Women must have enormous patience. I say this because 18 months from now will mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote. Given Tuesday's sweeping election results, if this turns out to be “The Year of the Woman,” it couldn't come at a better time.
Clearly without women running for office and voting in such high numbers, the Democrats wouldn't have won the House and Trump would be more demagogic than ever. (If that's possible.)
The GOP congressional defeat was their worst since Watergate. And yet, as I watched Tuesday night, I occasionally covered my eyes like a kid watching a horror movie. I also I found myself recalling the film All the President's Men.
In the movie's next to last scene that takes place after midnight, Woodward and Bernstein (Redford and Hoffman) rush to the elegant house of Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee (Jason Robards.) Grumpy and wearing a robe, Bradlee invites his young reporters inside but they flash a handwritten note, “Our lives are in danger.”
Bradlee cautiously walks his weary reporters to the lawn where they can't be bugged. He tells them to go home, take a bath, maybe nap for 15 minutes and “Get the hell back on the story. There's not too much at stake here,” he says sarcastically, “only the Constitution and the future of our democracy.” That's how I felt as Tuesday night's election results began coming in.
So, thanks to women, our democracy is no longer on life-support and is breathing on its own. In looking back, we shouldn't be surprised about the crucial female contribution given the massive Women's March the day after Trump's 2017 Inauguration.
The March advocated for human rights, women's rights, immigration reform, health care reform, reproductive rights, the environment, LGBTQ and racial equality, None are exactly in Trump's Top Ten, with the other 9 likely being “What's Good For Me!” (Trump now admits there's global warming but says it will reverse itself, adding absurdly, “I have a good instinct for these things.”)
Ironically, during the 2016 campaign, some “less enlightened” males claimed a female president could be consumed with her hair and make-up and could suffer from menopausal mood swings. I say “ironically,” because Trump has admitted he spends 90 minutes a day on his hair and makeup and has so many mood swings he seems tri-polar.
Wednesday revealed wildly erratic behavior, even for Trump. In the morning he fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions. He replaced him with Matthew Whitaker as Acting Attorney General despite apparent conflicts of interest. The move is being compared to Nixon's infamous Saturday Night Massacre.
Actually, this highlights numerous similarities between Nixon and Trump. (Except Nixon was highly intelligent, a student of world history and extremely well read, whereas Trump doesn't even read Daily Briefings.)
In fact, it's possible that Trump scandals may be far worse than Watergate. For example, there was never even a suggestion Nixon cooperated with a foreign adversary, according to John Dean, former White House Counsel whose congressional testimony led to Nixon's downfall. (Recently, Trump, in mobster manner, called Dean a “rat,” as though telling the truth was a character flaw.)
Dean wound up going to prison and being disbarred. Recently, however, he said that he never once doubted that Nixon would obey the law, as in a court order, etc. Ominously, he can't say the same for Trump. That's why Tuesday's election may eventually bring us to a constitutional crisis like no other, except during the Civil War.
Clearly election related, Trump's behavior at Wednesday's 90 minute press conference was a disturbing mix of somber and surly. Vengefully, he mocked by name losing Republican candidates whom he felt didn't “embrace” him enough. (#Pathetic.) Reminiscent of Baghdad Bob, he also falsely claimed his historic high African-American polling numbers which, in reality, were 8%! (What's next, blame Kanye?)
In addition, Trump warned Democrats if they didn't stop investigating him he would start investigating them, “And I know more about them than they know about me.” (Sounding childishly like “I know you are, but what am I?”)
At one point in the press conference, Trump, who looked like he had fallen asleep in a tanning bed, suddenly left the podium. Some thought he was going to angrily walk right out of the room. Instead, he paced. (#Weird.)
In response to her question about his referring to himself as a “nationalist,” Trump called African-American reporter, Yamiche Alcindor, “a racist.” He then purposefully picked a fight with CNN's Jim Acosta and later suspended him from the White House. (Petty POTUS panicking?)
Of the nearly 100 women who won Congressional seats on Tuesday, many have extensive military and combat background whereas Trump has a draft-dodger background. Note to Bully In Chief: Sooner than you think, you may meet more than your match.
Jack is at: facebook.com/jackneworth, twitter.com/jackneworth and jackdailypress@aol.com
