The Lowest Road
AJ Robinson

The 2020 election is a week old and things are looking rather confusing. As I’d hoped, Biden did pull out a win, albeit a tight one, which is depressing. What makes my regret worse is a one-two punch the voters decided to hit us with.

Even Collins of Maine was re-elected.

All the weakling Republican senators who we thought and hoped would lose, even Collins of Maine, were re-elected. The hoped-for Blue Tsunami didn’t materialize. Blue Wave? Ha, more like a trickle. A few more votes in key states and Trump would have a second term.

What hurts most is that Mitch, Lindsey and many other do-nothing lackeys are returning to the Senate. Think of it, seventy million or more people voted for Trump after four years of his actions. The mind freezes with bewilderment.

A review is in order. Thousands of lies, some small, such as inaugural crowd size, and some big, such as Mexico paying for a wall that’s only partially built and already crumbling. Then there’s diverting funds without congressional authority, declaring a fake national emergency, no help for Puerto Rico, multiple violation of the Emoluments Clause, not defeating ISIS, turning our backs on allies and treaties, cozying up to dictators, damaging the environment and our valued institutions, huge giveaways to the rich and corporations, exploding the debt and so on. Oh, did I mention perhaps the most morally corrupt act of all? Children in, cages.

Let that last one sink. We’ve seen the pictures. We’ve heard their cries and laments. We’ve learned of the mental and emotional damage this torture has caused to hundreds of children.

What’s the response from the administration, its minions and supporters? The children came here illegally. Obama did worse. We’re trying to dissuade others from coming here.

Caging children was a conscious decision.

Let me say it again. The Trump administration made a conscious decision to rip children from their parents and put them in cages. At the same time, Trump and his minions claimed to be good Christian men and women. Guess they decided to overlook Matthew 25:35.

Then there’s the pandemic. We’re up to more than 130,000 cases per day. What’s Trump doing about it? Nothing, but offer a few, not reassuring, lies.

I seem to recall Trump boasting, many times, how we’ve turned the corner on the disease. When was the last time his so-called task force did anything, even had a briefing? Biden formed an advisory board made up of physicians and not a single politician or family member; what a concept.

With all that going against him, how did Trump still get all those votes? I’m serious. I  wish someone would address this issue.

What happened? Did voters choose to overlook his many shortcomings or did they mere agree with his actions? Did they hated or feared Biden?

Did the right-wing media, Fox and Breitbart but not the Drudge Report, convince people Biden was a socialist or a communist who was going to take their guns and Bibles, ban Christmas and let immigrants overrun the country? Really? I’m sorry; I’m trying to see things from their point of view, but does any of that sound even remotely believable?

That’s why I’m now wondering just how low the Republicans can go before the voters reject them. Note the specificity. I did not include the Democrats and for good reason.

Obama, Biden or any other Democrat could never get away with one-tenth of Trump’s actions before the voters would toss them out the House would impeach them. Republicans, on the other hand, seem willing to tolerate almost anything: lying, corruption, treason, rape, child molestation, human trafficking, voter suppression, for example, and they’ll still support the candidate and I don’t just mean a president.

“Moscow” Mitch has been terrible for the people of Kentucky, yet they still vote for him in record numbers. I wonder why. Is it merely that they hate Democrats more than they’re upset with the actions of McConnell or do they truly believe he’s doing a wonderful job? I sincerely want to know.

No change anticipated in 2022 or 2024.

In 2022 and 2024 we have more elections. Are we headed back into “Trump Land”? I honestly don’t know, but I don’t see good things ahead, which is truly depressing.