Mirror, Mirror on San Diego’s Wall: Who’s the Trumpiest of Them All?
It’s a sign of the times in Southern California that the president’s name has become fodder for political attacks in Democrat vs Democrat contests.
No longer is campaigning a matter of questioning the opposition party’s agenda, the mere mention of the Dear Leader’s name is meant to infer association with his reactionary persona.
The contests for Mayor of San Diego and Congressional District 53 are where I’ve noticed exchanges of this sort; it’s a disappointing and counterproductive ploy, even if it's coming from Independent Expenditure “outsiders”
Will Barbara Bry be unveiling a plan to put homeless people into detention camps should she be elected? Will Sara Jacobs be voting to cut food stamps?
Will Georgette Gomez be trash tweeting about minor differences on legislation in committees where she sits? Will Todd Gloria be lining his pockets with real estate schemes as he works from City Hall?
Obviously, the answer is “no” in all cases.
President Donald Trump has, over the past four years, become much more than simply an opposition leader; the man is representative of a galaxy of retrograde ideologies, along with a widespread belief of his intent to dismantle democracy. And while these things are true to some degree, his actions are driven by sociopathy.
The man is a mean kind of crazy, who, in the minds of many people, has become an icon for evil. He’s earned it, thanks to legions of grifters and racists, who’ve learned to induce policies by obsequious fawning.
My concern in writing this column isn’t over the usefulness of the tactic; I’m sure calling your opponent a sh*thead provokes a certain kind of visceral reaction.
But what about the day after election day? Will the political alliances backing each of these candidates be able to forgive and forget? Tarring somebody who should be an ally with this brush is not just business as usual; it’s spitting in their face.
Let’s assume for a very brief and unsettling moment that the President actually wins re-election. Left unsaid in too much of the coverage of this political campaign is that Trump actually has an agenda for the start of his second term, which includes a purging of the leadership of military and security branches of government (DoD, FBI, CIA, Justice Department).
The Guardian also reports the White House racist-in-residence, Stephen Miller, has prepared a “drawer full of executive orders ready to be signed in ‘shock and awe’ style if Trump is re-elected.”
And I’m sure there’s another reverse trickle down tax cut policy ready to be packaged as necessary for economic recovery.
I’m enough of an optimist to believe these scenarios would provoke previously unheard of unrest, bureaucratic resistance, and even disruptions like mass shutdowns of various sectors of the economy.
While I don’t see any of the candidates mentioned earlier as the types who will be leading an assault on the bastille, the kinds of coalitions necessary for resistance to occur need to be as broad as possible.
I’d hate to think that bad blood over a campaign’s tactical decisions would leave potential allies sitting on the sideline. And I say that because I know people who are still alienated and alienating over things that happened during Mayor Bob Filner’s tenure.
The same “screw you” scenarios would apply in a world where former Vice President Joe Biden is victorious. Undoing the damage wreaked to our democracy, ecology, and economy over the past four years will require active support of the citizenry.
One need look no further than the creation of the Tea Party at the start of President Obama’s term to understand what will be required of people who still want to live in a world where empathy, democracy, and inclusion are considered virtues.
Finally, I believe that wielding the tarring brush of Trumpism diminishes its effectiveness in campaigns where there are actual differences in ideology.
It's good news that Tara Lawson-Remer is polling well against incumbent County Supervisor Kristin Gaspar, who really has (when politically expedient) embraced the worst of what the Trump administration has unleashed upon Americans.
I can’t help but think of the fable about the little boy who cried wolf. Let’s leave the “Trumpy” option on the shelf for use against real toxic candidacies.
I happen to have supported both the candidates for Mayor and Congress who’ve engaged in this current pissing match; playing the Trump card makes me wonder about my choices.
Postscript: I realize that the Democratic Party and many of their candidates aren't the ultimate solution to the many crises facing this country. At this point, I'm just addressing what's on the menu.
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