I remember the day Trump was sworn in, I had a lump in my throat of fear and dread. I've had it every day since. I've carried it like a tumor.
4 years later our system is in shambles, our Capitol was attacked by his supporters and 400,00 are dead.
But...it's over in 87 hours.
Trump did something important though, he revealed many of the lies America tells itself about itself: that America is somehow a post-racial meritocracy, that we are not susceptible to fascism, that America is somehow less selfish or stupid than other countries. It isn't.
And yes, of course, many of us have been saying these things for years, writing about them, researching them, marching for them. But Trump made them plain and tactile.
An obvious example: a great democracy is not attacked by the supporters of an outgoing imbecile autocrat.
It's not lost on me that the great irony is that the most dangerous lies Trump revealed about America were the ones steeped in the idea of greatness. In other words, the President who wanted to "make America great again" was the one to definitively reveal that it is anything but.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
My book, HOLLYWOOD PARK, was chosen as an Amazon Editor's Pick for a best book of 2020:
"Wild and shocking, but beautifully articulated. Jollett conveys his journey—the hurt, strangeness & yearning of youth—with delicate care & unabashed honesty." amazon.com/Hollywood-Park…
My book, HOLLYWOOD PARK, received a *starred review* from Publisher's Weekly which called it:
"Jollett writes from the perspective of a child who slowly grows aware of his circumstances. He has an innate eye for detail. You sense any novel he’d write would be a good one, a Denis Johnson-esque tale rife with drifters and drugs."
- Washington Post washingtonpost.com/entertainment/…
The entire game for Republicans is to slow the counting of early votes in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin-- then pretend that counting these legal votes is somehow cheating because they take a long time to count.
Most of you know this by now, but IF Trump holds Florida, NC and GA:
1. When we go to bed on Nov 3rd he'll be AHEAD in PA and MI by 10-15%.
2. Early votes are counted LAST in these states and lean heavily Dem.
3. Trump will claim that COUNTING these legal votes is cheating.
To be clear, it's more likely than not Dems will pick off GA, NC or FL -- and that's probably the whole ballgame.
But if that does not happen, the Republican game is to try to discount as many LEGAL MAIL-IN BALLOTS as possible thru courts, disenfranchising MILLIONS of people.
If Trump loses and tries to hold onto power, would you take to the streets for a General strike?
That’s a yes for me, by the way.
I don't think people understand how likely it is that Trump will be ahead on election night, proclaim himself the victor and take it to the courts to find various pretenses by which to invalidate votes in different states.
Between 2008 and 2016, Republicans BLOCKED the appointment of *105* (you read that right) federal judgeships nominated by Obama including a Supreme Court pick which the Constitution GUARANTEED and Republicans DENIED.
MEDIA: "But DEMOCRATS want to pack the court."
It was always the Republican plan to undo very popular laws through the corruption of US courts:
75% of Americans support safe, legal abortion.
79% support protections for pre-existing conditions.
Since Republicans can't legislate these away, they're trying to cheat instead.
The constitution DOES NOT STIPULATE how many justices serve on the Supreme Court but it clearly gave power to Obama to appoint Garland.
So, if Republicans are going to try to change laws by VIOLATING the constitution, the least Democrats can do is protect laws by ENFORCING it.