Blog : Trump - the canary in the coal mine

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8/30/2015 3:26 pm

Trump - the canary in the coal mine

From: Egberto Willies

Does the Republican establishment really want Donald Trump to get out of the presidential race? Do party leaders want him to tone it down? On the contrary, there seems to be some unanticipated genius in Trump's method. He is the canary in the GOP coal mine, warning us of the party's downright dangerous trajectory.

Political pundits have speculated for months about Trump's inevitable political demise. First, they said he wouldn't run because he would refuse to file the necessary financial disclosures. When he said he would file the papers, they said he would take advantage of the filing extension. When he actually filed the papers, they said it wouldn't be long until he left the race. Then he disparaged John McCain, and many said that would be the last straw. It wasn't. When he insulted Latinos they said it would bring his numbers down. It didn't. When he insulted Fox News' Megyn Kelly, a conservative favorite, they said his number was finally up. Instead, his poll numbers went up. Sensing a pattern?

Last week, I flew to a Coffee Party USA board meeting. Two Southern women were seated next to me at this gathering of folks from both sides of the political spectrum. One woman was from Louisiana and the other was from Texas. The Louisianan sang the praises of Gov. Bobby Jindal, while the Texan had high regard for former Gov. Rick Perry. The person they admired the most, however, was Donald Trump. Let's think about that, below.

Two Southern women, who seemed likely candidates for the United Daughters of the Confederacy, were smitten by this Northeastern plutocrat and billionaire. They both like him because he "says what's on his mind." The woman from Louisiana, a state that doesn't border Mexico, loved him for his immigration policy. I listened as she explained to the Texan that she needed to visit Trump's website to learn more about his proposed policy.

Every political operative will tell you that word of mouth is more powerful than any other form of advertising. The love these Southern ladies expressed for this sometimes liberal, pseudo-conservative Northeastern billionaire gave me great pause. These two women are just two of his guinea pigs, and they are absorbing an experimental treatment that would ultimately continue the decimation of the middle class. It's a sick political experiment.

In 2000, the election was stolen by a rogue Supreme Court. In 2004, "fear" was the successful campaign strategy. In 2008, "hope" had resonance. In 2012, Americans realized that hope needed more time and engagement. It's now 2015 and Americans seem ready to engage. The presidential election is 16 months away and hundreds of thousands of us are already captivated. It is now that the temperature of the electorate is taken.

Bernie Sanders is giving America a populist choice, akin to a revolution. He is encouraging Americans to demand and take what is theirs. Hillary Clinton and the other Democrats are, to a lesser extent, doing the same.

What are the rank-and-file Republicans doing? They have nothing to run on. Repeal and replace Obamacare? Red state residents are benefiting tremendously from healthcare reform. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is the only presidential candidate so far who has put forth a repeal-and-replace proposal. He'd like to go back to the old days of legal insurance fraud against the middle class.

Republicans like Jeb Bush want to raise the retirement age and reduce Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits. In other words, they are telling the middle class and the poor that they will break these national commitments in order to maintain a plutocracy that owns a bigger and bigger piece of the pie every day. They are willing to break the promise that lifted millions out of poverty.

GOP legislators are offering no increases in the minimum wage to build a ladder of economic opportunity for hard-working Americans. They continue their war on women with their attacks on Planned Parenthood, and women's control of their own bodies.

In other words, none of their policies will resonate with 50 percent plus one of the electorate. So what is their answer? Fear and hate. Can America fall for fear and/or hate again?

Again, Donald Trump is the canary in the coal mine, portending the Republican Party's dangerous trajectory. His poll numbers have risen proportionally to his level of fear-mongering and hate speech. Anecdotally, I have even heard many Democrats express support for his attacks on Latinos and undocumented workers.

If anyone doubts that it is possible for this election to turn on immigration, undocumented workers, and the fomenting of hate and prejudice, I give you the French election of 2014. Let's not let history repeat itself.