A definition of the word stupidity is “behavior that shows a lack of good sense or judgment.” Too many who do possess good sense have tolerated abject stupidity in our politics and in our politicians for far too long, and we now find ourselves on a precipice as the stupid aggressively assert their supposed dominance while those who retain the ability to rationalize mistakenly think there is room for discussion, for reason, for tolerance. There isn’t.
In Idaho, those of the far right who seek to impose their narrow morality on all are intent on gaining all the offices, great and small, that they are able in the upcoming primary May 17, and they see everyone not for them as enemies, even those in their own party, the RINOs, who don’t possess the appropriate zeal. They are intolerant, they are averse to reason. Their commentary is bereft of any interest in serving the public or addressing real issues, but long on furthering their crippling agenda, heavy on trite and imaginary catch-phrase threats aped ad nauseum; CRT, woke, et al.
It’s been seen before. They cry “liberty,” but hold out the chains of autocracy, of fascism. They proclaim freedom, but once empowered, they work quickly to strip away the freedoms of they who disagree, who don’t measure up, don’t fit in.
We are at the point where it is nonsensical to tolerate the intolerable. If their attempt at conquest isn’t stopped now, via the ballot, the ensuing price of restoring our democracy may well be more than we are willing or able to pay.
While rational people can argue the start date fell far earlier, there can be little argument that our politics got irrefutably stupid on June 16, 2015, when Donald J. Trump announced his longshot bid for the White House, and rose to an apex January 6, 2021. Somehow, this charlatan touched a nerve in the psyche of the easily mislead, most blinded by prejudice, and launched the greatest and most insidious national cult since Adolph Hitler, another charismatic charlatan; another “straight talker” with a lust for power who developed and nurtured a zealously devoted cult following.
Though no longer in office, the Donald and his minions still pose a clear and present danger to this nation and its constitution.
The similarities between Trump and Hitler are uncanny. Hitler rose to prominence but was ousted and jailed before he could realize his vision. Trump survived one term, being twice impeached, and was ousted by voters. With all the inquiries now extant, he could face jail.
After his release, Hitler came back stronger than before. It soon took the might of the world to stop his idea of a self-imposed Utopia dominated by the superior and pure Aryan peoples of Germany.
His cult still clamoring, Trump, a man who studied Hitler and who openly admires and emulates dictators and despots, is looking to regain his throne in 2024, and part of his strategy is culminating now … to get as many loyal members of his cult as possible into as many elective offices as possible, from precinct committees (both Republican and Democrat) to governor’s mansions and the U.S. House and Senate, where they can save him from prosecution, grease the skids of his return to power and arrange his coronation in 2024.
Just beating them by electing people of good sense with a commitment to public service will likely not be enough, as it’s reasonable to expect that many of the zealots running, already echoing Trump’s trite and oh-so-stale catch-phrase menaces, will be clamoring with unfounded claims of voter fraud and holding raucous “stop the steal” rallies if they lose by any narrow margin.
The only way to defeat them is to do it so overwhelmingly that there’s no way the will of the people can be doubted or mistaken, and to do that will require massive turnout not only in November’s general election, but especially in the May 17 primary. Only if nearly all eligible voters go to the polls will there be no question.
Better to do it now by our vote, while we can, than to wait and allow the continued erosion of our democracy and our constitution wrought by a once proud political party now run amok.
And if good sense reigns, perhaps, just perhaps, we can use our vote to remedy the intransigent partisan gridlock that has had our seats of government so agonizingly constipated for such an agonizingly long time. Perhaps, realizing just how fragile our form of democracy is and how close we came to losing it, we can finally send to office those of the people who prove dedicated and resolved to work diligently for we, the people … all equally endowed with the rights and responsibilities of our citizenship … and to strive, diligently and together, to form an ever more perfect union.