Iowa Democrats used to pride themselves on the quality of their discussion with presidential candidates during their caucus campaigns in the state. As a witness to, and a participant in, many of those campaigns, I can tell you their pride was justified. They asked real questions and insisted on real answers. The nation came to rely on that kind of grassroots vetting. It’s what is most missing, for me, in this year’s Iowa Caucuses campaigns.
Iowa Republicans need to bring the same kind of serious engagement to their interactions with Republican candidates as they move across the state.
Allow me to be blunt: The fact that Donald Trump still has a large lead in current. polls, indicates there’s a lot of critical thinking, vetting, and serious questioning yet to be done by Iowa Republicans,
America is counting on Iowa to start a serious vetting process with these candidates.
It would be a shame if, instead, Iowa Republican caucus goers simply choose somebody who voices their resentments, stokes their fears, affirms their prejudices, repeats their favorite lies, and calls others in the race names better than any of the others do.
Trash talk may help win some contests, but “junk political talk” is helping to kill our democracy.
Iowa Republicans? History and fate have put you in position to help stop it. Will you do so? Here’s one American among likely millions more keeping my fingers crossed, hoping that you will.