What a cop out. The respectable Republican operatives who have used Trump’s populist appeal to maintain their position and privileges are more dangerous than the supporters of Trump who stormed the Capitol.
When he was first running for President Donald Trump proclaimed: “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters, OK?” Who would have thought his boast would be put to the test?
There is little doubt that Trump incited the mob violence unleashed on the Capitol in January. This was acknowledged by the leading Senate Republican, Mitch McConnell, who then voted against impeachment on the spurious grounds that one cannot impeach a President no longer in office.
One assumes McConnell thought his own position as Minority Leader might be imperilled were he to join the seven Republican Senators who did vote for impeachment. Of those only one, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, is up for re-election in two years, while at least two have declared this their last term in office. But the backlash against the seven has already been ferocious, several having already been censured by their state party officials.
It seems likely that some of the senators who voted against impeachment did so because they feared the wrath of Donald Trump in future elections. I suspect some also recognised that to impeach Trump could lead to greater examination of their own failure to defend the election of Joe Biden and speak out against the constant campaign of misinformation that has left most Republican voters apparently convinced that the election was, as Trump claims, stolen by fraud and chicanery.
The attempt to delegitimise the results of the November poll is more serious than the events of January 6, despite the loss of life on that day. Democratic governance depends upon widespread acceptance of electoral and judicial processes, and Trump’s refusal to do so is unprecedented in recent American history.
When the Supreme Court ruled in a five to four majority in 2000 that Florida had voted for George W Bush over Al Gore, thus declaring him President Elect, Gore immediately accepted the verdict. There is a parallel in our history; Gough Whitlam believed the action of Sir John Kerr in dismissing him was profoundly unconstitutional, but there was no call for mass disobedience or attacks upon Yarralumla.
Trump’s team lodged 60 or so appeals against the November results and could find no judge, including many he had himself appointed, willing to support his claims. Trump was able to appoint three justices to the Supreme Court, close to a record for a one-term President, but none was willing to even consider his appeals.
That large sections of the Republican Party were willing to disregard the consistent rejection of appeals against the November vote suggests a fundamental subversion of American belief in their own system. Ironically the system is already flawed and subject to partisan bias, but biased towards the Republicans, who have deliberately sought to make it harder for their opponents to vote.
State legislatures and governors control the creation of electoral divisions for the House of
Representatives and the rules for voter registration, postal ballots and the provision of electoral sites, all of which can be used to favour the ruling party. In retrospect the greatest failure of the Obama Administration was the lack of attention to local politics, so that Republicans were able to increase their strength in a number of key states.
The supporters of Trump who stormed the Capitol are less dangerous than the respectable Republican operatives who have used Trump’s populist appeal to maintain their position and privileges. Some of Trump’s most ardent supporters were scathing about him before he won the party’s presidential nomination; only a few of his critics such as Senator Mitt Romney have remained active in mainstream politics.
As moderate conservatives withdraw from a party now so identified with Trump-mania the Republican Party becomes increasingly the preserve of white racists, conspiracy theorists and rightwing evangelists. There are members of Congress who have close links to the very groups who stormed the Capitol, such as Alt Right and Proud Boys, and adherents of the far right are increasingly winning control of the party at a local level.
In Michigan there are well-documented links between senior Republican politicians and the militia who planned to kidnap Governor Whitmer last year.
While Democrats now control the Presidency and both houses of Congress, their majorities in both the Representatives and Senate are vulnerable to mid-term elections in 2022, and those Republicans who have not supported Trump are likely to be replaced by hard liners. Trump’s strident daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, is seen as a likely Senate candidate in North Carolina.
The United States has a history of demagogues, such as Huey Long in Louisiana or Alabama’s George Wallace, who won 13 per cent of the vote in the 1968 presidential election. What was unique to Trump was that he built a mass following by consistently railing against the system over which he presided, without any pretence of adhering to constitutional conventions.
Whether Trump can maintain his support from his Mar-A-Lago retreat is uncertain. But he has provided a rule book for future demagogues who will be equally unscrupulous in fomenting rage against the swamp within which they themselves live. Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, maybe even Trump’s son Donald Jr, may already be preparing a presidential run.
Last year’s Economist’s Democracy Index already listed the United States as a “flawed democracy”. In light of the events of this year it is likely to fall further. Maybe our Prime Minister might offer the services of the Australian Electoral Commission to President Biden in the spirit of supporting our shared democratic values to which he is apparently so committed.
Dennis Altman, a Professorial Fellow in Human Security at LaTrobe University, is the author of 14 books, since Homosexual: Oppression & Liberation was first published in 1972.
In 2006, The Bulletin listed Dennis Altman as one of the 100 most influential Australians ever, and he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2008. He has been president of the AIDS Society of Asia and the Pacific, a member of the Governing Council of the International AIDS Society and the Board of Oxfam Australia. His most recent books are Queer Wars [with Jon Symons], Unrequited Love: Diary of an Accidental Activist, and God Save the Queen.
Comments
26 responses to “Trump writes the rule book for future demagogues”
Work hard, be frugal, establish a family and advance yourself. In short, the Protestant Work Ethic. Having grown up in the mid-west heartland, white and middle class to our boot heels, I can attest that this work ethic was fundamental.
That’s gone now. The work has gone, frugal has been been swamped by a manufactured desire for cheap and shoddy things of no lasting value or worth, the very idea of family is ridiculed by LGBTQWERTY, and any chance of advancement becomes more and more remote.
Now, maybe all that’s a good thing. But, that loss, that change, is where the deplorables come from. It’s why they voted for Trump, mistakenly taking him for a kindred spirit perhaps, but still…
And now when they see or sense that he was denied a second term by a wholesale rewriting of the rules, they seethe in impotent anger.
America as was is fracturing. Perhaps that, too, is a good thing, but it will not be without consequences.
Beautifully put, Hal. Bernie Sanders and Trump were the only candidates speaking to a vast section of the electorate. When the Democrats knocked out Sanders that left Trump …. and the Greens candidate, Howie Hawkins, a traditional New Deal trade unionist. America was so confident in the 1950s when I grew up in the Mid-West. Remember those tail fins in the exuberant new cars from Detroit in 56-57?
Yes, let’s not overlook that Trump’s repeated statements that the election was fraudulent was effectively backed up by a substantial proportion of GOP lawmakers. The certification process undertaken on 6 Jan of the EC is normally just a ceremonial event but many Republicans spoke against the EC results and objected to the result. This is rejecting the vote as fraudulent just as much as Trump’s repeated calls that the election had been stolen.
The American electoral system is just not robust enough to withstand the strains of a divided populace. Its not only the lobbying money but also, as Dennis points, out each State is able to formulate its own voting system, registration procedures and voting sites – all of which can be used to advantage the party in power at the State level. In Australia we are well served by removing this from reach of the government of the day and entrusting this to the Australian Electoral Commission. Good idea to offer its services to the US though one can only imagine that it would be rejected as part of the ‘Deep State’ – and a foreign one at that.
The American system of governance is shambolic and not fit for purpose in a period when America has to come to terms with its relative decline as well as cope with the strains of high income/wealth disparity. Nothing shows this more than the fact that for albeit slightly different reasons, both Obama and Trump had to rely on governance by Executive Order rather than overseeing passing legislation through Congress and that the choice for President before the American people was Trump/Clinton or Biden.
I disagree.
I find it amazing that the U. S. Constitutional Government has proved as resilient as it has over the last 240 years. Ours has not.
Prof Altman:
interesting topic since authoritarianism / autocracy seem to be on the march – or sprint.
meanwhile back in our backwoods we have new national emergency legislation, waved through Parlt so Cth Govt and Opposition wouldn’t miss any holidays.
‘allowing’ a PM (undefined) to (effectively) determine what an emergency is (including threat of harm to an individual) and what to do about it.
like deploying the military for domestic matters – burying livestock? – and perhaps establishing a militia.
and the ‘rule book’ for that?
will it be set on precedents such as some official – not even a Dept. Head – locking people in their homes because of a single case of Covid?
would like to see that discussed in a post
Regards
I think what the Republicans did was the equivalent of running over a pedestrian and not bothering to stop or care in the least about the victim.
In their efforts to remain utterly partisan and manipulate an acquittal in the hope it does no damage to the party, it reinforces the notion that they think any means to do this is considered fair, just so long as you keep the party and the same donocracy in power. It is behaviour demonstrably void of ethics, and is an example of gaslighting of the worst kind (1). It’s a type of messing with peoples’ minds where they are literally attempting to make people believe that day is night, and night is day, when people (especially beyond America’s shores) can see full well it is not. It challenges individuals’ minds to question their own natural sense of ethics, to question their own logical thought process, and their capacity to understand what truth is. It is a lie of the first order.
That Trump was not responsible for the insurrection is not credible, nor that he should pay no consequence when five people also died at the Capitol riot is appalling. And what an indictment of the state of America when many Americans cannot even see it themselves.
It is Orwellian in two ways:
One example is in the book 1984 where the Winston is undergoing torture from O’brien (who represents the totalitarian state). Winston is asked to believe that O’brien is holding up five fingers when in fact is only holding up four. Eventually after further bursts of torture, Winston agrees to the point that he actually does see five fingers, not the actual four in front of him. This is definitely not because he thinks that complying with his torturer is the easy way out, but because his mind has been challenged so badly that he does see five fingers. At this point O’Brien knows he has achieved his result.
Repeat a lie enough times and it becomes the ‘truth’. Or should I say an alternative ‘fact’.
The other example which is more about how the the venal media and politicians work together is from the book Animal Farm. (It was originally directed at the Russian revolution but similar methods are used in so called ‘democracies’ these days). In Animal Farm, the sheep that have been told to repeat the mantra “four legs good, two legs bad” by the pigs, the leaders when they are overthrowing the farmer. But later they are asked to change the mantra into “two legs good, four legs bad” simply because the pigs have moved into the farmhouse, are walking on two legs, and holding parties with two legged farmers in the district. The sheep follow the directive and reverse the mantra – they suspect something is wrong, but are not capable of identifying what it is. They just keep repeating even though it is the reverse of what they had always been saying. This works very easily with manipulators like Trump, the Republicans, and media like Fox News who know exactly what they are doing. It is gaslighting a large section of the public that have no way of understanding what is happening to them.
My conclusion here is that over time the entire Republican Party have effectively gaslighted and thus corrupted themselves. Compare Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican Party president, a man who abolished slavery and firmly opposed imperialism, to the Confederate loving, Black Lives Matter denying, white supremacist supporting Trump, who only cares about himself. By default, and from the result of the impeachment trial vote by the party he stands for who have lent him their support, it can be seen that the party itself has moved to the other polarity and now represents the opposite of what it once stood for.
It has turned from good into evil (in the secular sense), just as they now try to tell people that day is really night, or an insurrection because their party did not win, is nothing to be concerned about.
(1) Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which a person or a group covertly sows seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or group, making them question their own memory, perception, or judgment. Wikipedia.
Dennis, the
failure of the US Senate to convict Donald Trump might end up being one of those markers in history that will be seen as a key moment on the road to catastrophe. In my lifetime I have never seen someone with Trump’s ability to attract, mesmerise and motivate people to the point where nothing that he says or does is seen by them as other than necessary for the power and glory of the union. Fortunately for America, the primary goal of Trump’s shambolic presidency seems to have been for him to gain the adoration of his supporters. That goal was pursued without concern for the consequences of his words and actions. But maybe in 4 years time there will be those who see a synergy between his ability to rouse America and their agenda for a real political transformation. One thing is as clear as daylight. Any future that includes Donald Trump in the political system will be a disaster well beyond the American shores.
Entirely agree, except for one point. The primary goal was not to gain the adoration of his supporters. That was the main secondary goal en route to the real primary goal, his adoration of himself.
In fact I’m amazed he didn’t follow the example of the Caesars – was Augustus first, or was it posthumous in his case, I can’t quite recall – and declare himself a god. It’s probably only because he’s never opened a history book in his life.
Clearly Bill Clinton missed your steely gaze. Trump certainly has his flaws, but don’t they all? That is what their system throws up, and it’s gatekeepers let them through.
Contemptible as he was, Trump was responsible for less mass murder than the great majority of his predecessors. The West’s property interests are deeply paranoid. When America’s not killing enough have-nots, they fret about it losing its will to protect them against socialism. They would not tolerate a POTUS that so many people laugh at.
This is horse shit, Dennis. America has half the country (Democrats) calling the other half (Republicans) enemies of the State and domestic terrorists. I wish I had been with that mob of dangerous ladies calling themselves Grandmothers for Trump enjoying a tour of the Capitol. I am sure I would have enjoyed their company.
I don’t think calling anyone’s efforts here , particularly those individuals who write articles “horse shit” is being respectful.
You just reinforce the misguided views of many Americans, that people like myself here see as confused and devoid of ethics. You claim you are not a Trump supporter, but confirm that you are in indirect ways and appear to support those that stormed the Capitol building.
In the past you have not seen anything wrong with the views of people like MaryJoy333, a clear white supremacist and right religious extremist, a yellow peril fear monger, not to mention paranoid anti-communist of McCarthyist proportions, and you recommended I read Steve Bannon. I’ve also caught you out gaslighting for the those on the hard right side on several occasions. Your choice, but it does not give you the right to be abusive to Dennis Altman, no matter what you think and believe.
Hello George. American libertarian Ron Paul has a post today (yesterday American time) writing: “It would be incorrect to say that the House managers’ case fell apart because they had no case to begin with.” …. “Impeachment 2.0 may be over but those blinded by hatred for Trump are not about to give up. They are irrational and obsessed. They are also dangerous.”
Lord knows what makes Trump tick. I wrote a piece a couple of years ago comparing him to our own Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen (Pearls and Irritations 13 December 2018, “Sir Joh and the Donald”) The Democrat establishment, media etc gambled on their ability to intimidate Trump supporters into silence. I think it is more likely they have strengthened the Trump base. Personally I am backing Tulsi Gabbard, who is keeping her options open.
I can already see the philosophically circular argument in that.
. “Impeachment 2.0 may be over but those blinded by hatred for Trump are not about to give up.”
He’s already seeding in readers minds that they are only driven by hate, not rejection of Trump and the Republican Party’s lack of ethics and disdain for democracy. He constructs the statement by categorizing people according to his own views, and that is not necessarily what motivates the people he criticises.
He also says “they are irrational and obsessed. They are also dangerous.”
I don’t like Trump either, but it does not mean I’m irrational and obsessed. In fact I formed that view on a rational basis simply by observing what he was doing. I dare say many Americans do the same.
Dangerous? When is the storming of the Capitol going to take place by the left? Especially if Biden or Harris clearly lose next time. In a similar case they should have done it when George W Bush was elected.
Right wing Libertarianism in the US is the dominant form. In this day and age it aligns with the Liberals here and conservatism.
See response to Barney re globalism and economic nationalism.
That article debate has been closed. I checked it last night
I hope you mean you found the article, George. It is all there on the archive. I don’t know how to do links and we are asked not to use them. My beloved Anne has only just taught me how to send a text message. Now I do it all the time. We Luddites only get worse as we get older. I was impressed by the formation of Rana Foroohar’s argument. As she wrote, the elites, chattering classes (people like us) did not see Brexit coming and we did not see Trump coming. What else are we not seeing? Her answer is a return to economic nationalism and revulsion against globalism. That is where Lighthizer and Navarro came in with Trump. This is the substantial side of the story. Much criticism of Trump is influenced by distaste for the man himself. My most recent article was on WA politics (4 February) and I have promised Liz to write another before the State election on 13 March.
Come on, Jerry. I’m sure you have too much class to smear sh!t all over the building like the Grandmothers for Trump. I doubt you want to bash cops with flagpoles or hang Mike Pence. You’ve shown you can think for yourself. You’re not a natural Trumpian at all.
You are missing the point, Barney, about the divisions in America (and elsewhere), about Trump as the symptom rather than the cause. I am on the side of the deplorables and the peasants and the West Papuans. You betcha. That does not make me a “Trumpian” but as I have been saying consistently since the Russiagate hoax, I think the hounding of Trump by the Establishment is unwise. The Post from 2018 was written at the time of the first impeachment threat. I don’t concern myself much with the personality side of politics. I have known a lot of them, written their speeches etc. I am better at what they do than they are. My interest is in the direction of policy and I thought Trump’s three major directions were correct, and said so. They were to stop wars of regime change, normalise relations with Russia and rebuild American secondary industry. If Quid Pro Joe can work on those policies I will congratulate him.
Well, forgive me if I suggest I think he is off to a pretty good start, even if it is only the “optics”. I see the obstacle as less the 72 million Trump supporters than just one of them, the egregious Mitch McConnell. Trump will be tied up in lawsuits and – God willing – will end in jail.
The big picture issue was painted by Rana Foroohar, an American journalist of Turkish descent, whom I quoted from the Australian Financial Review in a post published on 26 October 2018 under the heading “Globalism meets economic nationalism. Don’t write off Trump or Morrison.” Rana drew attention to the work of Robert Lighthizer and Peter Navarro in the Trump administration. Navarro is on the air every day with Steve Bannon. Interesting times. Difficult for the Left, especially when they get mixed up in breast feeding and chest feeding.
An interesting take on Trump. But in the end it is a statement on America. Bombing the beejesus out of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia was hardly the act of sane people, going to war in Iraq was hardly an act of sanity and Reagan had his own special madness.
America is an unstable country, full of nutters, just look at Hollywood, what’s that all about?
I’m really glad you said all this Dennis, because I don’t think it has been getting enough attention. I’d like the 147 Congress members and Senators who voted to reject the electoral college to be jailed for treason. It has emerged that most of them didn’t believe Trump’s monstrous claims for a second, but they were too cowardly and contemptible to stand up. Thank goodness for courageous and honorable republicans like Raffensperger and many others, who followed the Constitution and the law and protected the democratic system.
Dana Milbank summed it up brilliantly in the Washington Post: “When the yeas and nays were counted, seven Senate Republicans joined Herrera Beutler in her courageous stand, voting along with all 50 Democrats to convict Trump. The other 43 Republicans, some of whom, like McConnell, feebly denounced Trump’s conduct even as they acquitted him, now have the cowardly distinction of licking the boots of the man who left them to die.”
As a party today, the Republicans stand for no moral principle except a naked grab for power by any means. What I find so hard to comprehend is that 72 million Americans, knowing what Trump is, voted for him. Hypocrisy is a normal human condition, but Republicans have been blessed with a triple portion of it.
Good on you Barney, and very well said.
Thanks George. As usual, once we leave our large northern neighbour, we see the world very similarly. 🙂
Very true