Yes, honest and competent.
Is that asking too much? Is it asking too much to expect our elected officials to be honest? To be competent and professional enough to do what they are elected to do — put the best interests of the country and their constituents above their own self-interests?
Washington is not a lifetime job meant to enrich the officeholders, satisfy their egos, make them rich and famous, put them above the law, or give them a platform upon which to strut before the world. Omnipotence is not in the job description.
The Founding Fathers gave citizens too much credit when they failed to set term limits for judges and lawmakers. They pictured citizen legislators, individuals stepping up to serve the public interest for a short time and then returning to their private lives. Moreover, they didn’t account for political parties, although George Washington realized the danger.
A megalomaniac like Trump becoming president? Apparently it never occurred to them, nor to most Americans since. Yet here we are.
Until now I’ve granted Trump a trace of grace — just a trace — by attributing a fraction of his madness to aging and dementia. He is, after all, 80 years old. And his wandering, “weaving,” forgetfulness, ranting, and confusion could, perhaps, be attributed to that.
But no more.
He sickens me. Some of his cabinet members and “friends” sicken me. His MAGA supporters in Congress sicken me. They don’t even bother to pretend anymore. They just kiss the ring and bend the knee while collecting their favors and lining their pockets.
Live streaming a firing squad execution? That’s something Pete Hegseth came up with because … because … because he’s power-drunk? Because he overdosed on testosterone? The man is so full of himself it’s a wonder he hasn’t exploded. And Trump endorsed the idea. Hell yeah. He’s at least as manly as Hegseth; after all, he’s the president of the USA! A president who thinks he should have received the Nobel Peace Prize this year, even though he started a war. And who thinks he belongs in the company of Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and Mother Teresa. And who still thinks his glorious name, his presence, can save Republican candidates across the country:
Oh he is most certainly on my ballot.
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Note: This Saturday, October 17, is the next No Kings Day and the last one before the election. Find an event near you. The theme is VOTE EARLY!