What Just Happened?: The Historical Perspective Of The Non-Trial
By
Leonard Zwelling
Trump got off. We always knew he would. The only thing the country really wanted was a fair airing of the case. It got an airing. It wasn’t fair because it was incomplete. It was the Law without the Order.
Mitch McConnell has now ensconced himself as one of the greatest weasels in the history of the country. He’s worthless as a leader. He is everything that is wrong with American “leadership” today except for one thing. He’s not indecisive. He knows what he wants and he will do anything to get his way. He is Trump’s consigliere and his hit man.
In the end, it was going to be the election that determined the fate of Donald Trump. He’s got a lot going for him from the electoral perspective.
The economy is doing great, even if benefitting only some of the people, the top 10%. There is much of America that is still working two or three jobs to keep food on the table, a roof over their family’s heads, and the medical bill collectors at bay.
The United States is not in more wars than it was when Trump took over. It’s not in fewer wars either. Whether Mr. Trump’s tendency toward isolationism will result in troops coming home from the Middle East remains to be seen. His bellicosity toward Iran may yield the exact opposite. The fact that the cooler heads he used to have around him have been severed from the body politic is small comfort to those who serve in uniform. Iranian reprisal for the killing of Suleimani was more damaging than the president is willing to let on and there is no indication that Iran is finished or that it will contain its nuclear ambitions.
Mr. Putin is still running wild and unopposed in most areas of the world that he considers vital and that doesn’t count what his cyber-spies will do to our 2020 elections because the federal government has neglected to take the threat seriously. Why should Trump do that? He’s the beneficiary.
The American people have a key decision to make, just as they do every four years.
Are you better off than you were four years ago? If so, you will vote for Trump. If not, you can consider making a change.
If you want to make a change, is there a viable alternative? For many Americans, the Democrats have not made the case for change yet and the twelve or so who remain are doing a mighty poor job of it. Furthermore, now that Mr. Trump has gotten away with his impeachable offense against Joe Biden, is there any doubt that he will continue to work to lessen the chances that Biden will be his opponent just as Nixon did to Muskie? Not to me. Nixon wanted to run against McGovern. He did and he won 49 states. Trump wants to run against Sanders or Warren and he too will win 49 states if he gets his wish. Besides, Biden may become the Howard Dean of the 2020 primary season after his showing in Iowa.
What has happened in Washington over the past few weeks has denied the American people a clear window into the Trump Presidency. My guess is that just like Mr. Nixon, Mr. Trump will be re-elected and then the truth will dribble out. Bolton’s book will be the start, but not the end. There will be more. It is likely that we will discover that Trump’s overture to Israel will be like Nixon’s to China, an attempted cover-up of mischief at home. That doesn’t mean there were not good elements of Nixon’s opening to China or Trump’s to Israel, but in the end it is domestic politics in Washington and Jerusalem that are affecting foreign policy initiatives today. Whether the American people can see through all of that by November is very unlikely.
Mr. Trump could easily be the first president impeached in his first term and then again in his second. The real key here is who controls the Senate in January of 2021. If the Dems can hold the House and capture the Senate on the back of the wrath of the American people whose purple-state Senators voted to acquit, then we may get the trial that was missing this time. That’s a lot of ifs. Don’t count on them coming true.
And this was my prediction in October that came true, sort of. Romney stepping up:
http://lenzwelling.blogspot.com/2019/10/mitt-romney-super-hero.html
