Charles M. Blow: A Ticket to Hell

[babylonsister]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/09/opinion/a-ticket-to-hell.html?_r=0

A Ticket to Hell
Charles M. Blow MARCH 9, 2017

snip//

Everything is going to be the greatest and the best and the most successful simply because he deems it so.

But now, the legend of Trump, the one most rigid in his own mind, is rubbing up against the harsh reality of presidential politics, where cooperation is needed and accountability is demanded. In this new world, Trumpism appears brittle, hollow and impotent.

No matter your politics, Trump’s first weeks in office have been a disaster, as his rush to action, lack of focus and absence of acuity have led him to calamitous missteps and conspiratorial misstatements.

And now his oversold promises are being exposed for the lies they were — draining the swamp in Washington, forcing Mexico to pay for his ridiculous southern border wall, the incredibly defective Obamacare repeal and replacement proposal.

In January, Trump oversold again in an interview with The Washington Post about what he would deliver. The Post reported Trump’s comments this way:

“We’re going to have insurance for everybody,” Trump said. “There was a philosophy in some circles that if you can’t pay for it, you don’t get it. That’s not going to happen with us.” People covered under the law “can expect to have great health care. It will be in a much simplified form. Much less expensive and much better.”

But the plan just announced and endorsed by Trump doesn’t even come close to delivering on this promise. Not only would prices most likely rise for many Trump voters, but millions of Americans would be at risk of losing coverage under the plan.

Not only that, but as NBC reported last month:

“Donald Trump’s most ardent supporters are likely to be hit the hardest if he makes good on his promise to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and embark on trade wars with China and Mexico.”

The report continued:

“An analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 6.3 million of the 11.5 million Americans who used the A.C.A. marketplace to buy their insurance last year live in Republican congressional districts. Policy analysts say that a rollback of the A.C.A. would hurt older and rural Americans — two populations that favored Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton in the presidential election.”

As he has done his whole life, Trump has sold those who follow him as some sort of money-drenched messiah a bill of goods, but this time the lie is likely to manifest in loss of life, as sick people lose coverage.

Donald Trump has sold his supporters — and by extension, this country — a ticket to hell.

[malaise]

1. I'm only sorry for those who didn't vote for the Con

They were warned

[Orrex]

5. Right?

I have no idea who coined it, but I'm reminded of this?

[malaise]

8. Perfect

[malaise]

9. Yep

My sympathy button is more selective these days

[caroldansen]

2. Did you hear what Trump said yesterday? If it doesn't work he'll blame the Democrats. I

Wish the next election was today, instead of 20 months.

[vlyons]

10. he always blames everyone else

and he lies more than a throw rug

[dalton99a]

3. Deplorables and the Electoral College gave a mad man the keys to drive the whole country to hell

[Mc Mike]

4. His hater and loser fans don't mind, as long as they can drag the rest

of the country with them.

[mgardener]

7. The Republicans own this mess

The Democrats will have to clean it up.

[babylonsister]

11. Same as it ever was. nt

[joshdawg]

14. Amen, sister!

[Kablooie]

12. Trump still gets very high approval rates from Republicans.

One woman I know a said she held her nose when voting for him but she loves him now. She's delighted with everything he's doing.

[n2doc]

13. That will change once his policies hit her

And they will.

[Kablooie]

18. I don't think so.

The Republicans will never accept responsibility.
They will blame someone else for their own policies.

It doesn't have to be logical or make sense.
Republican voters are trained to only watch and believe the right wing media propaganda so anything that's reported there they accept as truth without question.
That's why they keep winning in the first place.

[elias7]

16. When you need someone to tell you how to think...

you'll believe whatever they want you to believe. I was going to say that they haven't been paying attention, but it's not that. There is no reasoning or critical thought among these people. Even when they are affected, their puppet masters have a way of hanging it on the other side. This population is of average intelligence unsullied by real education and cognitive work.

[Cary]

17. They came out to vote for Trump

We have to come out to vote. It's that simple.

Vote Democratic, or else.

[Buns_of_Fire]

15. "Tacky rich" -- how true.

No amount of money or success could completely rid him of the odiousness of being coarse and crass.

He upset social conventions.

For him, things had to be gilded to be glamorous. All modesty — either real or contrived to guard against exposure — was absent from the man. He was a glutton for attention and adoration. He chased the spotlight and pimped celebrity for profit. He valued flaunting over philanthropy.

And his worshippers love him for it. Right up until his policies slither up behind them and bite 'em on the ass.