Knowing where we’ve been is crucial for deciding how best to move forward.
To commemorate Keith Olbermann’s final installment of The Resistance for GQ this week, I wanted to throw up a quick validation of Keith’s excellent book, “Trump is Fucking Crazy.” The title is true, demonstrably so—but it’s also a perfect recent-history lesson as to how we actually got in this disgusting mess and how we’ll claw our way out of it next year.
I haven’t been able to watch TV interviews with Hillary Clinton because I become enraged that we were denied a capable, thoughtful commander in chief. And I don’t particularly enjoy reliving Election 2016 because it’ll go down as one of the darkest days in our nation’s history.
And yet.
“Trump is Fucking Crazy” by Keith Olbermann (Blue Rider Press) traces his GQ web series—initially titled “The Closer” and then renamed “The Resistance”—in a series of special comments and reporting on Election 2016. Reliving those days through Keith’s lens and filter is important in that it exposes Trump for the insane nutjob-fraud that he is, and how his GOP enablers are conducting a slow-moving right-wing coup in this country. The book will get charged up for what’s coming next year in the 2018 midterm elections.
Olbermann rose to prominence during the George W. Bush years in opposition to the Iraq invasion in 2003, which is why I started watching Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC. I was opposed to the conflict from the outset and watching him every night was like the best ever Calgon Bath.
RELATED: Olbermann is an convincing hybrid of Walter Cronkite & Ted Baxter (Open Letters Monthly)
Some highlights from the book and the web series, including the question of whether Donald Trump has ever owned a dog. Probably not.
As the Daily Beast reported, in the last year, 11 of the 23 FDA pet food recalls were to remove poisoned pet food from shelves. To save dogs’ lives. And Donald Trump…has given a hint that, if elected, he would protect a businessman’s right to poison dogs. Maybe your dogs, maybe mine, maybe any of the other 78 million, because, you know… profits! Hey, Don: fuck you.
Trump’s mental fitness has been called into question then and now.
If there were still doubts about what we face and how our hands are tied just a little more tightly every day – if there needs to be a debate about how sick this man is, whether this is a treatable neurosis or an illness brought on by a physical calamity or injury, or full-on malignant narcissism or paranoia or psych- or sociopathy – so be it.
We may still have time for a national dialogue about exactly what is wrong with him.
But in pronouncing, after arguably the greatest upset in American electoral history, that he would have won by more because the vote he won was still rigged against him, Donald John Trump has made it inarguably certain that there is something desperately wrong with him and he is not psychologically fit to assume the presidency.
RELATED: Olbermann’s plea to journalists, international intel agencies
Keith’s delivery has always been dramatic, acerbic and hilarious. His Countdown pieces on Worst Persons, Oddball, Time Marches On and so many others were grab-bags of insane nuttiness—from the sports world, model-walk fails, entertainment and politics. In fact, CrankyYank draws a lot of inspiration from that show and Keith himself in that I have broad interests; I feel just as obligated to review the latest season of Homeland as I do taking politicians to task for their hypocrisy.
Even my precious puppy Triscuit joined in the fun while watching Countdown—on numerous occasions.
I snagged the Keith’s audiobook, which I recommend over the printed page since his colorful delivery makes the book what it is. More importantly, as we move in to 2018, Trump is Fucking Crazy will jazz you up and light a fire for the fight to take back our country. 🔵
Buy “Trump is Fucking Crazy (This is not a joke)” on Amazon or GoodReads, where you can jump off to your book reading engine of choice.
Writer’s note: next week’s CrankyYank will be the final issue of 2017 and will commemorate the Vol. 75 milestone with a look back on some of the greatest hits and misses in the two years I’ve been writing the blog. I hope you’ll join me!
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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