As much as there is an ongoing hullaballoo about President Elect Donald Trump as America runs up to his inauguration, we should never forget the people who elected him. It is quite likely that not even half these people can explain the process of the Electoral College but they are proud of their accomplishment. Their vote was a vote of protest. It was an admonition to their own politicians. It was pay-back time. It was doing the Lord’s work—in a strange way.
In 2016, a bilious billionaire became the instrument of those who see the American dream as a failure. And there appear to be more of those people than you might have thought. The reach of their anger covers the landscape of America. They are the coal miners of Appalachia, idled by the environmentalists concerned for global warming. They are the rust belt remnants who failed to adapt to new technologies, new economies and the exigencies of world trade. They are the downtrodden of state right-to-work laws who found sustenance only in being born again.
And can you believe that in 2016, Holy Rollers found their faith restored by an atheistic apparition with orange hair? He made a mockery of the god-fearing as they flocked to his banner. They bowed down to a misogynistic boor as he told them he was their new savior. He laughed at them. He used them.
Trump ridiculed the Republican Party and Republicans flocked to his banner. The politicians had been promising Nirvana and the reality was a dust bowl. Washington was enriching the richest and impoverishing the hoi polio. Congress acted as capricious children squabbling over the spoils of the war against the taxpayers.
And they accepted a liar as their candidate. He never told them how he would make America great again. Trump was that middle finger that they flipped to their politicians and yet they had no other choice to vent their anger on Congress. They still voted Republican.
And there is now a fifth rider joining the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Trump has been preparing his cabinet and warring with the outgoing administration. It will be a cabinet foreign to Republican lawmakers and there is little excuse for its inept choices. These generals and millionaires are ready to take the helm of the ship of state. They have no knowledge of Trump’s supporters nor do they care.
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Copyright 2016 © Peter Lowry
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