The New York Times, which serves often as a barometer of that Establishment, and other corporate media have contributed to this gradual "normalization" of Trump by treating his so-called "policy initiatives" and the meaningless State of the Union as something worthy of actual consideration, while giving due time to the never-ending scandals of incompetence emanating from all corners of his Administration as each day's "story du jour."
Stancil also reminds us of how Republicans' success in maintaining the same white-hot opposition to President Obama in 2010 should teach us the value of brooking no compromise whatsoever in dealing with Trump. The singular difference between now and 2010 is that the vast majority of Americans are on our side:
"Recent shifts in elite opinion do not seem to reflect any change of public sentiment. Trump is nearly as unpopular as ever. Voters disapprove of the president by huge margins. Opinion polling consistently finds that over half the country 'strongly disapproves' of him. Indeed, loathing for Trump is so profound that he is able to move public opinion towards almost any position, simply by taking the other side. (In one striking example, Trump's opposition to NFL protests appeared to make those protests more popular.) Tellingly, there does not seem to be a single high-profile policy dispute in which the president's position commands majority support."
This President remains either disliked or vehemently hated -- take your pick -- among a large majority of Americans. He is particularly despised by women (for good reason, as we have seen again this week). To have a President viewed through this sort of prism by the American public is extraordinary, and provides an extraordinary opportunity for Democrats. There is absolutely no excuse for cooperating or "negotiating" with such a person or even to tacitly recognize his legitimacy, except perhaps in instances -- like (arguably) the budget debacle, where his enablers on the Republican side force a tactical retreat through their own despicable behavior, exercised against the will of the American people only as a consequence of their current majority status:
"The anti-Trump coalition may not last forever, but at this moment, it represents, in raw vote-getting terms, the most powerful force in American political life -- the unified inverse of the nation's reactionary minority."
So even in the face of this constant, disturbing and debilitating onslaught, to the extent we are able we must hold fast to our rage, and understand its power. Go to bed angry. Wake up angry. Harness your fury, guard it jealousy and treat it as something to be cherished. Feel free to express it. Find ways to compensate for it if you feel you need to. But above all, channel it into action. It is a living, breathing thing. In fact, it is the only thing standing between us and the nightmare of "normalizing" this Obscenity.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
