As this would be my last chance to vent before the most important, most consequential election of our lifetime, I’m writing what should be my last letter on the subject of Donald Trump, the “man who would be king,” or the “felon-in-chief.”
Knowing, or fearing, that the next four years will be either years of chaos and pain, as our democracy crumbles, or a period of healing, where we can begin to see the return of some semblance of sanity, with the era of Trump in our rearview mirror, has made for more than a few sleepless nights.
Will Trump lose (again) and his legacy be relegated to the “dustbin of history where it belongs,” as John Brennan so eloquently stated? Or will he be returned to power by a misguided electorate, to wreak further havoc on our sacred institutions, with help from his enablers in Congress and on the religious far-right?
My previously stated belief that Donald Trump is the most dangerous man we’ve ever seen in public life, up to and including Joe McCarthy and Richard Nixon, still stands. That belief has been repeatedly reinforced by public comments made by so many of the people who worked for him in the White House, attesting to his unfitness for office. His recent displays at some of his rallies show an undeniable mental decline — swaying to music on stage for almost 40 minutes, obsessing about a legendary golfer’s man-parts, for God’s sake! I mean, you could hardly make this stuff up!
Whether he wins or loses, the fact that roughly half the electorate voted for him will stand out as maybe the most astounding, logic-defying event in this nation’s long history. I suspect more sleepless nights lie ahead.
Lynn Scott
Soudan