Four years ago, I told my wife that Hillary Clinton should give Donald Trump a microphone, buy him air time and let him cook his own goose. I was wrong. To me, he has always seemed unhappy and often angry–not an attractive disposition.
I underestimated how many people resonate with him. I believe one reason he has maintained a loyal “base” is because many of them also are unhappy and angry. Tex Sample helped me see this in Working Class Rage: A Field Guide to White Anger and Pain.
Mr. Trump’s base has been unfazed as a parade of his former generals, cabinet officials, staff persons, business associates, military and civil servants of all ranks, and now a family member has catalogued a consistent pattern of destructive attitudes and behaviors.
I’m pondering two scenarios: (1) what the country might look like after four more years of Mr. Trump; and (2) what the country might look like with him as an unhappy and angry former president who continues to cultivate a sizable, unhappy and angry political base. Neither scenario is rosy.
Either way, a suggested companion for the journey is the prophet Jeremiah, who was active from around 626 BCE into at least the early years of the Babylonian Exile, which began in 586 BCE. Buckle up!
ted.today 