A WHOLE COUNTRY GONE MAD

A WHOLE COUNTRY GONE MAD

It’s terrifying, really. 

That an entire nation, including me, is paying rapt attention to the rantings of a carnival barker. 

I admit it, I’m as bad as anyone. I see Trump’s picture, Trump’s name, on the TV or in the newspapers, and I’m instantly alert and immediately reading or watching . . . because he’s so outrageous he’s mesmerizing. What shocking thing will he do next? How has he managed to “out reality” reality TV?   (Which has never been visible in this household. Until now.) 

I’ve practically memorized the man’s evil mouthings: the reporter insulted to his face—in front of other reporters, called “a sleaze”.  The judge, born in Indiana, who happens to be mediating the Trump University lawsuits. Reflexively, our man called him “A Mexican,” as though that was the worst epithet you could drop on anyone.

The outrage goes on, day after day, and scariest of all, a huge chunk of the country takes him seriously, as though he’s actually qualified to be president.  And here comes the part most of us will never understand. What act of his, what statement, what viewpoint emerges from his rants that makes anyone picture him for one minute delivering a State of the Union to Congress, negotiating with world leaders, or holding a thoughtful press conference at a podium outside the White House?   

Honestly, folks, this emperor has no clothes.

I hold myself partly to blame. Unlike Rob, who’s so fed up with the whole process he no longer wants to discuss it, I’m still fixated by the spectacle.  Since when have any of us seen someone like Trump running for the highest office in the land? Maybe in the world? Since when have we viewed such a carnival . . . a series of podiums dominated by what is essentially a naked man?

So what good has come from the huge majority of us—the skeptics? I can think of only two things: more avidly than ever we’ve watched The National News. And we’ve bought a lot of newspapers.