I Question the Reality of Some Republicans

Part of my concern about the upcoming presidential elections is that some, not all, Republicans seem stuck in a world that I do not think exists.

I Have Higher Expectations for Elected Officials

My first sense of the unreal world occurred during the Obama administration. Congressional leaders such as Mitch McConnell did not want to cooperate with Barrack Obama and thus tried to block many initiatives he had. I remember thinking, “Are these adults still in middle school?”

When McConnell refused to act on Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court, he shocked me. This was the job of the Senate. How can a leader refuse to execute his or her responsibilities?

My mother told me that racism was underneath the Republican lack of cooperation with President Obama. I said, “No way—in this day and age?” Finally, after I saw Republicans identify Donald Trump’s deficiencies and then endorse him, I agreed that her interpretation was possible. Elected officials, even those with the most power in the land, can play silly games rather than serve the American people.

The Unreal World

Like any human, I have blind spots and need others to help me see clearly. My concern this November is that some Republicans believe that Donald Trump will help struggling Americans, claim that immigrants are poisoning Americans, deny the dangers of authoritarianism, and pretend like climate change is not happening.

Struggling Americans

Donald Trump appeals to Americans who are struggling, likely because he paints himself as the victim of the media, the courts, and the current administration. Will Donald Trump help improve the lives of Americans who struggle? Jason De Parle explains his view.

Mr. Trump’s poverty plans are otherwise vague, but his record is one of animosity toward the programs Ms. Harris would defend or expand. He sought to remove millions of people from Medicaid and food stamps, many of them low-wage workers. He has sought to reduce the number of people with subsidized housing and raise their rents.  (“Trump and Harris Embody a Stark Partisan Divide on Fighting Poverty,” The New York Times, August 26, 2024)

Immigrants

In this unreal world, immigrants are the root cause of every American problem. One simple solution is to round them up, put them in camps, and deport them. When citizens commit more crimes than immigrants and many immigrants are facing real danger in their home countries, Nazi Germany comes to mind. Comments such as immigrants “poison the blood” of Americans comes from Hitler’s playbook.

Authoritarianism

In the unreal world, an authoritarian leader like Donald Trump will improve the country. The former president said his followers will not have to vote after the 2024 election.

Adolf Hitler, once he became the Chancellor of Germany, purged his former allies, the Nazi paramilitary leadership of the SA or stormtroopers. He killed about 100 SA leaders while the police took one thousand people into custody. The “story” was that the purge took out traitors who wanted to overthrow the government.

Trump voters and supporters will not have an edge during a possible Trump presidency. Cooperating with Donald Trump now does not necessarily translate into his favor later. He was unconcerned, for example, that Mike Pence might die on January 6, 2020.

Climate Change

In an unreal world, climate change is a hoax. Higher temperatures, cold snaps, rising sea levels, and the other effects of humans on the earth are all random occurrences. Oil company executives are donating millions to the former president’s campaign. The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2024 would like to rid the country of energy subsidies and prevent the Energy Department from developing new, climate-friendly technology.

November 2024

November provides us with an opportunity to vote in a way that reflects our own understanding of reality. Will we vote to help struggling Americans or to cut assistance? Should we vote in congressional leaders who will develop reasonable immigration legislation? Will we preserve our democratic republic or allow authoritarianism? Should we take steps to mitigate climate change or pretend it is not a threat?