“Is it just me, or is it getting crazier out there?” — Arthur Fleck, Joker
“Putin will be a Trump campaign surrogate while he quarantines.” — Senator Chris Murphy, (D) Foreign Relations Committee
Early Friday morning, around 12:30 a.m. I woke up to use the bathroom. Since the start of the pandemic, I sometimes have difficulty returning to sleep. My new habit and antidote to intermittent insomnia is to watch television news until the talking heads put me back to sleep. I turned on MSNBC, announcing late-breaking news, first, that Trump adviser, Hope Hicks tested positive for COVID-19 and shortly afterwards, it was confirmed that Trump and the First Lady, Melania, also contracted COVID-19. Oh, My!
For my new blog series, Shouting from the Soapbox, I originally planned to take a look at Russian interference in the election, the role of social media, and the efforts to suppress the vote or delegitimize the outcome. Prior to my midnight bathroom trip, little did I suspect this breaking news would become part of the unfolding story and subject for my blog.
From the Introduction of the first installment in the series, Shouting from the Soapbox.
A blog is many things, a public journal, a conversation with oneself, a showcase for writing and ideas, an exercise in vanity and a soapbox. Vonnegut’s quote speaks to me. “Pick a subject you care so deeply about that you’d speak on a soapbox about it.” I write about subjects I care deeply about, my relationship with myself, relationships with others, and my place in the larger community. I write from my lived experience, what I’ve learned from others, and what it means in the larger context of the world we live in.
During the past seven years since I’ve launched this blog, I’ve often stood up and shouted from my soapbox, sometimes simply to break the silence, to speak about the unspeakable, and acknowledge that we are only as sick as our secrets. I’ve often written that, “The personal is political and the political is personal.”
First, I confess, there have been days that I wished Karma would bite Trump in the ass, yet today, I hope POTUS and FLOTUS have a positive outcome and quick recovery for the sake of their family and for the security of our nation. The same sentiments are extended to the growing number of Republican Senators, White House staff, aids, campaign members, W.H. Press Corps, and anyone else who came in contact with Trump and others who were infected.
COVID-19 Headcount
As we’ve learned so far, the suspected superspreader event may be the White House ceremony in the Rose Garden on Saturday, September 26 to announce Judge Amy Coney Barrett as Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court. A growing number of people who attended both the outdoor event and indoor reception were diagnosed positive for COVID-19. The prep for the Presidential debate and the debate itself may be also be suspected superspreader events.
(Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
We learned too from Chris Wallace, who moderated the Presidential Debate, a number of ground rules that both parties agreed to were not adhered to by Trump’s guest entourage. Those included being tested for coronavirus prior to entry into the debate venue and wearing masks while socially distancing. Wallace reported that Trump’s family and guests arrived late, were not tested, and after entry removed their masks. When representatives of the Cleveland Clinic offered masks, they were declined.
Playing Russian Roulette
The timing and confluence of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russian interference in our election (again this year) sets the stage for a metaphoric, operatic tragedy, the possible death of the leader of our country, and the wounding of our democracy.
Trump and his Republican enablers in Congress, the White House, his family, and the courts are playing Russian Roulette, first with their failed handling of the coronavirus pandemic, leading to the loss of American lives constituting 4% of the world’s population, yet 25% of all the deaths in the world from COVID-19, and their efforts to suppress the vote and undermine the election. Trump is employing the racist campaign strategies of Governor Wallace of Alabama from his 1972 election as Trump continues to blow his dog whistle and refuse to denounce white supremacists as he touts his law and order platform targeting communities of color and the disenfranchised.
Next, the appointment of Louis DeJoy as Postmaster General, who undermined the timely delivery of the mail including election ballots, the unfounded and repeated allegations by Trump and his minions, including the Attorney General, William Barr, allege that mail-in ballots and ‘unsolicited’ ballots are fraudulent, and claim that there’s widespread fraud and efforts to illegally vote, are a strategy to cast doubt on the veracity of the Presidential election.
Lastly, FBI Director, Christopher Wray, reported that there’s no evidence of widespread fraud in our elections, yet there’s growing proof that the Russians are increasing their interference in our election. As reported by CNN on September 12, 2020:
“…there have been fresh warnings over Russian hackers targeting the 2020 election, the indictment of a Russian man stealing Americans’ identities as part of election meddling, and sanctions against a Russian-linked politician for spreading disinformation.”
“The episodes are a stark reminder that Russian-linked election interference efforts — along with the potential threat from countries like China and Iran — are ramping back up with the November 3 election.”
“Democrats’ concerns that the White House is intentionally playing down the threat from Russia for Trump’s benefit were exacerbated this week by a new whistleblower complaint alleging acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf instructed DHS officials to ‘cease providing intelligence assessments on the threat of Russian interference, and focus activities carried out by China and Iran.”
“This is clearly part of a pattern where they put pressure on the agencies to adopt, manipulate, color their analysis, because if they tell the truth, it will be embarrassing to the president,” House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff.”
Trump in his rallies incites violence, perpetuates conspiracies, promotes disinformation, lies, and gaslights.
Inciting violence, racism, and hate at his rallies.
Russian meddling, manipulation of social media, and cyberattacks are reinforcing the partisan divide and spreading disinformation, debunked conspiracy theories, and outright lies in an effort to interfere in our election AGAIN! Trump and his supporters and enablers, deny the allegations.
The chamber of the gun is literally being spun before the finger presses the trigger. Are we willing to gamble with our future?
Protecting Lives & Safeguarding Our Democracy
We are 30 days away from electing our next President; 30 days away from safeguarding our Democracy. We are also at the precipice of saving and protecting lives from the COVID-19 pandemic as we begin the long haul of the fall and winter, forcing many of us indoors.
The remedy is simple. Vote as if your life depends on it, because it does. Wear a mask, socially distance, and practice good hand-washing and hygiene. Be informed. Read reputable sources of news. Question social media posts and conspiracies. Question authority!
Following the post are a number of essays from my blog, Mixed Metaphors, Oh My! that I’ve written the past four years, plus links to content on the subjects of Russian meddling and interference in the election, voter suppression nationally and in Wisconsin, the role of social media in partisan politics, profiles of Trump surrogates, including Putin, and the unfortunate circumstances that led to Trump’s election as POTUS.
Related Reading from Mixed Metaphors, Oh My!
Shouting from the Soapbox: New Series
Red Letter Days (and Nightmare Nights)
Content to Stream on the Subject
The Choice 2020: Trump vs. Biden