POST ELECTION THOUGHTS.

     The election is over, what a long century it was. Joseph Biden and his running mate Kamela Harris, are president and vice-president- elect (oh how I enjoy the sound of that). Donald J. Trump is now the president de-select, a thought that also pleases me. The Senate that we had so much hope of flipping remains in Republican control, at least until two run-off elections to be held in Georgia next January. While the House remains in Democratic control, Republicans won seven new seats. So while it was not the crushing defeat of trumpism we had wished, it was a defeat of Trump. He has yet to concede. 

     We were, as usual, given the gift of comedy. Rudy Giuliani, Trumps lawyer (and friend to the Ukranian duo of Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman of the eponymous business, Fraud Guarantee) gifted us with a non-concession press conference in front of the garage door of the world famous New Seasons Total Landscaping Company. That was only part of the humor. Bookending the now famous landscaping company was a porno emporium called Fantasy Island, and a crematorium. Thank you, Thalia, Greek goddess of comedy. We may miss these humorous moments in the months to come, but we will find other Republican folly. It is not a rare occurrence. 

     The call is now out among Democrats, and a handful of Republicans, to unify as one nation. I look forward to more Republicans joining this unity as the legal challenges are ended and their fate can no longer be denied. I will join them clutching my air-sickness bag as we que up to shake their hands. They will offer their handshake with pursed lips, clutching the knife with which they will stab us as our back is exposed.

     The peoples business awaits both parties. We have a pandemic which was allowed to spread by Trumps incompetence and his mass rallies. We have people out of work thanks to the Corona virus. They await a solution to the virus before their jobs return. We have hospital personnel, doctors and nurses and those anonymous workers who help our beleaguered healthcare workers doggedly enduring long hours and the threat of being infected with Covid 19. We have a climate crisis that has been building thanks to Republican refusal to acknowledge science. And we have an angry group of trump supporters packing heat and screaming out their frustrations. These people will not go away soon and they remain an existential threat. Am I being hyperbolic? No. They march with guns and threats, mourning the defeat of Trump. In 2016 dejected Democrats marched with pussy-hats, and mobilized. We must hope that our rightwing opponents are not as effective at mobilizing for the next election. 

     The Senate remains a threat to unity. Under the grim-faced leadership of Mitch McConnell, Republicans have prevented any possibility of bi-partisanship since President Obama took office. We can expect no less when Biden becomes our official president. McConnell recently said that he would work with President Biden to appoint centrists to his cabinet. His concept of centrism will be skewed farther to the right than a President Biden, who is undeniably centrist. 

     I have a dim memory of bi-partisanship. It seemed to happen sometime between the end of the Nixon administration and Ronald Reagan's second term. It was then that the Fairness doctrine was ended, ushering in Rush Limbaugh, Foxnews, and the media spin-offs in their wake. Rush Limbaugh ushered in the house speakership of Newt Gingerich. It was then that bi-partisanship became defined as, "my way or the highway". Under Speaker Gingerich, K-Street law firms were expected to hire Republican staffers if they were to bring legislation before the house. Later the Hastert doctrine held sway; a Bill could reach the floor only if it was supported by a majority of the majority party. Dennis Hastert now collects his retirement check while imprisoned for forcing himself on some of his high school wrestlers in civilian life.It was then that tax activist Grover Norquist and others held weekly breakfast sessions open only to Republicans. At these sessions, Grover taught compliant Republicans that "bi-partisanship is the moral equivalent of date rape". Though I am no scholar of democracy, I'm pretty sure it depends on bi-partisanship. I think I can also confidently say that it's more likely that, "my way or the highway" leads to date rape. I'm willing to listen. It was also at that time that Foxnews statistician Frank Luntz advised Republicans to call the Democratic party, the "Democrat party". That tactic continues. It's a small thing, but that "ic" that appends the party name implies that Democrats aspire to the principals of democracy, though they sometimes fall short. Some of us would say they often fall short. Never-the-less, it has been Democrats who have worked to expand voting rights to those previously disenfranchised; it has been the Republican party, since the Dixiecrats became Republicans, that has sought to disenfranchise those previously enfranchised. 

     For nearly three decades Democrats have fought gamely to find compromise with Republicans. Often bending farther to achieve that compromise than many of us were comfortable with. We have pleaded with them to take the science of climate change seriously, they still call it a hoax. We sought Healthcare coverage for all, they are still trying to end the tepid Affordable Care Act. We asked people to wear a mask in public places, they invaded public buildings carrying weapons and brayed that their rights were being violated for wearing those masks. We elected our first African-American president, they claimed he was African, but not American. They accused First Lady Obama of being transgender, while First Lady Trump is the first First Lady where the entire world saw her pussy. They have called us, femi-nazi's. Those femi-nazi's are also members of ANTIFA, whom rightwingers call terrorists for being opposed to fascism. They call us Libtards, not knowing that it is Liberals who push ideas forward while conservatives seek to retard them. They call us sheeple, forgetting that we are the ones not following the flock. 

     Pardon me if I don't sing your kumbaya's. We have been insulted and vilified for too long, only to watch our ideas being crushed and thrown-out like Dixie-cups. We are in no mood for false camaraderie. The Republican party is on the cusp of collapse. Young voters backed Biden-Harris by overwhelming numbers. Women likewise are fleeing the party. They will soon be watching their numbers in elected office shrink. If we do not get the legislation we want, we will eventually, and not by threat of armed force. We may someday find the comity that democracy demands, but not now and not these Republicans that failed repeatedly to find the honor to slow down a rampant attack on democracy that Donald Trump continues. He is digging the republican party's grave and we do not need to stop them.