Eugene Robinson: Trumped by Political Failure

[babylonsister]

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/trumped_by_political_failure_20110407/

Trumped by Political Failure
Posted on Apr 7, 2011
By Eugene Robinson

snip//

But that anyone could seriously imagine Trump as president of the United States—the actual president, living in the real White House, making fateful decisions about war and peace—must reflect something deeper and more significant than the weakness of the Republican field. I mean, really. Trump doesn’t even qualify as a wing nut on the political fringe, although that’s what he’s pretending to be, with all his “birther” blather. He’s a caricature, a cartoon, a “candidate” only in the wink-and-nod sense.

snip//

I blame the Democrats for not passing a budget last year, when they were supposed to, while they still had big majorities in both houses of Congress. I blame Republicans for their ever-changing demands, which seem to be coming from a caucus of 2-year-olds. But the point isn’t who’s responsible. The point is that in the larger sense, nobody’s responsible.

This is no way to run a banana republic, let alone a superpower. Leave aside, for the moment, the long-range challenges—sagging infrastructure, vanishing industry, growing inequality, underfunded entitlements, an overextended military. Leave aside the rise of China, the fall of Arab autocrats, global climate change and our stubborn addiction to oil. At one of the most basic duties of any government—make a budget, even if you don’t keep to it—our elected officials have utterly failed.

It’s the kind of incomprehensible failure that makes people conclude that the system is broken. It’s the kind of failure that makes voters want to look for a knight in shining armor, a caped crusader, a Man With No Name—maybe even a Man With an Inescapable Name. We’re lucky that polls show Obama well-positioned to defeat any of the Republicans mentioned so far. We’re also lucky that Trump’s “candidacy” is a piece of performance art.

And let’s hope Charlie Sheen keeps his tiger blood and Adonis DNA out of politics.

[bigdarryl]

1. The problem with this idiot Trump the media has created him giving him

soft ball interviews.I would like go see this dickhead go on Ed's show or even Tweety show but he goes on Fox where he's protected

[flpoljunkie]

2. Disagree with blaming Dems for not passing 2011 budget. Senate Dems still would've needed 60 votes.

Although, perhaps they should have tried harder. I am not sure what their motivation was for not trying--except knowing it would be blocked in the Senate.