There he was, strutting about, wearing nothing but his MAGA cap. Not a pretty sight.
At first no one had the courage to tell him, “Hey dude, do you know how ridiculous you look? Time for a wardrobe check!” It was obvious, but no one called him on it.
Then, finally, one person stood up and spoke out. Months went by, then another found the courage to speak, followed by another Those first few voices were saying what colleagues had known but were too timid to say. They chose to remain silent, fearful of the damage that might befall their future prospects.
That first courageous voice spoke the truth, and the truth could not be denied. Eventually other voices followed, knowing that the truth “shall make you free.” What had started as a lone voice grew and grew until it became on overwhelming chorus.
It didn’t stop there. Criticism and ridicule morphed into disgust and rejection. Donald Trump became a one-term president.
This is, of course, a modern-day adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” It gives hope to those who yearn for a return to civil discourse in American politics.
This country’s left-wing media has not been shy about calling attention to the President’s short comings. From just after midnight, when Hillary Clinton conceded defeat, they jumped on every flaw, real or imagined, to skewer the President. Their outcry has been so incessant and vicious that it has faded to irrelevance. Who listens anymore?
But is It possible that there might be a ground swell of opposition from less radical elements of today’s political elite? Yes, I believe it is possible. I believe that it has begun.
Rex Tillerson was one of the first. He ridiculed the President’s intellect after a Pentagon briefing in July of 2017. The fact that he called the President a “fucking moron” unquestioningly cost him his job.
Others noted Tillerson’s firing and remained silent. Even the most ill-conceived and outrageous tweets went unchallenged. Fear of retribution. Silence. But not forever.
It took a while, but eventually others followed Tillerson. Tennessee Senator Bob Corker was one. He criticized the President’s confrontational stand on boarder security which led to the government shut down in late 2018. He called it nothing more than political posturing. Of note is the fact that Corker had earlier announced his retirement from the Senate. He had little to lose.
Mitt Romney was different. As a newly seated Senator, he had to know that any criticism of White House policy would surely spark the wrath of the President. Yet shortly after the Mueller Report’s release, in April of 2019, Romney issued a temperate but highly critical statement. He expressed gratitude that the report fell short of criminal charges, thus saving the country the trauma of a potential Presidential indictment. However, in the same statement, he pointed directly at the President for his conduct, saying “I am sickened by the extent and pervasiveness of dishonesty and misdirection by individuals in the highest office in the land, including the President.” Harsh words, indeed.
Momentum was building. Other’s followed.
Ted Cruz was one. He has had a love-hate relationship with the President. Or, more accurately, a “hate-love-hate” relationship.
You will remember that Cruz was at Trump’s throat during the 2016 nomination process. Then, when he needed the President’s support to defeat upstart Beto O’Rourke in the 2018 Senatorial race, it was back to buddy-buddy.
And now, perhaps emboldened by Romney’s example, Cruz is back on the attack. In recent Senate hearings, he lashed out at the administration for exploiting a loophole in the Arms Export Control Act in order to expedite $8 billion in arms sales, mostly to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, saying “The process that the State Department followed for these weapons sales, not to put too fine a point on it, was crap.”
On July 15th shortly after Cruz’s new-found courage, Marco Rubio spoke out against the President’s twitter attack against four progressive congresswomen. In a carefully worded statement, Rubio said, “I think identity politics is a poison. It is toxic. I think it is true when members of Congress practice it. But the presidency and the words of a president carry even greater weight in terms of the impact on society. The President shouldn’t have written that (his tweets). I think it damages him, but it damages the country and none of us should be participating in identity politics.”
Could it be that Corker, Romney, Cruz and Rubio are testing the waters to see if a challenge for the Republican presidential nomination might gain traction?
And there are others waiting in the wings.
Larry Hogan has been mentioned as a possible candidate. An outspoken critic of the President, he positioned himself as a centrist and won a convincing re-election as Governor of Maryland in 2018. Maryland is a heavily Democratic state. Interesting.
Former Governor of Ohio, John Kasich, is also frequently mentioned. Like Hogan, he is a well-regarded, moderate Republican. At a recent appearance at the University of Florida, he was asked if he was considering a run. His answer: “all options are on the table.”
Could be quite a party.
Meanwhile, will someone please tell Donald to at least put on a bathrobe?