One of the more disappointing aspects of modern American
politics is the demonization of others with opposing views.
Now, I’m not so naïve to think this is something brand new.
It’s not. But it’s reached a level where powerful invectives like Nazi,
fascist, dictator, racist, bigot, homophobe, xenophobe, white supremacist, and woman
hater are used way too often.
So often, in fact, they lose potency. Plus, they create another
problem: what do you do when your monster doesn’t turn out to be such a monster
after all?
When Reagan was elected the left described him as a
trigger-happy idiot who would cause World War III. He would turn back decades of civil rights
progress, ban abortions, and let poor people starve. He was going to be anti-science, anti-intellectual,
anti-immigrant and worse. His proposed tax cuts would make the rich richer and
plunge the country into an even deeper recession.
Many on the left predicted he would destroy America.
So Reagan was their monster. Then he wasn’t. None of the
left’s or the liberal-leaning media’s dire predictions came true.
In reality there was no basis for what they hurled at Reagan
– no evidence that Reagan would ever become the monster they envisioned. That didn’t stop them, however. It was just
the result of where political discourse had devolved.
There was then – and still is now – no room for moderation. No
giving the benefit of the doubt. The powers that be on left and the right
believe they can only rally their respective bases by making the other side
absolutely evil.
Nothing less will do. Every contest must be the ultimate
battle between good and evil.
It’s the very essence of political fundraising efforts. The
left accuses those on the right of being soulless, hate-filled, bigoted monsters
with no human decency; the right accuses those on the left of being the same. The
pleas from the left are always based on fears that the right will take away
everyone’s rights; the pleas from the right are based on fears that the left
will do the same.
The public has given up trying to discern who is right or
wrong. The public doesn’t care who
follows traditional “Republican values” or “Democrat values.” Or even who
rigorously adheres to the “principles” of the left or the right, whatever those
are.
And the public doesn’t respond to the demonization by either
side as much anymore. Or the hyperbolic
accusations of the far left or far right.
That’s because the “monsters” both sides routinely warned of have failed
to materialize. As such, Americans have decided not to believe in supposed
monsters trucked out every election cycle.
That’s how you get a President Trump. Enough people crossed party lines to elect a
guy who is neither a traditional Republican nor a traditional Democrat; someone
who is neither on the far left or the far right, but somewhere in between.
This is devastating to both the far left and the far right,
and in general to both the Republican and Democrat parties. An important campaign tool has been lost,
although they and the media don’t realize it quite yet. So the dire predictions keep coming.
They’ve yet to realize that playing the monster card to
demonize your opponent so often simply doesn’t have the same impact now. You
can only falsely cry wolf so many times before people stop believing you. Nobody but the crazies, and some holdouts in
the media, gives any credence to what the monster mongers in both extremes have
to say.
Trump is becoming a near-perfect example of that so
far.
It was never likely Trump would be the monster portrayed by
those still frustrated and angry he was elected. He’s not going to be a white supremacist.
He’s not going to persecute law-abiding Muslims, gays, African Americans,
women, Hispanics and other minorities. He’s not going to overturn decades of
civil rights progress. He’s not going to
ban same-sex marriage. He’s not going to break down doors to grab up and kick
out every illegal immigrant.
And he’s not going to send women to prison for getting an
abortion. Nor is he going to stack the Supreme Court with far right loons and
religious fanatics. Or give a free hand to corporations to pollute the air and
water and poison the environment.
Or start a war just because someone got under his skin.
Despite how he was portrayed by his opponents in the
primaries and by Democrats, as President he’s not going to do any of these
things. I don’t believe he ever wanted
to.
Still, it’s Trump’s turn to be the monster. The left and many
in the mainstream media are describing what they expect in the same terms they
used to deride Reagan. And more.
Trump’s not Reagan, by any stretch. In fact, he’s unlike any other President in
modern American history; there’s no other President with whom to compare him. No
other person running for President in my memory has withstood such relentlessly
vicious and personal attacks from both
opponents and the media and won the Presidency anyway.
Right now his popularity is almost at 50% -- up from the low
to mid 30s – and he hasn’t even taken office yet. This is in spite of the ferocious attacks and
public handwringing by Democrats and many in the media over the people he’s chosen
to nominate to his cabinet and to head up key government departments.
The markets are way up – even though his
critics predicted markets would crash if he got elected – and quite a few companies
are rethinking moving operations offshore. Most telling is the surge in the
value of small-company stocks because investors now believe cutting regulations
on small businesses will increase their profitability and boost employment.
It’s not looking good for the Trump-as-monster mongers so
far. They’ve been working day and night to find any cloud in the silver lining
and they are still coming up short.
This is what happens when your monsters don’t materialize as
planned.
You look like a fool. And no one trusts you as much anymore.
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