Can Democracy Withstand the Trump Administration Onslaught?

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Democracy. In the West we take it for granted that once established, the power of its values and laws intrinsically protect society from corrupt governments forming and stripping people of their rights. The Donald Trump administration has proven us wrong.

Value systems have always collided. In the West the ugly stuff was protected by legislation and social mores that gave power and freedom of expression to racists, sexists, bigots, homophobes, xenophobes, cultural persecutors, and deprived the targets of a platform if not the right to express their frustration, anger, hurt and outrage and work towards gaining equality. Gradually, though, the underdog in every sector of society has gained power. Those who were open to enlightenment embraced the concept of human rights, and legislated to protect them.

But you can't legislate what people think, what they want, what they read. Laws can't control the racism and bigotry that lurks under the surface, building momentum, lying in wait for an authority figure to grant permission to come out into the open, be vented and acted upon.

Spiteful, mean-spirited, greedy for power, panting for the right to be cruel without facing punishment and consequence.

You can't openly legislate for how those who need protection choose to vote, but you can introduce laws that make it difficult or impossible for them to even get to the polling stations. You can gerrymander districts so that those who can vote to protect decent human values don't, effectively, have a voice. You can use the written media, TV, radio stations, the church, to manipulate minds that are already leaning that way anyway, distorting truth until it's unrecognizable. Exploiting fear of change, fear of dark skins, fear of the other.

You can target those who don't have resources, who, if they could, would vote for representatives whose aim is to enfranchise everybody, create a fair society where equality and equal opportunity are the main principles of every branch of government.

In a so-called free society, even in the strongest democracies, much of the principle of do unto others has to be left to the conscience of the individual. It's constantly evolving for many, as it should. If that many isn't the majority, or the minority gets the power, society has a problem. In the West we're used to seeing corrupt leaders in  countries with no functioning democracy. We're accustomed to watching them destroy economies, commit genocide, imprison, torture and murder opposition to the government, prohibit freedom of speech.

We've believed that America was above that. It had long been the leader of the free world. Free and fair elections, freedom of speech, protection of the press, the importance of equality at least valued by one major political party which had an equal shot at gaining the power to improve society at all levels.

But now? Freedom of the press is under threat, hate crimes are on the rise alarmingly. Truth, equality and equal opportunity are not valued by the government, nor are a clean environment or international co-operation. Greed and destruction prevail in every sector of the administration, out-picturing the mind of its dysfunctional, mentally unstable leader. As for elections, was 2016 free and fair? How is possible that a man who lost the popular vote by close to 3 million votes—more than any president in history—could become president? The point is made ad nauseam that Russian interference did not affect the actual vote tally. That's not accurate; it affected the minds of far left and far right voters very successfully. It's not hard evidence, but lack of evidence doesn't equate in reality to absence of truth.

Liberals tend to believe that the search for enlightenment in every aspect of life is innate to the human race, or at least to the vast majority, that do unto others makes sense to most of us and dictates how we relate to each other.

   

But in our everyday lives, why then are reality shows that thrive on humiliation,  emotional and physical punishment so popular? What about Mad Men? It depicted the sexism, feminism, homophobia, antisemitism and racism of 1960's America. Yet it was widely acclaimed as being the greatest TV show ever. Did the majority watch to be outraged and celebrate that we've moved on? I doubt it. Was it Roman-type lust for watching Christians being thrown to the lions and torn apart? Possibly. Most likely, in the light of the 2016 election result, it was a hankering after an era where social conscience was a dinosaur.

Now a vulgarian who epitomizes that dinosaur is president of what was once unquestioningly the most powerful democracy on the planet.

The biggest mistake we make in the West is believing that democracy automatically delivers what's best for everybody. It doesn't. It doesn't even deliver what's best for the majority, when the voting system has been so eroded that a racist, bigot, con artist, arch manipulator, sexual abuser, ignoramus and compulsive liar can win an election on a minority vote, with the assistance of a foreign power whose primary objective is to undermine western democracies.

The words the American people are bandied about a lot by the current Administration. Which American people would that be? Those who support the government and the President are in the minority. Donald Trump has exploited the fears and lusts of his base and successfully controlled the narrative for them. There's no doubt in reality that he is an abuser who uses whoever he can, tossing them aside like so much detritus when they no longer serve him. Yet they mindlessly endorse his abusive behaviour, his dysfunction as a president, when the policies he pushes threaten their own lives. They believe anything he says, even when he directly contradicts himself. Blind loyalty to an abuser? It's a kind of variation on Stockholm Syndrome.

The liberal press and Democratic politicians have striven valiantly to keep truth alive and democracy functioning, but in the face of Trump's monumental lies and his determination to thwart democracy, everybody is exhausted. 

For democracy to function as a force for good in society, truth must be valued. When it's under siege and the minority has power, it spells trouble. It always has. It always will. Ultimately it seems to be true, looking at the big picture, that good triumphs over evil. That's not much consolation to the lives that are destroyed in the process. It's no consolation to the Muslim, Jewish, Latino or African American children who are targeted at school, with the upsurge in hate crimes since Donald Trump's campaigning. Whose lives will never be the same again. It's no consolation to the parents who can't protect them.

It'll be no consolation to any of us if the values that keep society intact are eroded beyond recognition and democracy rendered impotent in the country that is supposed to be leading the free world. 

Will Donald Trump Quit Before The Inauguration? Can Republicans Hold Onto Their Power?

Participants in the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965. 

From Library of Congress. Photo by Peter Pettus

25 March 1965. The day Martin Luther King led thousands to the capitol steps in Montgomery, Alabama, after marching for five days from Selma, Alabama, to support African Americans, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Southern Christian Leadership had campaigned for voting rights. King told the assembled crowd:

 "There never was a moment in American history more honorable and more inspiring than the pilgrimage of clergymen and laymen of every race and faith pouring into Selma to face danger at the side of its embattled Negroes." 

African Americans had endured generations of violence and assault to every part of their being, but they endured and their spirit of resistance slowly gained momentum until it peaked under the leadership of Martin Luther King. The world lost one of its greatest men, and thousands endured further assaults and violence for the Civil Rights Movement to succeed, but it prevailed in the end.

Fast forward to Nov 9 2016. The day the world got pretty damn dark again for millions. The day the quintessential banana republic bigot was elected as president of the most powerful country in the world—the country thought of as the most advanced democracy—with the help of a rogue FBI Director and the Russian government and now America is on the brink of being rolled backwards at the speed of light, to pre Civil Rights Movement days.

We share joy and triumph and hope, but grief is the most isolating experience. A predominant fear among many has been that with time grief will heal and the outrage will fade. Don't let this be the new normal has been a common theme.

This being Donald Trump's ignorance, stupidity, racism, bigotry and sexism, and culture of covert and overt white supremacy, promotion of inequality, discrimination against women, minorities and Muslims, exploitation of people and the earth's resources, the many being sacrificed to the few, rolling back clean energy, embracing policies that will enrich the few, destroy the poor, erode the middle class again and accelerate climate change.

How could what Trump personifies, and has exposed as the underbelly of our lovely Western culture, ever become a new standard for what's acceptable, the new normal? Because we do become inured unless we make a conscious choice not to be. But a huge body of people have already made that choice to fight for and preserve a coherent world for everybody. Including some powerful legislators and media organisations who aren't allowing Trump to become the new normal. As an example, the New York Times, which made a decisive switch from sitting on the fence to condemning Trump and endorsing Hillary Clinton during the primaries, actually increased its digital readership by 21% in the third quarter of 2016.

The investigation into Trump's charity foundation continues and he's powerless to stop it. Democrats in the Senate are delaying their acceptance of eight of Trump's cabinet picks while they call for more information, tax returns, and ethics investigations. They can't block the posts because they don't have the votes but they can delay and jam up the process. And that's what they're doing.

In North Carolina, a judge delayed the law overhauling the elections panel, a law that would severely restrict the powers of the soon-to-be Democrat Governor.

It's obvious from Trump's body language and his utter inarticulacy when questioned on matters of state that he's totally out of his depth and very uncomfortable with the heavy investigative spotlight on him and his family. Whatever he's hiding by not releasing his tax returns will come out in the wash somewhere.

He's been horribly—or wonderfully—humiliated by so many celebrities refusing to perform for his inauguration, and by the recent defection of performers in two of the groups that he did manage to secure, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Rockettes. Trump's response was to say that he'll have a protracted inauguration day parade and he'll only attend three balls (Obama attended eleven), because he wants to get to work immediately. The notion of Trump working is ludicrous; all he's doing is showing his vulnerability.

His transition team is a shambles, his tweeting is still out of control and now he's intimating that the Intelligence report on Russia's hacking prior to the election was inadequate. Even GOP politicians who have weak-mindedly endorsed him are putting boundaries down. So he'll be up against his own team as president.

Trump never wanted this job, but when he 'won' the election he obviously thought he could carry on lying, cheating and exploiting. Now that he and his posse of children are waking up to reality they're scrabbling around like crazy.

Trouble is, he's made a lot of very smart, very informed people very angry. And they have the law on their side. It's ironic. Trump craves constant approbation and to be able to do whatever he wants, and he only ran for president to pump up his profile so he could expand his businesses. Now he is being excoriated every day by the press, he's despised by millions in America and around the world; he's in a job that's virtual straitjacket for somebody like him; his charity foundation is under investigation; and he's having to divest!

Poetic justice. Speaking to Seth Meyers, Michael Moore predicted Trump will find a way to quit the presidency before the inauguration. I'm half inclined to agree with him but even if that happens, the battle has just begun. 

"Collectively we come together and we say, you know, we're going to preserve some things that last beyond our individual lives, that we're going to pass that on. And we have to do it together. You know, that is hopefully part of what is best about our government. And so every once in a while we need the ability to step back from our personal wants and project something finer and better for future generations." 

Barack Obama said this in 2010. He was in Yellowstone talking about the preservation of State Parks, but his words apply to preserving anything important. Throughout history, when decency and democratic legitimacy have been under threat, people with integrity have instinctively come together and fight, and it's happening now. A force like this might isn't bully-driven so it might not seem powerful at first, but it gathers momentum that's unassailable and it sustains itself until it succeeds, no matter how long that takes.

Liberals and Democrats are already looking to 2018. If they can reach Democrat voters for those mid-terms, they could regain control of Congress because all 435 House seats, and 33 out of 100 Senate seats are up for grabs. And to illustrate the interest, if you Google "what congressional…" the sentence completes as "seats are up for reelection in 2018". With 27 million search results.

Enjoy your power while you have it, Republicans. It's not going to last very long.

Mormon Tabernacle Choir Singer & Rockettes Refuse to Perform at Trump's Inauguration

It's no secret that Donald Trump has struggled to secure celebrities to perform for his inauguration—Elton John, Celine Dion, John Legend and others have all said no. There have even been reports that Trump's team tried offering bribes of positions in his cabinet. Not surprisingly, he had no takers.

Finally, three days before Christmas, he managed to get the Rockettes. The day they learned the news, one of the dancers cried her way through a Christmas show, so distressed that she would have to dance for Trump. Another dancer posted her violent objection on Instagram: 

"I usually don't use social media to make a political stand but I feel overwhelmed with emotion. Finding out that it has been decided for us that Rockettes will be performing at the Presidential inauguration makes me feel embarrassed and disappointed. The women I work with are intelligent and are full of love and the decision of performing for a man that stands for everything we're against is appalling. I am speaking for just myself but please know that after we found out this news, we have been performing with tears in our eyes and heavy hearts #notmypresident" 

A senior-ranking official of the American Guild of Variety Artists stated that full-time dancers had to dance where they were told to. But there was such a public furor that the Guild backed off, stating that dancing at the inauguration would be voluntary. So the Rockettes can choose, but many are afraid that if they don't they'll lose their jobs or future opportunities, as only thirteen have permanent positions and the others dance ad hoc.

A dancer who spoke anonymously to Marie Claire, risking getting fired for it if she's exposed, said "This is making our show, our job, our name, branded as right-wing. An extreme right-wing. There's a reason why everyone else is turning this down. Why are we not?" She also noted that  no minority dancers had signed up.  

Then we learned that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir would sing at the inauguration. Lifetime Mormon Randall Thacker started a petition against the Choir performing,

"and especially for an incoming president who has demonstrated sexist, racist, misogynistic, and xenophobic behavior that does not align with the principles and teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church's participation will harm this spectacularly talented and beloved choir's image, misrepresent the diversity of Mormons worldwide, and sends the wrong message to LDS children as they will perceive the Church's participation as endorsement of a president whose words and actions do not align with our values."

And one singer in the Choir, Jan Chamberlin, chose to resign. She posted a letter of explanation on Facebook. That post has since been taken down but you can read it here. Below is an extract. 

"Since “the announcement”, I have spent several sleepless nights and days in turmoil and agony. I have reflected carefully on both sides of the issue, prayed a lot, talked with family and friends, and searched my soul. I’ve tried to tell myself that by not going to the inauguration, that I would be able to stay in Choir for all the other good reasons… 

But it’s no use. I simply cannot continue with the recent turn of events. I could never look myself in the mirror again with self respect. I love you all, and I know the goodness of your hearts, and your desire to go out there and show that we are politically neutral and share good will… 

I also know, looking from the outside in, it will appear that Choir is endorsing tyranny and fascism by singing for this man. And Choir’s wonderful image and networking will be severely damaged and that many good people throughout this land and throughout the world already do and will continue to feel betrayed.   

I know that I too feel betrayed. Tyranny is now on our doorstep; it has been sneaking its way into our lives through stealth. Now it will burst into our homes through storm…
 In the show Wicked, the Wizard says “ I create conflict to stay in power.” This allows those in office to do whatever they want to unchecked. I believe this has been done to us, both cunningly and intentionally…   

I could never “throw roses to Hitler.” And I certainly could never sing for him… My heart is shattered and broken............. but my conscience is clear. And THAT, really is all that matters." 

Van Jones Speaks for Millions on the Aftermath of America's 2016 Elections

"People have talked about a miracle. I'm hearing about a nightmare. It's hard to be a parent tonight for a lot of us. You tell your kids 'don't be a bully.' You tell your kids 'don't be a bigot.' You tell your kids 'do your homework and be prepared.'

And then you have this outcome. And you have people putting children to bed tonight and they're afraid of breakfast. They're afraid of 'how do I explain this to my children?' I have families of immigrants who are terrified tonight. This was many things... We've talked everything but race tonight. This was a white lash against a changing country. A white lash against a black president, in part. And that's where the pain comes."

Yesterday I was afraid that the election would be close, but mostly optimistic that America consisted mostly of people like Van Jones. Decent, sane, intelligent people who don't buy into conspiracy theories, who can distinguish between truth and lies, who don't blame politicians for their own personal challenges, who can recognize the dangers of media-driven hyperbole and innuendo, who care deeply about inequality, racism, sexual abuse, bigotry in all its disgusting manifestations and not just when it hits the headlines.

That would be because most Americans I know are like that. I was so sure that the land of the free and the home of the brave still described the main part of the country.

Today I have to live with the truth. And worse, the reality that some of the people I called friends voted directly for bigotry. Or took great pride in their independence of mind and voted Gary Johnson. Who siphoned off Hillary Clinton's winning edge in Florida, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and handed the Presidency to Trump. Recklessly visiting disaster on millions, in America and round the world, adding terrifying weight to a growing body of white supremacists, enabling men who think it's okay to abuse those with disabilities, anybody who isn't white, women; empowering businessmen who think it's okay to cheat and steal and stiff your workers; disabling the middle class, giving renewed vigor to the NRA, the military industrial complex and a GOP committed to trickle-up economics, where the poor feed the wealthy.

My heart breaks for Hillary Clinton and her family. And for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama - great Gods, what a terrible thing for them. And for Joe Biden, and Tim Kaine, and all the Democrat groups and politicians who have worked so hard to uphold values, not just during the Hillary Clinton campaign, but for their whole careers and especially during Barack Obama's presidency, fighting against an intractable Republican Party. For the great minds and great journalists who had the courage to call Trump for what he is.

My heart breaks for every wonderful, courageous Democrat who poured their life into the campaign and who took the trouble to vote and who just got bludgeoned; whose uphill battle against slavish ignorance, prejudice, discrimination, injustice, racism, sexism, inequality, a tilted Supreme Court just became a cliff-face.

I had to ask the question that millions are asking: is America still the land of the free and the home of the brave? 

The answer is an unqualified yes, of course it still is and it always will be. The free and the brave are still in the majority - Hillary Clinton won the popular vote - but they are a threatened group now, so much so that they're almost a minority. One thing we all know about American minorities: they fight through unimaginable obstacles and they never give up. 

Letter to Susan Sarandon: Thank God Hillary Clinton Is Hours Away From Becoming Madam President

Dear Susan Sarandon, you don't know me. But as America stands on the brink of voting for tolerance, inclusion, sanity, wise governance and love, or endorsing bigotry, and thus either saving or condemning the world, I thought I would take this opportunity, to say a few words to you and introduce you to a few people.

Like many others, I read what you said ages ago about the chaos of a Trump presidency being better than a Hillary Clinton presidency, because then out of the chaos something really democratic could evolve. You proudly announced that you didn't vote with your vagina. It was cheeky of me, but all I could think was, perhaps your vagina hasn't learned yet that it's allowed to vote. 

Now listen here, Susan. If you want to blow your own life up, that's up to you. If you want to muzzle your vagina's voice, that's up to you too. Hard for me to believe it's a progressive thing but hey, that's just me. Here's the thing that does really bother me, though: you won't be the one who particularly suffers if Trump wins the election while you sulk over Bernie Sanders and egg others on to do the same. You've got immense wealth, fame, a fantastic job, a future, influence. You've got it all, and good for you. You deserve it, you've worked hard. 

Not everybody has such a safe place in life, though. I certainly don't. The people who will really suffer are the ones who don't have anything or who have very little. Those who can't vote with their vaginas because if they do they might get beaten up or abused in some way. Then there's that enormous group of human beings; African Americans, Latinos, Muslims, LGBT, and, hello, women in general. They'll suffer too. Think of all the Muslim children who will be bullied and beaten up. There'll be a corrupted Supreme Court for the next how many years? And world diplomacy and peace - kiss it goodbye! What about all the victims of the wars that Trump will engage in, the victims of his alliance with Putin, the increased power of the military industrial complex? The complete and utter fucking mess that will explode on the world? 

What about all the girls and women who will experience an upsurge in male entitlement? What about the women Trump abused? They'll have zero chance of retribution. What about the homeless all over the country, those people that Trump doesn't even see as human beings? I'm sure you get my drift.

And your idea that there will be some grand cathartic experience is fantasy, hon. There won't be. The chaos that everybody refers to isn't about the wealthy suddenly ending up with nothing. No, it's about them accumulating more. The wealthy will get wealthier, the middle class will disappear, the economy will plummet and take down other economies around the world, and the earth will get closer to destruction. A lot of irreversible things can happen in four years. Values will be over-ridden and banana republic tactics will run the show. White supremacy and racism will gain power. That's what the chaos will be.

But the wealthy? They'll be fine. You, darling, will be fine. None of the disasters that you are so willing to visit on the whole damn world will touch you.  

This isn't about allegiance to Bernie Sanders, because he has asked his followers to vote for Hillary Clinton. It's not about truth, because you and Sanders supporters in general have propagated as many lies about Hillary as the GOP and Trump. It's not about caring about democracy because you're willing to toss it. What's it about, then? Here's a thought: people who want to force a very punishing cathartic experience on others are often frustrated and too afraid to confront whatever will create a catharsis for themselves. I can relate; who can't? But that you don't care who gets sacrificed is, frankly, a slap in the face to people around the world. To all the minorities who have ever been and still are persecuted. To all the women who have been and still are being abused. 

I'm not American so I'm powerless to vote, I'm powerless to fight for tolerance and inclusion, for sanity. All I can do is watch and be grateful to all the Democrats whose vaginas have a vote, all the Democrats who don't have vaginas but still vote with good sense and accountability. Whether they know it or not they're saving the world right now. They're even saving you, Susan. They're voting for this woman who has withstood persecution the likes of which I hope you never have to experience.

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As I said, you deserve the place you've forged for yourself. You've been committed, you've worked hard. You've also been loved and appreciated. I wonder if you ever imagine what it might have been like for you to be trashed every waking moment, to have everything you've ever done that was good be twisted and distorted and fed into a giant media machine until everybody hated, despised and persecuted you. How it would feel if you knew you'd been scapegoated but nobody cared. If even intelligent people bought into the narrative and turned your beautiful life and achievements into something dirty.

Susan, while you exercised your right to visit chaos and suffering on the world, women of dignity like 99 year-old Minerva Turpin exercised their right to vote for the preservation of order and all that's good about being human. Being stronger together. Making history.

Bernie Sanders Deserves Respect from Everybody

I don’t know why but until recently I have never seen many derogatory comments about Bernie Sanders although I’ve been told that there have been and still are plenty.

But lately I’ve started seeing people sneering at Sanders, saying he’s an old man who’s out of touch and can’t possibly win. I don't like the sneering any more than I like the hate campaign against Hillary Clinton. It has a sour, acrid feel to it. Yes he’s in his 70's but do we really want to promote the idea that your life is over and you have nothing to contribute after the age of 70? I hope not because to quote anybody who’s gotten there it’s going to happen to me too. I’m sure not going to subscribe to the idea that it’s ever over just because of a number.

Is Bernie out of touch? When nothing specific is attached to the phrase the insinuation is that he’s loony. Nothing could be further from the truth. He’s articulate and supremely well-informed and can hold onto an argument when distractions unnervingly are hurled at him rapid fire. The odds have been stacked against him in every way but he has persevered and turned the tide. Which is pretty heroic.

I don’t think it’s a slam dunk that he still can’t win the Democratic nomination. The Huffpost has an election results page where you can search for polls in each State and in pretty much all the states that haven’t voted yet and that have polls Bernie is closing the gap on Hillary.

Is there enough time for him? Never say never. His supporters remind us constantly—and rightly—that when he started everybody laughed at him. But look how much money he has raised from individuals. Look at his following on Twitter. He is a very committed man. Who has enjoyed unprecedented success despite having very little media exposure.

Who would beat Donald Trump despite that he has been given exposure that if translated into TV ads would have cost him nearly $2 billion. I think it’s cause for celebration and great respect.

Trashing Bernie Sanders will achieve nothing. In any case when did rude become the norm? It certainly doesn’t make your heart expand with joy and fill you with a sense that life is good and worth celebrating. It’s kind of like people thinking they’re cool because they get drunk. What’s cool about that? It’s the easiest thing in the world to pour alcohol down your throat and end up with a throbbing head as you bend over the toilet retching your guts out.

There’s nothing cool about being rude either. It’s easy. It’s tempting. It’s satisfying, at one level. I know because I’ve done it. At another level it’s a mild form of abuse, a.k.a. bullying. It’s basically saying that you as a human being are totally worthless whereas I, with my absence of respect for you, my lousy manners and my arrogance, am a model of rectitude.

And of course I’m smarter than you. Because you’re stupid. And I want to hurt you; I want you to feel small and inadequate. Definitely not cool. 

If Sanders wins the Democratic nomination wouldn't it be better if he won a landslide against Donald Trump? Of course it would. So how does it help Hillary Clinton supporters to trash him now? It doesn't. And he just doesn't deserve it any more than she does.

Reading the New York Times  the other day I came across this comment:

“A Hillary - Bernie ticket would be…combining 2 sides of the same coin into [a] whole balance. Together, they would sweep the country to winning a truly amazing revolution taking Obama's work to an even higher level. This is my wish for our country.” Karen from Boston, Ma.

Wouldn't that be the best thing? Bernie and Hillary joining forces is the best chance of a landslide against the Republican nominee.  

#Bernie Supporters, Please Stop Trashing #Hillary! And Would You Really Vote For Trump?

I’ve about had it with the anti-Clinton memes that use 'information' selectively to make her out as evil incarnate almost as much as I’ve had it with the #Bernie is a saint memes and the idea that Sanders supporters are the only ones who truly understand the social issues at stake and who truly care about the fate of their country.

Then there’s the fact that Sanders’ initial flat refusal to throw dirt around and denigrate Clinton drew adulation from supporters—who then started a hate campaign against Clinton, comparing her to Hitler, equating her with Trump and worse. It seems pretty similar to the GOP campaign against Barack Obama and, yes, against Hillary Clinton. Short on information, long on rage and disinterest in truth.

It hurts her, of course, but it's going to hurt them too if Bernie doesn't win the nomination. I don't understand why they don't see that. Hate is a greedy beast. Hate campaigns, whether they come from the far right or the far left have the same result. They create an illusion which the people who foster them start believing. They can't see they're doing it but it affects their behavior. They become irrational. It's happening, right in front of our eyes. 

Some of those who are so intensely passionate about their country and restoring it to health are saying that if Sanders doesn’t win the nomination they won’t vote at all in the election or they’ll vote for Trump. It's mind-boggling. Reading the New York Times yesterday I came across quite a few in the comments section.

“If I can't have Sanders as the Democrat nominee for the general election, I guess I'll need to look to Trump. Trump and Bernie are the only two populists who are running for president. They are America's best chance for the future.” Ellie Kesselman from Arizona.

No comment.

“I know that I vote for him even if I have to write him in.” Journeyman from State of Jefferson.

Which amounts to not voting, no?

“just sit this election out, that's what i'll do if Sanders loses come nomination time. Better not to cast a vote for either evil than vote one of them in. Let the sheep voters get what they deserve come November.” Lou Andrews from Portland Oregon.

Lou seems to think he won’t get it too.

“One of the greatest things to come out of Sanders' campaign is the outpouring of passion from his supporters on this forum. Before that, I thought I was the only like-minded soul within a thousand miles. 

That, and the fact that I finally got to vote for someone I respect -- the first time in 40 years of voting -- has made his campaign worthwhile for me. I will write his name on my ballot in November if have to. The thought of voting for Clinton disgusts me almost as much as voting for Trump.” RJD from MA.

You didn’t and clearly still don’t respect Barack Obama? One wonders why, considering his excellent track record.

Then I came across this comment: 

“I have absolutely no right to speak for Sen. Sanders, but I suspect that, based on my perception of his fundamental intelligence and decency, he would be horrified to hear his supporters say that Trump would be their choice if he is not nominated. Why don't you ask him now, instead of waiting for the end of the primaries?” Greeley from  Farmington CT in response to Elle Kesselman.

I liked that. I also want to know what he thinks. So I tweeted him: “@SenSanders Many supporters are saying that if you lose the nomination they won't vote or they'll vote for #Trump. Is that what you want?” I haven’t had a reply yet. Back to the New York Times article and moving onto the other side of the fence:

“Bernie... has seemingly encouraged his followers to say outrageous things about her… the ugliness of the misogyny, the evidence of the mass credibility of the decades-long Rove-and-Koch attacks, the vicious memes… I know many women that post their ideas and feelings re Hillary's campaign to secret groups on Facebook because their Bernie-believing friends pile on if they are public about this… the honor of the Bernie [has] been slipping lately.” Anne Klefstad from Duluth MN.

To do him justice Bernie did say he didn't want misogynists supporting him. And his campaign has reprimanded the followers a couple of times. But not convincingly and often enough to get through to them. It's hard not to draw conclusions from that if not playing dirty is so important to him. Moving on.

“Ann, thank you for your post. I feel the same way. It is hard for me to believe that Sanders… is not at least partly responsible for the extraordinary hate, yes, hate, that many of his supporters now bestow upon Clinton. For her part, Clinton [also chose not to play dirty]. She stuck to her platform and has critiqued Sanders' platforms when provoked to do so… Her record is not impeccable, but neither is she deserving of SO MUCH HATE AND RIDICULE. She has survived years and years of false accusations and frivolous investigations by the republicans. They have gone after her because they know she will be a successful change agent for all of Americans, especially those most in need now.” Journeywoman USA.

Personally I say amen to that. Although I’d add that going after her was also part of the effort to sully President Obama. But the comment that had me at hello was this one:

 “A Hillary - Bernie ticket would be…combining 2 sides of the same coin into [a] whole balance. Together, they would sweep the country to winning a truly amazing revolution taking Obama's work to an even higher level. This is my wish for our country.” Karen from Boston, Ma.

Thanks, Karen from Boston for showing us all how it's done.

The Strange Democratic Hatred For Hillary Clinton

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These days I'm seeing a lot of hatred for Hillary Clinton among Democrats who support Bernie Sanders. In fact some are shredding her as much as Republicans are. GOP strategists must be rubbing their hands with glee.

The hatred doesn’t make sense because Bernie Sanders has doggedly refused to play dirty. He’s all about love and respect, not hate, and building on truth and the positive. Which is what his followers seemed to admire him for in the beginning and still do. So it’s not a leap of logic to believe that they were and are sick of the dirt in politics, the negativity and the hate campaigns. And here some of them are, hating and smearing Hillary Clinton. Respect is nowhere on the horizon. Oh the irony.

Somebody pointed out the other day that these detractors are doing Sanders’ dirty work for him, and he’s not telling them not to. I don’t know if that’s true or not. Maybe he has said something but if he has, they aren't listening. Makes you wonder. 

In all the negative comments I’ve read about Clinton lately I've yet to see a specific example that illustrates the point being made; it's all just broad generalizations. She’s evil, she’s in bed with Wall Street, she flip-flops for political gain, she’s actually a Conservative, she’s too hawkish, she couldn’t please her husband so how could she please American citizens—yes, I actually saw that one. I wonder how many people who spread these generalizations could quote specific instances to justify their hate, and I’m talking about dates, times and individuals that have names. If they can, why aren’t they doing it?

If they can’t, what are they basing their opinion on? And how can they say that the reason they support Sanders is because he’s all about love, respect,truth, clean campaigning and everything that’s positive? They are making sure that that isn't true.

For years and years massive amounts of money, press coverage/media 'reports' aka opinion have gone into well-organized GOP campaigns to vilify Hillary Clinton while she's been giving her all, working for, among others, the very people who have manufactured opportunities to tear her to pieces, relishing the act every time. Very worrying is that the campaigns against her seem to have affected Democrats, just as those against Barack Obama have done. 

Worrying because in his case Democrats were so affected—or maybe infected is a better word—that they gave away the House. Can’t blame that on Obama, or on Republicans. Can’t blame it on politicians. Or on the media.

Most worrisome is that if Sanders doesn’t win the nomination Democrats will have contributed in no small way to the GOP smear campaign against Clinton and lessened her chances against the Republican nominee. Sanders might not be about hate—and I believe that he genuinely isn’t—but many of his followers are recklessly engaging in it ostensibly on his behalf.

Hate is like toxins that seep into the soil; it knows no fences or boundaries. And, to continue with that metaphor, suddenly you realize that your own crops are stunted and your own drinking water is poisoned. 

Wisdom from Civilized Men for an Era of Growing Intolerance

In 2008 I was enthralled, dazzled and inspired beyond words at the tectonic shift when Barack Obama was elected President. What a tremendous achievement for a society, for African Americans, for people of all races, what an example for the whole world! From slavery to this! From a silly-minded President beholden to the military industrial complex who let the country slide into the toilet to a man of depth, hope, faith and vision and the knowledge of how to stop the hemorrhaging and repair the damage. 

I felt certain that those who voted for Obama would stand by him through the harshest of obstacles, would take arms against a war of misinformation if it was leveled at him. Defend him to the death.

They had every reason to. And in the post election euphoria it was easy to believe that everybody heard him when he said he couldn’t rescue America on his own. Everywhere I went I saw and heard “Yes we can!” We, not I. It was a magnificent time in history and to be part of it in any way was thrilling, an honor.

What happened? Did Obama turn out to be less of a man than everybody thought? Was he less intelligent, less committed, less courageous, less capable of making rational decisions? Less able to understand the complexities of how to recover from economic melt-down? Did he, with his thoughtlessness and spinelessness, throw away this precious opportunity? Did he abandon the people who had trusted him enough to vote for him?  

No he didn’t. Too many of them didn't have his strength of mind, his vision. They abandoned him, even turned on him. And opened the doors and windows to the ill-wind that has always hung in the air, occasionally blowing at gale force but more often dropping to a noxious evil whisper. Now it blew across the country right out in the open and with a vengeance.

Aah. It’s painful to think about. Obama did and does his job anyway, and superlatively. He is appreciated by many but not as many as he deserves considering what he's given and accomplished. America is better off for his policy direction and so is the world. He was and is an honest man doing an honest job particularly well. And despite the obstacles thrust in his path, the hatred and the vitriol and the sheer, mindless racism sometimes overt often covert but just as recognizable, he maintained his commitment and his dignity and even his sense of humor. And grew in stature. Most of all his respect for Americans, regardless of their political affiliations and beliefs, remained the same.

Imagine being strong enough to rise above all of that. I think about how hard it is for me when spite is directed at me or I’m judged; how deeply frustrated I get when a person who condemns me doesn’t know the truth and doesn’t want to know, even though it’s not that complicated. The pain of it defies description and it rocks my foundations.

Obama has had millions of people doing that to him for over seven years. Even though he’s a really great President. I stop and think about that for a minute. The quintessential civilized man, the modern day hero. 

Six months ago I was sure that the next President would be a Democrat who would build on all the great things that Barack Obama has initiated. There’s plenty to still build, which he has always acknowledged, but he’s left a legacy, laid down a path into a good future. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders would do the Presidency very differently but neither would tear up that path and build one in a completely different direction. Definitely, I thought, Americans will vote for another Democrat. So even if Barack Obama didn’t get the kudos he deserved, at the least the good that he achieved would be honored and sustained.

Now I’m not so confident. This era is fast turning into one where intolerance is burgeoning like a grotesque, rotting, foul smelling fruit on a deadly poisonous weed that’s reproducing as weeds do—in a manner that’s getting out of control.

Presidential candidates are growing in popularity the more foul-mouthed, intolerant, pro-violence and fascist they are. What has happened to America, the land of the free, home of the brave? Well it always was the home of many brave people and it still is, but it was never the land of the free for everybody. Maybe it’s really time to face that and say out loud that it’s also the land of the intolerant, the coward, the bully, the land of the still terribly disenfranchised…  

On December 10 2013 Barack Obama spoke eloquently at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service. You can see his whole speech in text here. Or watch it on YouTube here. I recommend it.

One of the things he said that stayed with me was, “The struggles that follow the victory of formal equality and universal franchise may not be as filled with drama and moral clarity as those that came before, but they are no less important.”

He wasn’t just referring to South Africa, but to corrupt leaders throughout the world. On the books America has [kind of] achieved equality but the moral clarity has been/is being smothered. We can point fingers at the Republican candidates and the right wing media that promotes them and we’ll be justified. Their ideas and beliefs are unconscionable. But the biggest danger lies with the conservative voters who will work hard to elect one of them—because they're driven by anger, hatred, fear and paranoia which are all very powerful energizers—and with Democrat voters who might not bother to vote at all.

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On April 16 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. wrote from the Birmingham jail, “More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than people of good will. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of good people.” You can download the full letter or listen to the audio here.

What he predicted has come to pass. His words apply to fighting intolerance of every kind, to the 
nurturing and then preserving all that is good. And to ensuring that democracy creates a world where everybody's rights are respected. 

The Republican Party Presidential Candidate Circus

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It's been interesting (kind of) to watch popularity polls for the Republican Presidential candidates. First Donald Trump the rude, crude, unavowed materialist rose into the limelight. He lied about his wealth. Then he took a bit of a dive as Ben Carson the spiritual guy rose up into the light. He lied about his story. He's fallen away now. Or fallen asleep. Who knows.

Then Marco Rubio had a few minutes in the spotlight. He doesn’t know how to manage his personal finances. He’s not so high on the charts any more. DT started climbing again.

Now Ted Cruz is rising in popularity. One story that he tells is how he proposed to his loving wife Heidi that they liquidate everything to fund his Senate campaign. He says she said yes in 60 seconds [because she believed in him so much—how romantic]. She says she said let’s be sensible about this [perhaps she didn’t believe in him quite so much]. The picture he paints of her as the adoring, totally supportive wife who will risk everything for him is a little off. Her suggestion won the day. 

And he who says he’ll rid America of the scourge of big banks actually got loans from big banks that allowed him to liquidate without risk. One of the loans—low interest—came from Goldman Sachs who Cruz publicly criticized for getting special treatment from the government. I wonder what Goldman Sachs thinks of all this.

The penury picture Cruz paints is a little off too; the couple had interest-bearing assets worth millions that earned them around $400,000 that year. Ah well, what’s another tall story from another GOP candidate. 

While the spotlight shifts about on the stage, lighting up one after another of these wannabes  the Republican party scrabbles about for a real candidate to support. Because Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Ben Carson and Marco Rubio (let’s face it, the others don’t have a shot in hell) aren’t real Presidential material, they’re 3rd rate actors starring in 3rd rate soap opera dramas they’ve written for themselves that they’re all convinced are documentaries. 

The GOP doesn’t want the Trumpeter who is uncontrollable; or Ben Carson who’s in a perpetual fall asleep state and knows nothing about politics and who the hell wants another black guy in the White House; or Ted Cruz who hates government; or Marco Rubio who can’t control his finances. 

What about Jeb! Poor old Jeb! They wanted him. They gave him money. But he just can’t get a foothold anywhere. And he does rather drag around a ball and chain. He should have changed his name. Oh, but then they wouldn’t have given him money.

Humor aside, the chickens have come home to roost for the GOP. When Obama won in 2008 there were a few sane voices in the Party saying that it needed to change because its voter base (very conservative, wealthier older whites) was a dying breed and the Party needed the support of minorities and women, and the middle class in general to survive.

To go more conservative was to go in the same self-destructive direction, right? Wrong. The voice of reason did not have its day then or even in 2012.

Instead the Republican party got the Tea Party crazies with Ted Cruz at the helm. They didn’t muzzle him, they enabled him. Remember John Boehner, the man with the orange face who never went near a tanning studio no? He couldn’t stand up to the crazies. You’d see him on talk shows saying how difficult his job was, and that the House was an unruly bunch. But when they pushed to shut the government down he let them. When Obama drew his line in the sand Boehner said “we fought the good fight”.

Personally I didn’t think he looked particularly proud of himself as he said it. He looked cornered. Blackmailed. Do what we say or we’ll get rid of you. Eventually they broke him anyway. And took the Republican party so far right that it fell off the planet.

In that process though, the voters did something strange. They knew they were dissatisfied with the Republican party. They wanted something new.

They settled for GOP candidates who are so much further to the right that they don’t even seem connected to the old Republican Party. Why have voters who had the good sense to be unhappy with the Republican Party been seduced by blusterers, liars, cheats and egomaniacs? That’s pretty much the definition of snake oil salesmen, not potential Presidents.

Everybody has their theory and this is mine: Snake oil salesmen will always have some kind of audience, not because people are generally stupid but because they’re generally vulnerable and it’s hard to penetrate the con. It’s impossible to do it if you live off misinformation and you’re prey to the kinds of fears that give rise to prejudices that make you inflexible and shut down your capacity to reason—and if your world is in disarray.

The Republican party turned its back on the middle class and left the lives of the majority of Americans in disarray. That created a fertile breeding ground for snake oil salesmen.

It’s an old dynamic. When people are in need, swoop in and give them a message that relieves them of the burden of thinking too much and of taking responsibility in their own lives. And give them a hero to project onto. Christian missionaries use it, fundamentalists use it. The needy are miraculously transformed into inflexible worshippers. It’s a mistake to think that everybody understands the complexities of why our lives end up in discomfort, as individuals, communities and society as a whole. A lot of people just want a quick fix. And they want to be entertained by whoever’s offering it.

In an era where “reality” shows predominate, where special effects that pound the senses are off the charts, where everything is big and distracting, where truth is a small word and barely has a voice, and where people are truly suffering, it’s easy for snake oil salesmen to get an audience.

Now the original Republican Party, which is almost looking sane in comparison to this crop of candidates who are utterly dissociated from reality, is lost. Where can it turn? Who can it support?

We tend to ignore hairline cracks in a wall or small frustrations in a relationship. We very rarely look at them and say “If I don’t fix the crack it will widen, if I don’t address my frustrations they’ll get worse until we fall apart.” Years later our house has fallen down and we’re locked in acrimonious or not but still very painful divorce. And we look back and say “why didn’t I do something when I could?”

GOP Debate, Bernie Sanders, Barack Obama & the Power of Integrity

Last night I switched on CNN before the Republican ‘debate’ and listened to Anderson Cooper and a couple of other CNN bods discussing the GOP candidates as if they were expecting a real, live, politically authentic debate to happen. I felt a sense of unreality cloud my vision and my mental processes. Lethargy enveloped my body.

After a couple of minutes I switched channels. I had intended to watch the debate but I couldn’t stomach it. This morning, reading the NYT account of it, I’m glad I didn’t. As it happens, The Good Wife had more political heft to it than the GOP reality show.

A good antidote to the circus that would be entertaining if it wasn’t so scary is to read or listen to somebody who actually is engaged intelligently in the political process. Like Bernie Sanders. I still don’t like that he teamed up with Cornell West, or that he said he wouldn’t make the big mistake Obama made, but he’s a good courageous man and his words are such a relief in a world where so many manipulate to get an angle, to grab a bit—or a lot—of power.

I think he’ll win the Presidency, because he’s galvanizing the middle class, just as Barack Obama did. But whether he can continue to galvanize them once he’s in, and especially when everybody realizes that they need to be consistently galvanized, especially for the mid-terms, is anybody’s guess.

I hope he can. But that’s a long way ahead. For now what’s true and clear about him is that at age 74 he’s found his voice; he’s got a lot to say and all of it relevant and that’s the only reason he’s doing so well. Nothing got handed to him on a silver platter. He’s not a billionaire, he doesn’t lust after money. He hasn’t been elevated by anything that’s plastic in this world. He hasn’t pushed other people out the way to get ahead, hasn’t been a bully, has refused to insult other candidates. Hasn’t had clever PR agents with degrees in psychology and mass manipulation paving the way for him.

It’s funny, how easily we fall for the plastic stuff and for what glitters but isn’t gold. But when the real thing comes along we can still recognize it. It makes me think of when I worked for the city orchestra. I used to go to all the concerts, and they always brought in international soloists and conductors whose standard was always brilliant. Sometimes the soloists played note perfect; made no mistakes at all. That in itself was mind boggling and delicious to hear and watch. They’d always get standing ovations.

But one night the soloist was a violinist. I don’t remember his name but the conductor was Victor Yampolsky. Russian, I believe. I also don’t remember what concerto they played but I still remember my heart catching fire.

The music wasn’t note perfect. But it was enthralling, heart-stopping. And the audience leaped to their feet, exploding in applause. I realized kind of viscerally that people can recognize technical brilliance when they see it but aren’t always conscious of how much they crave the pure heart stuff.  But when they get it they respond to it, without everybody necessarily even understanding what has moved them.

It feels like that’s how it is with Bernie Sanders. As a soloist he’s not note-perfect. His appearance isn’t plasticized, he’s not rehearsed or polished in the way he speaks. But he’s getting a standing ovation that is straight from the heart. And people are definitely very consciously responding to the content of his message so I’m not saying there’s no conscious appreciation of that.

But I think there’s something more, something less easily definable. He defies the terrifying culture that is driven by the idea that the better you can con people the more likely you are to be successful. Not to mention the idea that by the time you’re 74 your life is over, Jack, and you’ll have to just roll on down the hill towards a quality of life that’s less and less rewarding, becoming more disempowered and increasingly inarticulate until you fade into sad oblivion.

Bernie Sanders has gained a lot of wisdom in his life and now is exactly the right time and the right age for him to be sharing it. Mazel tov to you Mr. Sanders.

I still feel sad that right in our midst is another man of the same kind of towering integrity, who has laid the foundation for much of what Sanders might be able to achieve as President, whose message is and always has been the same, and who has achieved a huge amount for Americans but who isn’t getting the recognition I think he deserves. 

He's also up against something more sinister than Bernie Sanders will ever have to deal with. 

The overt racism is awful enough but the stuff that flows under the surface is still a very powerful river. It's sinister, it's ugly, it's soul destroying. Yet Obama, and Michelle, have not just remained intact but they've grown in every way despite it. Or because of it. They've remained committed and clear in their hearts, minds and souls. Obama has achieved great things as a President in spite of it. That takes remarkable strength of character. 

But that’s no reason why Sanders shouldn’t get his.

Congress Republicans Backed into a Corner as President Obama Stands Firm

On the 8th of October, eight days into the government shutdown, President Obama spoke from the White House about the need for Congress to understand that funding the government and paying the nation’s bills are not bargaining chips, they are part of Congress’s primary role. He said “…members of Congress - and the House Republicans in particular - don't get to demand ransom in exchange for doing their jobs. And two of their very basic jobs are passing a budget and making sure that America is paying its bills."

Obama’s message has been consistent throughout the government shutdown crisis. He will not negotiate with blackmailers. He has said a number of times that if a person blackmails you once, they'll do it again. And again and again. 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid agrees with him. His stand is ‘open the government, raise the debt ceiling and we’ll negotiate’. Colleagues and aides have said recently that in all his 25 years in the Senate Reid has never been this outraged or aggressively proactive. House Republicans have crossed a line in his opinion. As Democrat Senator Patty Murray said of Reid, “He feels passionately that if we allow our country to be run by hostage-taking - ‘I feel [strongly] about an issue, and I’m going to shut down the government unless I get my way’ - it is bad for today, it’s bad for tomorrow, it’s bad for democracy.”

On October 6 President Obama had spoken at FEMA and challenged Boehner on his stand that he didn’t put a clean CR to a vote because there wasn’t a bi-partisan majority to pass it (despite that Democrats and even some House Republicans having said there was one).

“If [some] Republicans and Speaker Boehner are saying there are not enough votes, then they should prove it. Let the bill go to the floor and let’s see what happens. Just vote. Let every member of Congress vote their conscience and they can determine whether or not they want to shut the government down. My suspicion is, my very strong suspicion is, that there are enough votes there.” That suspicion has been shared by many all along. If Boehner was telling the truth he had nothing to lose by putting it to the vote.

Congress has played this game since Obama began his presidency – of taking a hard line when the stakes were high and pushing Obama and Democrats to making concessions. In the beginning Obama was willing to be flexible because that, he has insisted, is what democracy is all about. But he’s also said that when it matters he knows how to draw his line in the sand.

That’s the part that Congress didn't believe. With the government shutdown and their job approval ratings according to Gallup at 11%, one percentage point higher than their lowest in Gallup history, they blindly tried the same tactic again recently when Obama invited the House to speak with him. John Boehner said last Sunday, after that invitation was issued, that he would not let a default happen, which got him a few kudos for a day or so because most people believed he was saying he wouldn't participate in blackmail again.

But they were wrong. What he didn't say on Sunday was that his idea of not letting the default happen was to continue the blackmail but with the stakes so high that the President and the Senate would have no option but to cave. 

He and his Tea Party backers not only proved Obama to have understood them perfectly, but they also miscalculated badly. Neither Obama nor the Democrats caved and the House has truly backed itself into a corner with the debt default date looming - something that even hard-core members like Ted Cruz have begun to realize. He's not making any grand speeches these days.

Perhaps they've finally looked at the polls and realized where reality lies. They're still whining about Democrats and the President refusing to negotiate but they're sounding embarrassingly pitiful now. With Congress job approval ratings virtually at an historic all-time low, overall favorability is at 28%, down from 38% in September (as opposed to Democrat job approval at 43%). As for the Tea Party, the highest support it’s ever had was 32% in late 2010. That support has dwindled to 22%.

It becomes clearer and clearer that the Tea Party isn't interested in democracy but wants to impose its will on a reluctant American electorate. It seems to have a vested interest in the Republican party imploding, even if it means that the US economy falls apart. They clearly see themselves as David versus Goliath and a new world order emerging with them triumphantly heralding it in. The point they haven’t apparently grasped is that a new world order always has a huge groundswell moving it with a fully representative leader. This group of political bandits hasn’t just taken on Obama, they’ve pit themselves against the voters, actually creating a groundswell - of opposition to themselves. 

It’s very strange in a civilized country to see a political party so blinded by self-delusion and behave so stupidly and self-destructively as this one has since 2008. 

The Republican Party is a rag-tag bunch now, disintegrating at the speed of light. Controlled by a group addicted to blackmail and gambling, unable to see or acknowledge how lousy they are at both. 

It was always going to be difficult for Republicans at the 2016 elections as their main support base – older whites – dies off and as minority groups become increasingly franchised. But they’re making it worse for themselves, actively doing all the dirty work for Democrats, making it even easier for them way ahead of the next elections. It defies belief. If there are any sensible Republican politicians, now is the time for them to show leadership and fiercely lobby for what the American voters really want - a clean CR and to raise the debt ceiling - and show the electorate that not all Republican politicians are gamblers and hostage takers. 

But it doesn’t look as if that’s going to happen. More moderate Republicans in Congress are being more open about their desire to stop the hostage taking but so far none of them seem to have the courage to really take a stand against the Tea Party. No  wonder. Those who have, have lost Tea Party funding and support. The President isn't the only who's been blackmailed. 

All of which casts a pretty optimistic light on 2016; a Democrat President, Democrat Senate, Democrat Congress. 

It’s a tragedy of history that President Obama hasn’t had that kind of support, solely because of an undercurrent of racism and fear of losing status quo that is still embedded deep into the psyche of so many Americans, so deep that it's unacknowledged and hotly denied. But it's an absolute triumph that he has established a legacy that will impact on the US and the world for a long time. He is the man who has truly heralded in a new world order, the leader of a genuine groundswell in America with a genuinely representative leader. When change happens, whether it's in an individual or a nation, all the entrenched, destructive old ways fight to the death. That's what we're seeing here: the death rattle of the old order.