It’s a hot summer day in 2060, and recently retired Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri is having trouble explaining things to his great-grandchild. As they sit on the porch swing sipping sweet lemonade, the octogenarian who recently opted not to seek an eighth term, can’t seem to find the right words. “Wait,” he was asked, “you had a chance to remove Donald Trump from power in 2020 and you didn’t take it?”
Some things just can’t be explained. Frankly, Hawley is just grateful that this precocious child doesn’t know enough to ask about the rules of the impeachment trial. But nothing comes to mind that might be a satisfactory response. “I was a coward” seems uninspiring, and “I was a fool” isn’t much better. Offering a defense on the merits is out of the question, so Hawley feigns the halting memory of an old man and stutters about it being a long time ago and a different world.
I hope this at least somewhat resembles the future.
The Republicans should rue their decisions in January and February 2020 for the rest of their lives, and suffer shame and alienation from their friends, colleagues and families. I have faith that Donald Trump will make it so, as there’s no chance that he’ll become a better president or that the fallout from his trial won’t have lasting negative consequences for the nation, and probably the world.
But I also hope the worst won’t happen and Hawley will actually have grandchildren who are growing up in a society civilized enough to remember its history and free enough to question past leaders.
Things will go badly now, and the only question is how catastrophic it will get.
But the economy…
My Dad died nearly a year ago. He was sort of the anti-Donald Trump in that his core values were integrity and he had empathy. He was also the primary reason I became so passionate about politics and current events. One of our last conversations was about Trump. He said to me, “I don’t think I’ll live long enough to see how it ends. I just hope they get the bastard for your sake.”
I wish he was here. Miss the hell out of him. Been thinking about him lots and grieving as we approach the one year anniversary of his passing. And I’m also relieved he didn’t live long enough to see the senate shit on itself. Lamar Alexander’s statement would’ve disgusted him.
My dad had a scare last year. Seems to be doing better. He and I are both hoping he stays alive long enough to witness Trump’s eviction. Last time we were together in person, a few weeks back, he was telling me that he was very worried about how our country’s institutions were being corrupted. Very, very worried about climate change, given Trump’s efforts to reverse everything the Obama Administration had attempted to do. I have two parents who are actually very worried about the world their grandkids and eventual great-grandkids will inherit. Oddly enough, both of them are now to the left of me (big Sanders and Michael Moore fans) – I am still trying to get used to that.
My Dad died in 2015, at the age of 100. Like his father before him, he had invested much of his life in civil rights and social justice causes. Obama was in the White House and he died in peace. I would not for the world wake him to see what has happened since. .
My father died at age 98 in 2016. Sadly, he probably would have adored Trump because Fox had taken over his brain. Very well educated man, widely read, no patience for nonsense – until Fox took him. It hurts still.
Let’s make sure folks know the Republican Senators shirked their duty to uphold the constitution. And, adopt a Democratic Senate candidate, especially in the South. Make the Republicans play defense in what they consider safe seats, and we will get a few pickups. Appealing to the middle is suicide for them now, so those voters should be persuadable to vote Democratic.
It’s a sad business. But the republicans had to shirk their duties in order for us to have a better shot. They had to do it in front of everyone. They majority of voters had to want to see witnesses. And they did. Next, the repubs had to block the investigation and let trump off scott free. And they are. It still sucks to see it happen. But they truly are lost and this is what it looks like.
Next, up we need to pull together for the general. Given that 2 supreme justices and the elimination of legal abortion is on the line, I suspect we will. Though day to day it looks iffy lol.
Then we keep an eye on the voter rolls for any malfeasance. We already have two organizations that I know of working on it.
I believe MI is almost a wrap for trump. I’m originally from there and I know my people. Electing a Democrat governor wasn’t a fluke.
I believe Wisc is tight, but a Dem Gov with a good GOTV plan that keeps an eye on the voter rolls leading up to the election should get us over the top.
Pennsylvania? Not sure. But Bloomberg is carpeting the state in ads. And what I like about him is half the Ads are just negative truths about trump. Not bad.
We have a shot.
Wait, you’re giving up on the possibility that Trump will lose the election?
it doesn’t matter. The door has been opened to foreign interference and the Imperial Presidency that (until Trump) gave Dick Cheney wet dreams.
Me, I’m working on getting the fuck out ASAP.
“I hope this at least somewhat resembles the future.” It doesn’t and you clearly aren’t paying attention. Senator Hawley is a REPUBLICAN.
Retired Senator Josh Hawley will look at his great-grandchild and say: “That is such a good question. The Democrats of that time were a bunch of losers who hated Jesus and were trying to bring down a wonderful president out of hatred. They lied like pigs and faked evidence and we were heroic in stopping a coup attempt by the Democrat traitors”
This is what Hawley will tell his great-grandchild regardless of anything that happens between now and then, regardless of what history shows, regardless of reality.
Did I mention that Hawley is a Republican? Hawley is a Republican and he will lie for the cause – every time.
Twenty republicans could have decided in secret, that they were going to vote in a block to remove Trump from office. There are certainly more than twenty who realize what a danger he is to our country. It could have been over in minutes. And yet …