Silence is rotten. ‘Privately troubled’ GOPers need to suck it up and exit the party—CrankyYank Vol. 72

Do politicians get points for being “almost heroic?” NO—no, they don’t.

I’ve talked a lot in my two years on this blog about what makes me cranky—cell phones at salad bars; ruining a beloved BBC comedy with directorial malpractice; and technology-design drift within Apple, just to name a few.

At what point does Trump’s behavior eventually cross some sort of line where people *in government*—overtly, publicly, not on-background—resist, obstruct and reject Trump?

But this one really jerks my soda: I’ve had enough of breaking news and CNN chyrons that read “GOP privately troubled by” X, or “anonymous republican speaks out against Trump about” Y.

At what point does Trump’s behavior eventually cross some sort of line where people with an “R” after their name—overtly, publicly, not on-background—resist, obstruct and reject him?

Does Trump have to gather a crowd of people on 5th Avenue and spray them with AK-47 bullets in order for him to be publicly repudiated? Trump is right about one thing: he could shoot someone on any Manhattan street and a MAGA-noid would say “well that’s on her, man. she stepped in front of the bullet.”

In about a year, while we’re in the passionate throes of midterm elections, the folks in the republican party who haven’t already stood up to Trump will wish they had. The greatest show of this resistance would be for folks like Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Sen. Susan Collins and other “moderates” to say “screw you, Trump GOP. I’m outta here” and switch to being independent—or a Democrat.

Trump fired the FBI director. He never released his taxes. He’s appointed people to his cabinet with the express intent on destroying agencies they’re meant to protect. He’s attempting to overtly sabotage 1/6th of the nation’s economy by making the Affordable Care Act fail (an Article II constitutional violation). Most recently, he called a gold-star widow a liar and is covering up that corresponding scandal in Niger.

I’m asking again: when is enough actually enough for people in his party to be so offended, so morally sickened, that they can’t have it anymore? Mark my words: that “R” marker after the end of senators’ names will end up being a scarlet letter. When the party collapses, don’t come to us crying about how you almost did something heroic.

Conscientious behavior is contagious. So are acts of courage. If one or two Senators take action, others will follow.

For now, “profiles in bravery” is not gonna be written about anyone in congress—while the nation is burning. 🔵

 

With a hat tip to @itsboyschapter on Twitter, I picked up this touching clip courtesy of Jan van Hooff on YouTube and thought it was the perfect Cure Your Crankies moment. The chimp called Mama was gravely ill and about to pass away when a glimmer of happiness came over her. From the YouTube post:

Mama, 59 years old and the oldest chimpanzee and the matriarch of the famous chimpanzee colony of the Royal Burgers Zoo in Arnhem, the Netherlands, was gravely ill. Jan van Hooff (emeritus professor behavioural biology at Utrecht University and co-founder of the Burgers colony) who has known Mama since 1972, visited her in the week before she died of old age in april 2016. It took a while before she became aware of Jan’s presence. Her reaction was extremely emotional and heart-breaking. Mama played an important social role in the colony. This has been described in “Chimpanzee Politics” by Frans de Waal, who studied the colony since 1974.

The moment is bittersweet because she passed away soon afterward. Still, giving that little gal some comfort at the end is all any of us can hope for.

 

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Will Pollock is an Atlanta-based freelance multimedia journalist focusing on pop-culture, politics, journalism & media, retail, real estate, travel, politics, and human interest. 

He is the author of two books (Pizza for Good & Leaving Triscuit), with more on the way. Sign up for the mailing list, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram—and check out the book links below.

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