It’s entertaining.
The scene in the Rose Garden as he announced the reopening of the government (for three weeks) was surreal. It looked like ‘The Addams Family’ reunion. The whole creepy cast and administrative crew were there lurking in the wings of the West Wing watching as the master of mayhem, our president, Donald ‘Hair on Fire’ Trump, gave it all up to Nancy Pelosi.
We already know the downside of Donald Trump ...morally depraved, sexual degenerate, philanderer, adulterer, misogynist, liar, megalomaniac, narcissist, all-around rapscallion ...Traitor.
Hey, no one’s perfect.
We American’s elected this man as president. We’ve come to expect and accept Trump for all he is, but we soulfully long for a president who is everything he is not ...loyal, trustworthy, rational with a leadership command presence that we can respect, admire, love and trust. Someone who is actually looking out for us. Like Nancy Pelosi. Instead, we have Crazy Harry in the White House and it’s getting old. It’s hurting people. It’s been fun and very entertaining, but enough already, it’s embarrassing. I’m embarrassed that America actually elected him, and I’m embarrassed that we’re addicted to the continued advertising hype and media coverage.
This is a reflection on us, not him.
But here’s the real upside. Trump, either unwittingly or by design, has shown us what we’re worth ...as a people, as a nation, a society, as individuals. He’s enabled us to take a good long, hard look at ourselves. He’s given us a choice by setting a bad example, the worst example possible, a road map for juxtaposing navigation on a more correct course as a people, nation, society, as individuals.
President Trump has shown us who our congress is as an institution, both the Senate and the House of Representatives, and as individual congressmen. He’s shown us what they are worth, their mettle, their weaknesses, and how they work and don’t work together.
He has forced them to show us their values, their honesty and commitment ...their integrity or lack thereof. He has forced the good ones to stand out, and the bad ones into their dark hiding places handicapped by their own thought and words. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, for example, will hide in his private senate “hideout room” to avoid questions from the press and from his own conscience ...Texas Senator Ted Cruz seemingly strives to flummox solid ideas, consistent logic and good sense, whereas the Senator from Colorado, Michael Bennet, will passionately defend logic and reason and call a Ted Cruz on his shortcomings as an irresponsible public official and hint at his weakness as an irresponsible human being.
Trump has shown us the sordid, seamy side of business and politics by unmasking his criminal friends and associates seducing them from their dark corners into the light of the television cameras for all of us to see, to know and to remember. The Paul Manaforts, the Roger Stones, the Jared Kushners, Michael Cohens, KelleyAnne Conways, George Papadopouloses ...the Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Michael Flynns and Wilbur Rosses ...all of them, the surfs, suckers and sycophants ...all seemingly bald-faced, professional liars.
Thank you, Donald Trump, for letting us know, for showing us how bad bad can be, and what we need to watch out for in the future. Thank you for chasing these creatures out from under their rocks and gold bricks so we can get a good look at them.
And thank you for scaring up all the new wannabe presidential candidates for us to observe and judge. We’ll take a closer, harder, longer look at them as well, vet them better than we did you, so we don’t end up with another freak show like your lunatic, mayhem presidency. We needed you to show us that mayhem and your Goldfinger villain character and crew so we can clearly distinguish the good guys from the bad guys.
It’s clear now where we are as a country and what we need to do in order not make the same mistake again with our precious America and democracy. If we want ‘The Sopranos’ we’ll catch them on HBO.
But what are we left with as the smoke clears? Will all the bad guys turn good? Will we Americans come to our senses and elect a ‘good guy’ ...and will our existing, incumbent congressmen, the bad ones, come around and see the light?
We Americans should demand consistency in our government. Continuity. Integrity and credibility. Showbiz cartoonish characters stroking their own egos and turning America into a vulnerable, worldwide laughingstock are poisoning the well, exposing our future and freedoms.
But this is America, isn’t it? The good, bad and the ugly. We’re all different, but all the same ...the American dichotomy. We have teams, dreams, clubs, spiritual beliefs, sides to choose, dozens of diet drinks and politicians to choose from and it all adds up to our freedom. We should protect that, embrace it, be smart about it.
Be responsible, and honorable, like that senator from Colorado. Speak your mind, act and work with passion, read someone the riot act when they deserve it. You know people like this. True and natural leaders. They are not as rare or few and far between as you may think. Don’t look for the sexiest television star, look for heart, soul and truth. Don’t pick the guy with the most money or who can raise the most money. Look for humility. You know these people. You see them at work, at school, in the office ...a teacher a friend, mother, father, sister, brother ...use them as a model for your next president. And if you don’t know someone like this, or if you can’t recognize these traits of leadership, then the problem may be you, or sadly, there is no one like this in your sphere of influence. If that’s the case, at least now you know where to look for truth and integrity. You’ll know how to be ...or not to be.
Maybe if the mainstream news media didn’t feature our country as ‘The West Wing’ 24/7 we’d all settle down and pay attention to the things that are most important in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Otherwise, it’s mayhem.
John Kushma is a communication consultant and lives in Logan, Utah.
