Deplorable Leaders
W.J. Astore
America's "leaders" believe they are in-the-know, and the rest of us are know-nothings who can be pushed around or ignored.
Perhaps the most honest thing Hillary Clinton ever did was to speak of her "basket of deplorables" after which she dismissed them as "irredeemable." This is exactly how Hillary and most of our "leaders" think. Anyone who's skeptical of them, anyone who asks for proof, anyone who's willing to resist, is thrown into a "deplorable" basket and dismissed.
It will work until it doesn't; indeed, it's already not working. But the system is not about to give in. At the presidential level, America's likely candidates for "leader of the free world" in 2024 are Joe Biden and Donald Trump, or, as my wife likes to joke, ODR versus ODR. Old Demented Rotter versus Old Divisive Rotter.
Let's take the "old" part first, since ageism is an instant rejoinder. It used to be said that being President of the U.S. was the toughest, most demanding, job in the world, making enormous demands on physical stamina and mental acuity. Eisenhower was considered old when he left the presidency at the age of 70, replaced by John F. Kennedy at the age of 43. If Biden is reelected in 2024, he will be 82 that November, and Trump will be 78. Both men are well past their prime. Are they truly ready for the rigors of the office? Do we trust either man to be able to complete another four-year term in office?
Now, let's take the "D" part. Many observers have noted Biden's mental decline; it was readily noticeable in 2020 when he ran as a candidate in the primaries. Sadly, mental decline often accelerates with age, sometimes unpredictably. Reelecting Joe Biden in 2024, assuming he runs again, will likely lead to his vice president taking over for him during his second term of office. Trump, meanwhile, is a divisive leader whose personal motto might be "divide and rule." A leader should bring people together for their mutual advantage, not tear them apart for his own advantage.
And now the "R" part, the "rotter." Neither Trump nor Biden is a champion of workers, of the poor, of the vulnerable. Neither has much empathy. Both are deeply compromised. It's a common failing of "big fish" politicians to have so little regard for the commoners that they rule, but surely we can find candidates that are, dare I say, less rotten?
"Leaders" like Hillary Clinton are fond of denouncing large swaths of the American public as "deplorable." Is this not a classic case both of projection and of profound narcissism? How do we move beyond ODR versus ODR in 2024?