The Broken Brains of MAGA
“The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either -- but right through every human heart -- and through all human hearts. This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. And even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained.” ―Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn,
Happy Sunday. I’m spending the weekend with my three beautiful granddaughters here in Maryland (including some quality beach time), so this is going to be a bit shorter than usual. But some things need to be said, don’t they?
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Consider this: The high point of Donald Trump’s week was his endorsement by a man with brain worms, who once dumped a dead baby bear in Central Park.
Staying very much on brand, the anti-vax conspiracy nutjob’s announcement was drenched in delusion and crackpottery. Bobby The Lesser declared that, even though he was dropping out of the race, voters in Blue States should still vote for him because [GIBBERISH WARNING]:
… if enough of you do vote for me, and neither of the major party candidates wins 270 votes, which is quite possible. In fact, today our polling shows them tying it to [269-269]. And I could conceivably still end up in the White House in a contingent election.
Even bullshit blushes. On CNN, analyst Doug Heye charitably described Kennedy’s remarks as “Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs.”
[If you can understand what he says, I’m] reminded of a line from Mel Brooks’s Blazing Saddles. When somebody gets up and gives an indecipherable speech, he says, ‘Who can argue with that? That’s authentic frontier gibberish.’ And that’s exactly what that is.
Meanwhile: “Trump will hold an ‘awards gala’ for rioters who stormed the Capitol on January 6.”
A “J6 Awards Gala” organized by pro-Trump non-profit The America Project will be held at his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey on September 5, with the former president and Rudy Giuliani among the “invited” — but not confirmed — speakers.
The announcement poster advertises that “attendees will get a chance to win a ‘Justice for All’ Donald J Trump and J6 Prison Choir plaque.” The plaque apparently celebrates the briefly Billboard-charting jailhouse tune — featuring Trump reading the pledge of allegiance and rioters singing the national anthem — that was released earlier this year.
I regret to tell you, once again, that this is not a parody.
The Trump Effect
There’s a lively, and quite interesting, debate about whether Donald Trump has befouled American culture, or simply revealed the ugliness that was always there, but lay beneath the surface. I’m not going to try to resolve that question today.
But this much is clear: Trump has given permission to the broken minds of MAGA to give full scope to their loathsomeness. Last week, we saw the definitive Rorschach Test for the world's worst human beings:
As you know, this was triggered by a remarkable and moving moment at last week’s convention. Talking to his family, VP nominee Tim Walz, said: “Hope, Gus and Gwen, you are my entire world, and I love you.”
His 17-year-old-son, Gus, stood up, tears streaming down his face. “That’s my dad,” he said gesturing toward his father. Gus has a nonverbal learning disorder. His emotion overflowed. The moment should have transcended politics. It was beautiful. And millions of normal Americans were moved by the joy of this young man, and the love between a father and son.
Who could not feel the humanity?
These guys:
..
And Milwaukee radio host Jay Weber (about whom more later).
Terry Schilling of the American Principles Project mocked Gus Walz, writing, “Tim Walz’ son Gus wears eyeliner.”
Prominent pro-Trump Twitter accounts Dom Lucre, Colin Rugg, and Autism Capital all mocked the 17-year-old.
“Get that kid a tampon already,” wrote a right-wing podcaster Alec Lace...
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This may seem same old, same old by now, but please take a moment to reflect on the minds that reacted this way.
What must have happened to bring them to this point? What happened to their kindness? Their compassion? How warped do you have to be to mock a child, much less a disabled child this way? How seriously fucked up do you have to be to post something like this?
This is not playground bullying, because this sort of thing wouldn’t be acceptable in any school anywhere. It wouldn’t be acceptable in any walk of life. Not in church, or sports, or the military, or any business.
Nowhere.
Except right-wing politics in 2024. And it’s worth asking why. But we know the answer, don’t we?
Apologies, grace, and broken minds
Some of the trolls (including Coulter) removed their posts after seeing the backlash. Milwaukee radio host Jay Weber apologized to Walz and his family, calling his remarks “stupid and hurtful.”
I said it without thinking or having the facts. No excuses. Having been a teacher, I’ve had a standard of never involving children, I broke that and I’m disappointed with myself.
I apologize to the Walz family and anyone who was offended. I feel horrible, I am so sorry.
Online, the consensus seems to be: Apology not accepted.
I’m less sure, because I knew and worked with Jay back in The Before Times. We haven’t spoken in years and he and I have gone in very different directions, politically. But the Jay Weber I knew in the early 1990s would not have written that post. Or at least I don’t think so. (I moved radio stations and so we didn’t have much contact from 1992-2016.)
In 2016, Weber was actually strongly anti-Trump, but like so many others, he’s made his peace with the man he used to deride as Orange Julius. Somewhere along the line, Trump broke him. But I think his apology is heart-felt and maybe this is the moment when he asks himself (as I have many times): What have we done? What have we become?
In the meantime, Weber is hoping that others will extend to him the compassion, understanding, and grace that he denied to Gus Walz.
Your Sunday dogs
Flying dog at sunset.
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Eli still thinks he is a lap dog.
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Grand-dog Waldo. Who actually is a lap dog.
Some are apologizing because they learned of Gus' neurodivergence. But what if he were just an awkward, emotional 17 year old kid overcome with pride and love for his father? Would they still feel justified in belittling, mocking, humiliating and demeaning a kid on the national stage?
Why was your former colleague's first response to jump to the attack? Because that's what they've become - malevolent, vile, cruel and small. Whether Trump put the darkness in their souls or fed it doesn't matter - it's there and they revel in it and it's dark and awful.
It must be noted that Democrats and all those who disdain MAGA, left Baron Trump alone. We still leave Baron Trump alone. Part of my pain at their attacks on Gus Walz, is I knew, I KNEW they would attack this child. It’s hard to bear the weight of the evil hearts in this country, and still fight off despair.