I'll get to the Democrats' remarkable, talent-laden virtual convention, but first let's flash back to July 28. That's when Donald Trump did an infamous interview with Axios reporter Jonathan Swan, which aired a week later on HBO. (When Trump sits down why does he lean so far forward in his chair he looks like he's sitting on a toilet?)
Trump couldn't answers, why, when the U.S. is only 4% of the world's population, do we account for 22% of all the Covid-19 deaths. Instead he kept repeating, “I've done a tremendous job!” Swan replied, “But Mr. President we have over 1,000 deaths every day.”
Flustered, Trump said, “Yes there are deaths... but it is what it is.” Trump who initially called the virus a hoax, just one person, only 15 cases that would soon be zero; in April when it's warm it will go away; by Easter churches will be packed; one day “magically” the virus will disappear, now says 170,000 Americans dying “is what it is?!”
What about other monumental crises in American history? After the bloody Civil War, Lincoln tried graciously to unite the country, “With malice toward none and charity for all.” (Trump might say, “With malice toward all who dare disagree with me, and charity as long as I can skim off the top.”)
In 1941, on the day following the Japanese sneak attack at Pearl Harbor causing 3,000 American deaths, FDR gave a powerful speech to a joint session of Congress. But what if, instead of saying, “A day that will live in infamy,” he said, “December 7, 1941... is what it is.”
On October 22, 1962, a somber JFK gave a nationally televised address that shocked the country. “A series of Soviet missiles have been based in Cuba. The purpose can be none other than to provide a nuclear strike capability against the western hemisphere.”
JFK forcefully announced an immediate blockade of Cuba, which ultimately avoided the real possibility of a nuclear war. But what instead of that he shrugged off the missiles, “It is what it is.” (Okay, I've obviously worn out this “what if” shtick.)
The sad irony is Trump's whole life is what it isn't. For example: that's not his hair or skin color; he didn't have bone spurs; he hasn't built a wall that Mexico won't pay for and the sections rebuilt seem to blow over in a stiff wind; in 2000 he didn't run on the Reform Party because David Duke was a member (Trump saying, “Everybody knows he's a racist”) but in 2015 he said with a straight, albeit orange, face, “I don't know anything about David Duke.”
Trump isn't a self-made billionaire, his father left him $413 million and bankruptcy Don squandered almost all of it. He won't release his taxes, college transcripts or when he took the SAT because someone else took it for him.
Since Trump took office, Kim Jung-un has more nuclear weapons not less; regarding Covid, Trump tweeted Chinese President Xi “Thank you from all of America for being so transparent” now he racistly calls the virus Kung Flu. Trump denied any business dealings in Russia but Michael Cohen, testified under oath they were negotiating for a Trump Tower Moscow.
The Republican controlled Senate just released a sweeping 1000 page 3-year report that concludes Paul Manafort was “a grave counterintelligence threat.” This clearly undermines Trump's lies of “no collusion” between his campaign and Russia.
Back to the coronavirus, on January 20th, both the U.S. and S. Korea discovered their first case. The S. Koreans immediately implemented quarantines, tests, tracing and mask wearing. (Bored by Covid, Trump was more concerned with getting flavored vaping back on the market.)
As of August 20, the U.S. has suffered 173,181 deaths whereas S. Korea has suffered 275! Since we have six times their population, per capita we should have had 1,650 total deaths. Instead we could have ¼ million by November. That's “a tremendous job?” #Delusional.
So now it's up to Biden and Harris and us to save democracy. As for the amazing convention speeches, my favorite was Michelle Obama's. (Mean tweeting, Trump referred to her as “an attention seeker,” which, coming from him, is rich.)
In closing, here are ideas and quotes from Trump's “big brain.” See which is your favorite: 1. Suggesting we nuke a hurricane. 2. Saying the 1776 Revolutionary Army took over the airports. 3. Bragging the stealth F-35 fighter jets are invisible. (They're undetected by radar, not invisible!) 4. Saying Puerto Rico is an island “surrounded by big water, ocean water, which is wet from the standpoint of water.” 5. “Windmills cause cancer.” 6. “Injecting disinfectant into the human body does a tremendous number on the lungs.”
7. Given Bannon, Stone, Cohen, Manafort, Flynn, Gates and Papadopoulos, “I hire only the best people.
In this case, I suppose it actually is what it is.
At YouTube, type Obama's 2020 convention speech. Jack is at jackdailypress@aol.com.
