The DNC hit a grand slam. From the timing, the staging, the line-up of Speakers, the thematics, and, of course, the Nominee's acceptance speech, the entire Convention was a hit. And, in the days that followed, Hillary's poll numbers received an 8 point boost - from a virtual tie to a respectable lead over Psycho Trump. (Well, if Trump can give out names for his opponents - "Little Marco", "Lyin' Ted", "Crooked Hillary" and the rest, so can I!). In any case, The DNC Convention received strong reviews from all quarters, including many Republican commentators and pundits. It was the "really big show" of the 2016 election cycle - and the results prove it. The reason that I chose "psycho" as a prefix from Trump started at the Democratic Convention. Let me explain.
Part of any national party convention is to present "validators." These are people - just plain folks and some celebrities as well - who will take the stage and express some experience that they had with the nominee, share a personal story or two, explain why they support the candidate, or share some personal story that bears on the election. Without question, the DNC Convention far out-paced the Republican conclave on the quality and number of celebrities who chose to appear and endorse the Democratic Nominee, Hillary Clinton. Of course, if you define the Trump family as "royals" - oh, I mean, "celebrities"- then maybe the count would be the same, but the depth, breath and quality of the speakers presented at the DNC was far superior to the RNC. From President Barack Obama to Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, and, of course, Hillary herself, the DNC line-up was four-star. And, then, there was NJ Senator Cory Booker, who energized the delegate crowd with his best and most animated presentation so far. Still, the most poignant presenter and the speech that has had the greatest impact so far, was short and delivered by an unknown - the father of US Army Capt. Humayan Khan, killed in Iraq in June, 2004. Khizr and Ghazala Khan, proud parents of Captain Khan, walked slowly to the DNC podium and shared that painful event and their grief at his loss. The obvious point of the presentation was to underscore the patriotism that US Muslim share with their fellow citizens as well as the sacrifices that are routinely made by Muslims in defense of the nation. Their son, a college graduate filled with promise for the future, chose to enlist in the US Army and rose to the rank of Captain. His heroism in defense of his fellow soldiers and his country cost him his life and transformed his parents into a Gold Star family. Trump's well-known disdain for Muslims and scapegoating of immigrants - especially his proposed "shutdown" of all Muslims trying to enter the US and his proposed for "enhanced vetting" of Muslims already here as visitors or citizens, places all US Muslims under suspicion. The last time such discrimination based on religion was broadly applied by a nation was in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s. Never-mind that the US Constitution clearly prohibits discrimination based on religion as well as other characteristics.
Mr. Khizr Khan, Captain Khan's Dad, his voice quivering with emotion, and his wife Ghazala near tears by his side, told his son's story of sacrifice. He held up a pocket copy of the US Constitution and rhetorically asked Mr. Trump if he had ever "read the Constitution"? His point, of course, was that the foundational document of our country proclaims religious freedom and clearly prohibits religious discrimination. Point taken. But, evidently,"the Donald" doesn't get it.
Instead of praising Captain Khan's heroism and comforting his parents in their grief, Trump just could not resist. He "tweeted" some remarks attacking the Khan family for what he described as "a vicious attack" on him in their speech. Trump also questioned why the Gold Star Mom didn't speak, inferring that her Muslim faith prevented her from speaking in deference to her husband - just another smear on the Muslim faith. And, the fire-storm of backlash against Trump began - from every political quarter - commentators, pundits, elected officials, and leading Republicans like Paul Ryan, and John McCain. In addition, the Trump attack on this Gold Star family has been denounced by President Obama and a variety of Veterans groups. One Vets group, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, denounced Trump's comments and suggested in an MSNBC interview this morning that Donald Trump could wind up being the first Republican candidate in decades that did not carry the veterans vote in a Presidential election.
Since Trump's initial twitter attack on the Khan family, several Trump Campaign staff members have joined in the attack on the Khan family. They leveled more bizarre and totally insane attacks and explanations for Mr. Khan's remarks. One staffer and Veterans Issues co-chair advisor, Al Baldasaro, tweeted that Captain Khan, awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star for heroism, was a "jihadist who joined the military to kill Americans." Balsasaro, relying on an article published by Theodore and Walid Shoebat, spinning yet another conspiracy theory, accused Capt. Khan as "working for the US and Al-Qaeda" who was killed "before his Islamist mission was accomplished." Shoebat also charged that Captain Khan's father is "a Muslim plant and an agent of the Muslim Brotherhood, working with the Clinton Campaign." These are the very same people - the Shoebats - who called on the US government to execute gay people for sodomy and Hillary Clinton for Witchcraft! They also demanded that women who have abortions to be "lined up and shot by firing squad." Evidently, firing squad is Baldasaro's favorite method of execution. Just last month (July) he called for Hillary Clinton to be "put in the firing line and shot for treason." Baldasaro, a retired Marine, is currently a Republican member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives and once described a woman breast-feeding her child as "a pervert show."
Psycho Trump then equated the sacrifice of the Khan family to his self-described "sacrifice." Trump's painful "sacrifice" was "building great structures" and "working very hard." What nonsense - comparing one's work as a real estate developer with those who risk - and sometimes lose - their lives in defense of the nation. Trump was a possible conscript during the Viet Nam war, being of draft age at that time. He avoided service, as have his sons, claiming that he had a "medical disability." Just last year, Trump's doctor released a report that Trump's health is "astonishingly excellent" and "extraordinary." When Trump was questioned about this apparent disparity, Trump said, "well, I guess that it healed."
Then, a spokesperson for the Trump Campaign said that President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were responsible for Captain Khan's death because Obama and Clinton allowed Isis to grow and threaten American troops in the Middle east. She neglected to notice that Captain Khan was killed in an IED attack in June, 2004 - 5 years before Barak Obama became President of the United States. George Bush was President then. Of course, there was no mention of "ghost" WMDs that were never found. The Trump Campaign, corrected the error a day later.
Since then, Psycho Trump has thrown a mother and baby out of one of his "rallies", and has publicly refused to "endorse" either John McCain or Speaker Paul Ryan, both facing re-election challenges.
It just looks like the "more Presidential", post-Convention Trump, drank too much of his own cool-aid, and, like a train wreck hurtling down the tracks, is smashing everything in its path regardless of political "correctness" or political party. Psycho Trump's one-man wrecking crew, is charging ahead with conspiracies in his head and hatred in his heart. Is it really a possibility that Psycho Trump could actually become the President of the United States? Would he scrap NATO? Support nuclear proliferation? Abandon allies in Europe to their fate at the hands of Russia? Cut taxes on billionaires and eliminate the minimum wage, etc.?
Back in the early Republican primary contests, I described the Republican field - and Trump in particular - as the Clown Car and the Chief Clown. The Chief Clown, Psycho Trump, now the official Nominee, is in charge of the National Republican Party and is driving the Republican Party's Bus recklessly down the campaign trail with all aboard. Why responsible Republicans - who see the existential wreck ahead - do not get off while they still have a chance at life, is a growing mystery. I believe that the American people will not tolerate the likes of Psycho Trump in the Oval Office. And, in time, they will reject all those who enthusiastically supported his candidacy, adding to the wreckage that Donald Trump's campaign will leave behind as his legacy.
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