HOPPIN' DOWN THE BUNNY TRAIL

This past weekend, I found myself wondering why, given the hue and cry Fox News and its fellow travelers raise every December about a mythical War on Christmas, they haven’t accused “the Left” of waging a similar War on Easter.  That seems like a missed opportunity to stir up the Christian Right.

But we can still take solace in the words of inspiration offered by Donald Trump last Sunday:

“Also, I want to thank the  White House Historical Association and all of the people that work so hard with Melania, with everybody, to keep this incredible house or building, or whatever you want to call it – because there really is no name for it; it is special – and we keep it in  tip-top shape  We call it sometimes tippy-top shape.  And it’s a great, great place.”

Lordy, does the man even know what he’s saying?  He starts out fine, probably from a script, and then his attention wanders.  “House, building, whatever.  Tip-top, tippy-top, whatever.  If I say ‘great’ twice, will someone get that Easter Bunny away from me?”  The Easter Bunny doesn’t look happy to be there either. 

This is a trivial example of an argument that has been going on ever since the election.  Should we even pay attention to stuff like this?  People worry that “Ephemeral Trump Story X” is distracting us from “Important Trump Story Z.”  Does it matter who Trump appointed as the new head of Veterans Affairs when his minions are trying to politicize the 2020 Census?  Who should we pay more attention to – Stormy Daniels or John Bolton?

I think those are false choices.  None of us can pay attention to everything, but everyone can pay attention to more than one thing.  I don’t believe there’s much value in either ignoring the outrage du jour, or in paying attention only to the most damaging aspects of the Trump era, which strikes me as a path to burnout.

Some people are searching for a magic anti-Trump strategy, and I don’t think there is one.  The congressional mid-terms are still seven months away, and to quote the famous pundit Doris Day, the future’s not ours to see.  As frustrating as it may be, all most of us can do in the meantime is to pay attention and try to keep the pressure on.  That pressure can take a variety of forms, from mockery to occasional mass rallies in the streets.

While we’re waiting for the mid-term elections (or the next mass rally), we can still appreciate the work of a few people who are in a position to actively bring pressure to bear on Donald Trump.  And Trump has clearly been feeling the pressure lately.

Robert Mueller’s investigation is proceeding despite almost daily rumors that Trump will fire the Special Counsel.  Trump is obviously terrified by the investigation into the connections between his campaign and Russia.  He telegraphs his fear – as well as his guilt – every time he tweets about it.

And with every week that passes, it’s clear that Trump is vulnerable in other areas as well.  The massive corruption in this administration (Trump, his family, his staff, his Cabinet) was entirely predictable, and it will make a good campaign issue for Democrats in November. 

Less predictable was the arrival of Stormy Daniels and her attorney, Michael Avenatti (not to mention all the other women who are stepping forward to accuse Trump of adultery and intimidation).  Trump and his fixer, Michael Cohen, have found themselves in a fight in which their customary tactics – threaten and delay – don’t seem to be working.  Threats have backfired, and Stormy is in no hurry.  She seems to be enjoying her time in the limelight.  Remarkably, the porn star has more credibility than the president. 

My hope is that Daniels and Avenatti will keep the pressure on, and in the process, reveal that Cohen and Trump blundered into campaign finance law violations when they bribed Daniels to keep quiet.  I’d love to see the courts void the clumsy non-disclosure agreements that have kept Trump’s legion of temporary paramours from telling their stories. 

My interest in the details of Trump’s sex life is, as pundit Elvis Costello put it, less than zero.  But the more we learn about Trump’s treatment of women – his mistresses as well as his current wife – the more likely it is that some small percentage of his support will erode. 

Every little bit will help in November 2018.