How many Trump voters will bring themselves to watch 60 Minutes tonight?
Pardon me for assuming that the vast majority of those who sent the bigoted billionaire to the White House in November 2016 will not have the guts to view this evening’s scheduled broadcast of an interview with the President’s previous paramour, veteran adult entertainer Stormy Daniels. The sight of Daniels speaking about her past with the Donald will be too much for them to take.
At this point, you’ve got to think that most of the MAGA-maniacs who supported the former Apprentice host now realize that they’ve been had. It’s hard to imagine them being able to look at themselves in the mirror in the morning. They know that their lives have not improved. They know that prosperity has not trickled down. They know that Trump will sell them down the river at a moment’s notice if he thinks it’s politically expedient.
The evangelicals who supported Trump have to be especially embarrassed privately. Their support for Trump did more to secularize the United States than anything Bill Maher and the late Madalyn Murray O’Hair could have dreamed of. By backing Trump, they told the country that they never really supported “traditional values,” “morality in government,” and “Judeo-Christian principles.” All they ever gave a (pardon the pun) good goddamn about was their own power and their own glory. Millions of Americans have become disgusted by such perversity in the pulpit, and will flee from the iniquity of the hypocritical American church.
From a certain perspective, Stormy Daniels has done this country a favor. She has exposed the fundamental lie that is American conservatism. She has confirmed the basic dishonesty of every Republican who condemned Bill Clinton over the Monica Lewinsky matter, but who remains silent over Trump’s violation of his marital vows.
Speaking of Clinton, remember when right-wingers hit the roof over then-Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders’s remarks about sex education nearly 25 years ago? It would be nice to see one of the “Never Trump” right-wingers who pop up on cable news every night apologize to Clinton for the right’s relentless attacks on the supposed immorality and indecency of his administration in the 1990s, as Clinton was a choirboy compared to what we’ve got in the White House now.
It was hatred–raw, blind, uncontrollable hatred–for Clinton and his wife, fostered by the right (“Never Trump” and otherwise) that led to the moral tragedy of November 8, 2016. Those who voted for Trump couldn’t stand the thought of a woman rising to the White House. They are horrified now by the prospect of a woman bringing this White House down.
Progressives and centrists should happily embrace the schadenfreude. Turnabout is fair play in this regard: remember when right-wingers like Sarah Palin mocked Obama supporters? There is nothing wrong with progressives and centrists now asking Trump voters, “Hey, how’s that ‘Make America Great Again’ working out for you?” Trump voters won’t be able to respond, knowing full well that the only thing Trump made great again was his love life.
Eighteen years ago, in his remarks at the Republican National Convention, then-GOP nominee George W. Bush remarked:
We discovered that who we are is more than important than what we have. And we know we must renew our values to restore our country.
This is the vision of America’s founders. They never saw our nation’s greatness in rising wealth or in advancing armies, but in small, unnumbered acts of caring and courage and self-denial.
Their highest hope, as Robert Frost described it, was to occupy the land with character. And that, 13 generations later, is still our goal, to occupy the land with character.
Those who voted for Trump didn’t “occupy the land with character.” (Those who voted for Bush didn’t either, but that’s another story.) Thanks to the dastardly decision they made over a year ago, Trump’s voters occupied this land with covfefe. Frankly, they deserve all of the embarrassment Stormy Daniels is giving them. As for the rest of the country, the Daniels matter simply arouses a passionate desire for a day when this country has a less prurient President–a day that can’t come soon enough.
